Raise your hand against fear

Here's the Op. 38 Fantasies by Friedrich Kuhlau. Fantasy Nr. 1 has a nice little variation to the Mozart theme "Batti, batti o bel Masetto" from Don Giovanni.

I'm practicing this for an upcoming performance and it feels nice to flex some modern flute technique! Yesterday, I reminded myself to SLIGHTLY RAISE THE RIGHT HAND if I find myself kind of choking the high notes. So for example, if I'm playing a scale is going up, I'd gradually raise my hand just a bit. That seems to guarantee a more secure way of playing notes like high F# and above. Because this is not the normal range of baroque music, it can feel intimidating. 

It seems to me that by raising the hand, it's an act of working against fear and making sure we don't clamp down in that moment. If you feel some fear, confront it by standing up and standing proud. Resist feeling apologetic. Also, I try to relax my hands and imagine I'm releasing the note, as opposed to just simply playing/producing the note. 

If you're experiencing a similar issue, try this out and let me know what you think! What's YOUR tip in confronting fear while flute-playing?