A number of proven strategies exist to help you rein in your fears about public speaking, from meditation and visualization to other forms of relaxation techniques. The first step in taming speech anxiety is to have a thorough plan for each presentation.
Prepare and Practice
If you are confident that you know your material and have adequately rehearsed your delivery, you’ll feel far more confident in front of an audience than otherwise. Preparation should begin as soon as possible after a speech is assigned. Once you have prepared the speech, be sure to rehearse it several times.
Modify Thoughts and Attitudes
Negative thoughts about speechmaking increase speech anxiety.6 A positive attitude, on the other hand, actually results in lowered heart rate and reduced anxiety during the delivery of the speech.7 As you prepare for and deliver your speech, envision it as a valuable, worthwhile, and challenging activity. Remind yourself of all the reasons that public speaking is helpful personally, socially, and professionally. Think positively about public speaking, and focus on it as an opportunity toward, not a threat to, personal growth.
Just before a speech those feelings of anxiety undoubtedly try to sneak in. The way I keep them from taking over is to not let my mind become negative. As long as I keep positive thoughts of confidence in my head, anxiety doesn’t stand a chance!
—Morgan Verdery, student
Envision Your Speech as a Conversation
Rather than thinking of your speech as a formal performance where you will be judged and critiqued, try thinking of it as a kind of ordinary conversation. By doing so, you will feel less threatened and more relaxed about the process.8
Visualize Success
Visualization is a highly effective way to reduce nervousness.9 The following is a script for visualizing success on a public-speaking occasion. This exercise requires you, the speaker, to close your eyes and visualize a series of positive feelings and reactions that will occur on the day of the speech.
Close your eyes and allow your body to get comfortable in the chair in which you are sitting. Take a deep, comfortable breath and hold it . . . now slowly release it through your nose. Now take another deep breath and make certain that you are breathing from the diaphragm . . . hold it . . . now slowly release it and note how you feel while doing this. Now one more deep breath . . . hold it . . . and release it slowly . . . and begin your normal breathing pattern.
Now begin to visualize the beginning of a day in which you are going to give an informative speech. See yourself getting up in the morning, full of energy, full of confidence, looking forward to the day’s challenges. You are putting on just the right clothes for the task at hand that day. Dressing well makes you look and feel good about yourself, so you have on just what you want to wear, which clearly expresses your sense of inner well-being. As you are driving, riding, or walking to the speech setting, note how clear and confident you feel, and how others around you, as you arrive, comment positively regarding your fine appearance and general demeanor. You feel thoroughly prepared for the target issue you will be presenting today.
Now you see yourself standing or sitting in the room where you will present your speech, talking very comfortably and confidently with others in the room. The people to whom you will be presenting your speech appear to be quite friendly and are very cordial in their greetings and conversations prior to the presentation. You feel absolutely sure of your material and of your ability to present the information in a forceful, convincing, positive manner.
Now you see yourself approaching the area from which you will present. You are feeling very good about this presentation and see yourself move eagerly forward. All of your audiovisual materials are well organized, well planned, and clearly aid your presentation.10