How to overcome Stage Fright? Pt2

Preparing For The Performance
Practice, practice, practice: There's nothing like being well rehearsed. Guitarist-singer Jai Uttal once told me that he sometimes felt he had only 50% of his guitar dexterity on stage. I have felt the same way, so when I think I have a song down, I practice it even more, remembering that possible 50% loss of chops. On stage, if I start that first song and my mind is jabbering on about the size of the audience and why can't I breathe and what the hell is this song about, my well-rehearsed fingers and voice go on auto-pilot.
Play "bigger" than you plan to be: Most performers hit with nerves lose a bit of dynamism musically and physically. if you know that you tend to freeze up on stage, prepare by playing more dynamically then you intend. If you "practice bigger" you can afford to lose a bit. Sing somewhat louder than usual. Sway your body to keep it loose (yes, even if you perform seated). Exaggerate any performance moves you usually fall into: hip sway, foot tap, whatever.
Mental Run-Through: Imagine your entire performance, from taking the stage until you finish and hear the applause. Picture people in the audience watching you, what you say before you play, how you move during the song, and how you respond to the applause. Imagine everything going exactly as you want. Studies have shown that this technique improves performance skills. For some people it helps to spend a few minutes getting into a meditative state first. To do this, sit, eyes closed, breathing deeply and slowly for a couple of minutes. Silently repeat a calming word or phrase ("Amazing Grace how sweet the sound" works like a charm), or move your awareness through your body, starting with your feet then working upward, relaxing each muscle as you go. Then visualize your performance.
I've found that getting aerobic calms me and gets me breathing deeply. I often swim laps as I mentally run through my set, remembering key points of songs and what I might say in-between.
Actual Run-throughs and Practice Performances: Turn off the phone, set some time aside and run your song or set, including any in-between patter. Then when you're ready, find a safe audience to perform for before the "real" performance. Beginners can sing for their pets or roommates in preparation for scarier performances, while more advanced performers can hit open mics for a low pressure tryout. Taping yourself (audio or video) can also simulate the pressure of an actual performance. Whether playing alone or for an audience, if you flub something, keep going; learning to cover your mistakes gracefully will also relieve anxiety. But take note of what goes awry and key in on those areas during practice sessions.
Savvy set order: I make sure to start with a high energy song so I have somewhere to channel any adrenaline overload. Most of us lose our jitters after a song or two-therefore, save your more difficult songs for later in the set.