This popular social activity has its roots in old Japan, but karaoke is quite the modern pastime nowadays. It’s done as an after-work activity where people get on stage and sing catchy pop songs, or well known power ballads. No matter how you do your karaoke, one thing is certain: it definitely gets you out there! That’s why it’s perfect for our first Anxiety Challenge, since you will have to stand up in front of others and do something that’s fairly unscripted. If you want to make it easier on yourself first, you can bring people you know into this Anxiety Challenge. On the other hand, if you find it easier to do this with an all-stranger cast, you can take that route.
First, you’ll want to actually pick a place that does karaoke night. Many karaoke clubs actually offer very affordable karaoke tickets, and even give first time karaoke singers free tokens so they can try their best without having to pay for the chance. There are even home karaoke machines that you can either purchase or rent for an evening — do whatever is most affordable for you.
Next, you’ll want to pick out a song. For the Anxiety Challenge, it’s okay to pick a song that you actually know very well. In fact, it’s recommended — the better you know the song, the more comfortable you’ll feel when you step on the stage. You’ll want to wait until it’s your turn to get on stage, but your turn will be up before you know it!
Finally, you’ll want to go ahead and sing your heart out! Don’t worry if you don’t have a song fully memorized – you can always look down at the scrolling lyrics in case you lose your place or train of thought.
What makes this Anxiety Challenge fun is that you will be forced to not only step outside of your comfort zone, but interact with other people at the same time — truly a win-win situation! Don’t worry about sounding like the next music superstar — the point is to have fun, meet new people and fight anxiety! Good luck!