Stream Prep Post
u/Just__Great (Twitch) // Reddit
Hey future streamers! Just__Great here from http://JustGreatGFX.com. I’ve talked to many people unsure about streaming and that gave me an idea which led me to write this basic guide on how to overcome the fear of streaming for you. I know there’s much more to the anxiety and stress before streaming than this guide covers, but hopefully this overview will help you take that first step. Take a moment to look over the guide and let’s discuss this topic.
Protect Your Privacy
The most important fear is protecting yourself from danger. Real danger can happen if you share personal information online. There are some important steps to keep yourself out of trouble and give yourself peace of mind.
Do not use your real name. Use a fictitious name or alias for your social media and email accounts related to your stream. Additionally do not register your stream related email address with any other websites.
You should always keep your home address and phone number private. However if you must provide a mailing address, use a post office box instead. You can also keep the city you’re living in private or even tell your viewers a different city or state entirely.
Do not click links in your stream. Just like you wouldn’t download an unknown file from your email. You can’t trust random links, no matter who sends them to you.
Using Skype and other VOIPs (voice over IP) aren’t always secure. Be advised that your IP address may be found through use of such software.
Certain games can display your IP Address. Avoid playing those games on stream or take precautions such as using graphics to cover up personal information such as an IP address. Also, connect to official game servers when playing multiplayer games with multiple hosted servers. If you’d like to take even more precautions then you can use a VPN (virtual private network) that would show users a different IP even if they tried to obtain your IP.
Evaluate Your Fear
Take a moment and write down what makes you scared or fearful of streaming. Play out the scenario in your mind and continue with it. Allow yourself to keep thinking and ask yourself “and then what happens?”. Sometimes our fears manifest because we haven’t completed the thought.
You may be fearful because of a poor self image. You’re very critical of yourself and afraid others won’t like you. The cure for this is to know yourself. Know your core values and what you believe in. Stream for yourself, because you want to and you want to share the experience with others.
Do not fear success. You may think it will require more responsibility, but that’s not the case. If you fear success then it’s the fear of the unknown. Everyone fears the unknown and that’s why it’s important to complete the thought! Remember to ask yourself “and then what happens?”. ** Set Realistic Goals ** Make small goals at first. You can always become more ambitious later. Your goal could be as simple as asking yourself “I wonder what happens if I try…” and insert the blank with a simple goal. Doing this will help you realistically figure out if something will work or not without the idea of failure since your goal was only to try.
Setbacks and Mistakes
Setbacks and mistakes can and will happen. We can’t always control setbacks. We can however, prepare for setbacks, learn from them and plan for future setbacks. Mistakes will occur, but they don’t have to discourage you. Everyone makes mistakes, we learn from our mistakes. Also, ask yourself “is this truly a mistake or just a different way of doing things?”. There’s more than one way to accomplish a task and beating yourself up for believing you made a mistake is a wasted effort.
Ask for help! Everyone needs support. Not everything has to be hard mode. If you keep trying to do everything yourself you’ll burn out sooner or later. Talk to your friends and family about your interests. If they aren’t very supportive, keep searching! You’re never alone. You can always find someone to assist you.
Stream For The Right Reasons
Do it because you love sharing your gaming with others. Do it for yourself and because you want to. Don’t do it to impress others or become famous. Chances are very low to become famous through solely streaming. Don’t do it for making money. Yes, there are streamers who make money, but you’re not going to make it big without hard work, dedication and spending your own money to make it happen.
It’s also important to have a life outside your game. Don’t get too caught up with streaming all the time. Viewers want your stream to be an experience. How can you give them an experience if you’re not familiar with the world outside your room’s walls?
Relax and Just Do It
Sometimes fear comes from treading in unknown territory. Sometimes the easiest way to overcome a fear is to just dive right in. So do it. Stream for 1 hour, 30 minutes or even just 10 minutes and see how it goes. You can’t base your knowledge on something that you have no experience in. So get out there and take that step. Overcome your fear and fulfill your potential.
Edit: Wow thank you for the gold! I’m really glad this post was helpful to you!