Before, during, and sometimes after a speech you may experience rapid heart rate and breathing, dry mouth, faintness, freezing-up, or other uncomfortable sensations. These are automatic physiological reactions that result from the “fight-or-flight” response. Research shows that you can counteract these sensations by activating the relaxation response¹¹ using techniques such as meditation and controlled breathing.

Briefly Meditate

You can calm yourself considerably with this brief meditation exercise:

Use Stress-Control Breathing

When you feel stressed, the center of your breathing tends to move from the abdomen to the upper chest, leaving you with a reduced supply of air. The chest and shoulders rise, and you feel out of breath. With stress-control breathing,¹² you will feel more movement in the stomach than in the chest. Try stress-control breathing in two stages.

STAGE ONEInhale air and let your abdomen go out. Exhale air and let your abdomen go in. Do this for a while until you get into the rhythm of it.

STAGE TWOAs you inhale, use a soothing word such as “calm” or “relax,” or use a personal mantra, such as the following: “Inhale calm, abdomen out, exhale calm, abdomen in.” Go slowly. Each inhalation and exhalation of stress-control breathing takes about three to five seconds.

Begin stress-control breathing several days before you’re scheduled to speak. Then, once the speaking event arrives, use it while awaiting your turn at the podium and just before you start your speech.

I have two ways to cope with my nervousness before I’m about to speak. I draw a couple of deep breaths from my stomach; I breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. This allows more oxygen to the brain so you can think clearly. I also calm myself down by saying, “Everything will be okay, and the world is not going to crumble before me if I mess up.”

—Jenna Sanford, student