Whether it is a small or substantial amount, most of us have some form of anxiety when it comes to public speaking. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, affects about 73% of the population (National Social Anxiety Center, 2016). While this anxiety is “normal” it is difficult to manage without exploring the root cause. It is important for each person to recognize that their particular sort of speech anxiety has developed uniquely through each of their lives and experiences.
Types of Speech Anxiety
Trait-anxiety: This type of anxiety is typically aligned with an individual’s personality. People who would call themselves “shy” often seek to avoid interaction with others because they are uncertain of how they will be perceived. Those with trait anxiety may experience higher levels of anxiety in other areas of their lives. These folks, according to researchers, are likely to view any chance to express themselves publicly with skepticism and hesitation.
State-anxiety: This type of anxiety is usually due to the external situation in which individuals find themselves. Some people may have had a negative experience in public at an early age—they forgot a line in a play, they lost a spelling bee, they did poorly when called on in front of their class—something that resulted in a bit of public embarrassment. Others may have never actually experienced that stress themselves but may have watched friends struggle and thus empathized with them. These sorts of experiences can often lead to the formation of state anxiety in an individual.
Scrutiny fear: This type of anxiety does not necessarily involve anxiety of interacting with other people but is simply the fear of being in a situation where one is being watched or observed, or one perceives him or herself as being watched while undertaking an activity.
Steps to Managing Speech Anxiety
The good news is that you can manage speech anxiety! While you may never completely alleviate all stress associated with public speaking, taking a reflective approach can help you to identify ways that will help to lessen anxiety and deliver an effective speech. Think about your speech anxiety using the step-by-step process below:
- Identify speech anxiety: Which type of speech anxiety do you have? Where do you think it stems from?
- Pinpoint onset: Just as we suffer from different types of anxiety or anxiety may appear at different (or all) times during the speech making process. Knowing when our nerves will hit can help us to prepare for them and avoid behaviors that will make them worse.
- During the preparation process: Anxiety during this stage may include feeling overwhelmed with the process of thought of public speaking. Individuals may procrastinate preparation or avoid the preparation process altogether.
- Before the speech: Anxiety during this stage may come after the speech writing is complete and it is time to rehearse. As anxiety arises, individuals may avoid practicing because of the stress it is causing.
- During the speech: This type of anxiety peaks once the speaker begins the speech. While it may lessen as the speech progresses, individuals may stumble over the introduction due to heightened nerves and damage credibility.
- Determine and implement strategies: Depending on the type and onset of anxiety, different strategies can help speakers to manage anxiety.
Strategies to Manage Anxiety
Prepare: This strategy cannot be overstated. We are more comfortable when we have researched our topic thoroughly, understand our audience, are familiar with our venue, and know our content comprehensively. Following the speech making process (chapter 2) will help us to prepare and feel prepared.
Practice: While this is the most well-known strategy, it is also the most overlooked one. Effective practice is more than reading through your speech a time or two. It is a process that allows you to identify potential issues so you can revise your content, visuals, and delivery plan. We will examine a step by step process for effective practice in chapter 3.
Self-talk and visualizing success: Your internal dialogue can be positive or negative. While positive self-talk can be difficult when we are nervous, it also can lead to positive results. Both positive and negative self-talk can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. In a self-fulfilling prophecy, an individual’s expectations lead to behaviors that cause those expectations to become reality. For instance, when you think you are going to fail at a test, you may decide to go out with your friends instead of studying, and you fail the test. On the other hand, if you think you will be successful on a presentation, you may take the steps necessary to prepare and practice, and in the end, you will be successful. Create a positive self-fulfilling prophecy for yourself!
Reframing: The process of reframing changes the perception of something so that our experience of it is different. Not all jitters are negative – many public speakers use anxiety as a tool for success. Psychologically anxiety and excitement are almost identical. The difference is how we interpret them – positively or negatively. You can reframe your thoughts about nervousness and use that to your advantage – nervous energy in the body can be transformed to positive nonverbal communication that connects directly with your audience. Embrace the jitters – while easier said than done – can help you deliver a strong speech.
