My First Stand-Up Performance Was a Disaster, and I Feel Terrible—Looking for Advice

I had my very first stand-up performance today, and I feel like I completely blew it. I walked up on that stage, took the mic, and started with my first paragraph. Things were okay for a few seconds, but then… I froze.

I couldn’t remember my transition to the next part of my set. My mind went blank, and panic set in. I tried to push through, but the words wouldn’t come. Suddenly, I found myself saying, “I can’t do it. I’m sorry, I can’t,” and I walked off the stage. Just like that.

The embarrassment is crushing me right now. I feel like I let myself down in front of the audience, and I keep replaying the moment over and over in my head. I know bombing is part of the journey, but this wasn’t just bombing—I didn’t even finish!

I really love stand-up and feel like there’s still fire in me to do this, but I’m terrified to step back on stage. How do I rebuild after something like this? How do I make sure this never happens again?

Right now, I’m thinking my set wasn’t a true reflection of me, which made it harder to deliver. I also realize I need to work harder on memorizing my material and preparing for those moments when nerves hit.

For those of you who’ve been through something similar, what helped you bounce back? How do you handle freezing up on stage, and how did you move past the embarrassment?

I’m here because I want to get better. I want to learn from this and turn it into something positive, but right now, it’s tough to see past how awful it felt in the moment. Any advice, stories, or encouragement would mean the world to me.