Why is that in some performances, we're totally focused, and the critic in our head leaves us alone, and on other days, it's a total nightmare? Research suggests that it might have a little something to do with what we think about in the moments leading up to the performance, and that we might be able to manage our nerves a little better if we engage in the right sort of mental script backstage. How the Things You Think about Backstage Could Carry over into Your Performance