You’re about to step on stage, heart pounding, thoughts racing: Will I mess up? Will I be good enough? It’s a feeling familiar to every performer, but what if the answer to silencing that inner critic wasn’t about shutting it down, but embracing it? This was the theme of an eye-opening conversation between Alexandra Babbel and Fraser Johnston, where they explored the mental struggles faced by musicians, athletes, and anyone under pressure, and the unconventional tools that can help them find peace.

Johnston, originally from Scotland, moved to Kelowna with a passion for snowboarding and rugby. He reflects on his own experiences with pre-performance anxiety, sharing, “Everyone struggles with that pre-performance critic. You wonder, ‘Am I going to perform well?’ And afterward, there's always the self-doubt—‘Did I do my best?’” Musicians, athletes, and performers alike can relate to these internal battles, where pressure and doubt become frequent companions.

Babbel, an opera singer and world class singing coach, shared her own challenges, noting the evolution of how artists are trained to cope with anxiety. “When I was a young musician, this wasn’t addressed. My training didn’t leave much room for dealing with anxiety, but we see it more now. For me, generational trauma only compounded performance anxiety,” Babbel explained, emphasizing the importance of addressing mental health for long-term well-being.

The two explored the concept of the "inner critic" and how many people traditionally attempt to silence it. Johnston recalled how he once coped by suppressing his internal doubts. "I used to always be really harsh with that inner voice. I’d tell it to shut up, stuff it down. But over time, I realized that was counterproductive. The real breakthrough came when I learned to make friends with it, bringing self-awareness and compassion into the mix.”