Key Ideas when it comes to Anxiety around Public Speaking
- Anxiety is Natural: Public speaking anxiety affects nearly everyone. It doesn’t solely target those standing on stage addressing hundreds of people but has the capability to impact many aspects of our lives.
- Biological Understanding: Our responses are rooted in ancient survival mechanisms. Blame your ancestors for wanting to stay alive!
- Mindset Matters: Developing a growth mindset is crucial for overcoming speaking fears. Your abilities and confidence can be developed through learning and practice, it’s not about having fixed traits, tough luck, that’s that, skills can be learnt and developed.
- Preparation is Key: Thorough preparation reduces anxiety and builds confidence.
- Practice Makes Progress: Fundamentally it’s about doing it, regular speaking opportunities will help reduce anxiety, and the more you do it the better you’ll become!
Understanding Anxiety around Public Speaking
Public speaking is widely recognised as one of the most common fears. Amazingly, studies have shown that for many people the fear of speaking in public ranks even higher than the fear of death!
The Biological Roots of Speaking Anxiety
Our anxiety around public speaking is deeply rooted in human evolutionary history. Thousands of years ago humans lived in small groups and tribes to survive. Being ostracised or kicked out of the group meant a much greater likelihood of injury or dying. Humans created a kind of ‘fear reflex’, a form of protection for survival, and this ancient in-built mechanism is something we still possess today. In the 21st century we’re less likely to face the same challenges. However, we’ve retained the underlying psychological ticks e.g. anxiety when meeting new people or the worry of standing out from the crowd.
What does it Feel Like?
People describe consistent and similar physical and physiological experiences when facing public speaking situations.
Visceral Physical Responses include:
- Sweaty and wet hands.
- A racing heart.
- A wavering, thin, or broken voice.
Psychological Responses include:
Intrusive self-talk -a negative internal commentary or monologue. Involving thoughts such as:
- “You’re doing it wrong.”
- “You’re boring people.”
- “They can tell you’re nervous.”
Negative self-perceptions:
- “Why can’t you ever look anyone in the eye?”
- “You’ve always been like this.”
- “You’re adding no value.”
Another projection people build anxiety around, is the fear of going blank, where all preparation seems to vanish from the mind and you’re standing there, in absolute horror, time has stood still, and you want the earth to swallow you up!
These physical responses, physiological responses, and the fear of forgetting often interweave, creating a strong desire to actively avoid public speaking.
If you’re feeling these things now, don’t worry, there are several things you can do to change this!
Yes!
Even the most experienced speakers often have a feeling of nervousness before speaking engagements. There can be a good level of adrenaline and nerves, which help us to stay present and be engaged. We talk a little more about this on our page “How to Have Confidence in Public Speaking”.
However, it is important to have a realistic understanding of what “overcoming anxiety” means. The goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but rather reach a point of freedom where anxiety no longer prevents you from pursuing opportunities or doing things that are important to you.
What Can You Do?
When people experience elevated mental anxiety, they are usually worrying about three things:
- The demands of the situation.
- Their ability to cope with the demands.
- The consequences of not meeting those demands.
We need to reappraise this with a positive state of mind:
- Focus on the process not the outcome. That is, what can we control?
- Focus on a positive experience.
- Visualise success.
Remember that ‘pressure’ or ‘performance anxiety’ isn’t real. It doesn’t exist outside our head.
Growth Mindset
Traditional thinking suggests we’re born with fixed talents, that we’re either good at something or not. However, a growth mindset challenges this by recognising that skills can be developed through:
- Learning
- Effort
- Consistent practice.
Psychological Strategies
Key Mindset Shifts:
- View each speaking opportunity as a learning experience.
- Embrace mistakes as part of the growth process.
- Recognise that improvement comes with practice and be okay with the journey.
Reframe Your Perspective
Transform your mental approach to public speaking.
Exercise: Reframing
- Instead of: “I might mess up.” Try: “This is an opportunity to improve my skills.”
- Instead of: “I feel so nervous about this.” Try: “I’m excited to share my perspective.”
- Instead of: “They look bored.” Try: “They’re processing my ideas.”
Visualisation Techniques
Prepare our brain for the outcome we desire by visualising our success. A scientific study found that people stimulate the same parts of the brain during a visualisation of an action as they do when actually performing the same action. Therefore, if your visualisation is successful your actual chances of success are improved since you’ve already ‘done’ it. So, by ‘seeing’ our desired future we make it much more likely!
Here’s a great visualisation exercise to get you started:
Exercise: Mental Success Rehearsal
1.Find a quiet space, close your eyes and take several deep breaths.
2.Visualise the entire presentation experience:
- See yourself walking into the room confidently.
- Notice the audience, lighting, and how the space feels.
- Picture yourself delivering your key points with clarity and passion.
3.Imagine potential challenges and your successful responses:
- Technical issues you handle calmly.
- Difficult questions you answer thoughtfully.
- Momentary nervousness you transform into energy.
3.Experience the positive audience reactions: nodding heads, engaged expressions, and attentive postures.
4.Feel the emotion of success and the satisfaction as you deliver your strong closing, the warm applause, and your own sense of accomplishment.
(It’s useful to visualise the successful delivery/action as well as the positive feelings/emotions it conjures).
Benefit: This comprehensive mental rehearsal builds confidence by combining scenario familiarity, overcoming challenges, seeing preparation played out, and success reinforcement, making the actual presentation feel like something you’ve already mastered.
Want help on your Public Speaking Journey?
Hoopla runs a brilliant, fun and comprehensive 6-week course, Speakers Club. Here you can get all the tools, techniques, and most importantly, practice to reduce anxiety and boost your confidence when public speaking. We’ll focus on who you are as an individual and enhance your unique speaking voice and delivery style. You’ll actively learn and grow in a supportive environment with lots of laughter. We are an improvisation company after all!
If you’d like more details on our 6-week Public Speaking Course, here’s a handy link: Speakers Club!
Additional Resources
Speaking with Authority Workshop
Banishing your Public Speaking Nerves
Presentation Skills Masterclass
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
Ready to transform your public speaking?
Contact us today to discuss how our expert teachers and coaches can help you become a more confident and compelling speaker.