3 Reasons Why You Have Speaking Anxiety (And What to Do About It)
If you’ve read this blog, or worked with me, I’m sure you’ve heard my proclamations that “Being nervous is normal” or, “Even the greats get nervous! It’s a good thing!”
Have a bit of anxiety or nerves (aka stage fright) before presenting is indeed normal.
Here’s why it happens, why it’s good, and what you can do to manage your anxiety before speaking or presenting.
Why you get nervous before a speech or presentation
The stakes are MUCH higher.
I often joke that a work presentation feels much harder than anything outside of work because, “You can’t get fired at home.” (Plus, who among us presents at home on a regular basis?)
You care about doing a good job, or impressing the boss, or getting that promotion. There are other people in the room whose opinion matters - even if it’s just a tiny bit.This is an artificial situation
By “artificial” I mean the whole setup. In our day-to-day lives, we don’t put a large table into a U shape, plug in a projector [or stream to the TV-monitor], connect the laptop, show images and then talk to achieve a desired result. No - in most of our interactions we just talk (or text, or type). So of course a different setup is going to feel weird - and get that adrenaline running.
A little nervousness is to be expected. It shows you’re responsible, and you care about doing a good job. So embrace it, but also get to a place where the anxiety doesn’t overtake you or your speech.Your primal brain is kicking into high gear
There’s a tiny part of our brain, buried in the center, known as the “primal brain” or “pre-reptilian brain.” This part is responsible for self-preservation. This is where our “flight, fight, or freeze” response lives. (No surprise that most of my clients say, “I’m afraid I’m going to freeze and forget my speech.”)
When stage fright hits, your primal brain goes from 0 to 60 in .0005/seconds. Your brain thinks you’re in danger. You’re not; you just have to give a speech. But your brain doesn’t know that. So it feeds you adrenaline — way more adrenaline than you need.
And adrenaline distorts time, feelings, and perception.
That’s why so many of my nervous clients will say, after delivering a mock speech, “I’m sure you saw me [shaking/sweating/fumbling].”
My response is always, “No, I didn’t.” And I’m not being nice, either. Adrenaline makes the experience feel awful, when it’s anything but.
3 Tips to Manage Your Speaking Anxiety
Practice!
And I don’t mean recite it out loud and memorize your speech. You have better things to do than memorize a presentation.
Know your opening, closing, and what points you want to convey in between. Then say your content out loud (this is key) as you practice. If you’re using slides, work with those.
Practicing a presentation on our feet has multiple benefits. You’re getting it into your body (aka “muscle memory”) and you’re also speaking it out loud - which allows you to hear things as they sound and catch phrases that are repetitive, don’t sound good, or are just out-of-order.Breathe!
Yes, this one is an old saw, but I swear by “Square Breathing” or grounding exercises I find on youtube. I do a grounding exercise before each client call. It keeps me calm and focused.Take as many opportunities to present as you can.
Ask for opportunities to present at work or at any other place where you’re involved: Kids’ school, volunteer work, hobby group? Some networking groups require you to say a little something at each meeting. Take any opportunity to speak - even the low-stakes ones. Those are the best - they give you practice with little to no risk. This will give you even more speaking experience, and the more you do it, the more comfortable you become, the less your anxiety will grip you.
And, of course, you can always work with me or Randy Ford to polish your presentation, and get the nerves under control.
If you need help speaking with confidence or getting over your own speaking anxiety, set up an intro call or book a one-hour Power Hour with me.
I love making the public speaking process easier for my clients.
What to read or hear next:
My talk with Randy Ford on “How to Write a Better Bio”
Is it okay to drink before I give a toast? 2-minute Voice Memos
For Women Only: Three Speaking Tips
About The Author
Hi! I’m Marianna. I make public speaking easier for my clients. In addition to Presentation Skills workshops, I offer executive coaching and Keynote speeches. To learn more, schedule a call with me.