From the article: Tips for Managing Public Speaking Anxiety
Most people are at least somewhat nervous when it comes to speaking in public. Others cannot even fathom getting up in front of an audience. How do you handle public speaking? Do you avoid it at all costs? Suffer through it and try to hide your anxiety? Or have you found a way to keep your anxiety in check? Whatever your experiences, we want to hear about them. Share Your Experiences
gKeHfpjRJaXRnYOc
- Good question. I have both. My feelings of social anxiety have more or less gone away. Getting older makes you not care so much. But my fear of public speaking remains. I think this is because I don't have the opportunity to practice it as much as casual involvement in social situations. In public speaking situations I'm concerned that I will make a fool of myself when all eyes are on me. Years ago, when I had to address groups of people on a regular basis it went away. I think that both of these things are variable according to exposure like fear of flying. I think the main calling card for Social Anxiety is avoidance of social situations.
- —Guest aiozylKECRfVj
Helpp!
- So, I had always avoided public speaking in front of 40 + people. But I always had to speak in class..somehow I managed to trick people. Then came my high school years. I was always chosen to speak. I was ok with it. I mean I was terrified inside but I managed to trick. But then college came...I blew up two presentations. My voice cracked and my mind went blank..Some of my classmates laughed at me. It was the most pathetic feeling ever. Like I have many presentations to make. I am so scared. I don't know what the f*ck is wrong with me. When I am sitting with 100 people I can speak..but when I stand in front of lets say 6 people I can't!
- —Guest Me
I'm dead
- I have a speech to give tomorrow noon it must be half an hour long in front of 1500 people. The thing is I just finished preparing the material my English is rubbish as it is my third language. BUT I'm going to rock it. Never gave a speech in my life. I think I will be ok. I don't know any of the people there and I will just talk my mind and heart out. Love u all. Good luck.
- —Guest cocopops
Know your subject
- Know your subject inside and out. Have a family member quiz you about it. Then you will be recalling information that you KNOW instead of trying to remember words that do not mean a lot to you.
- —Guest Sheri
Please. Please help me.
- I can relate to you all. I am only 16 and a sophomore in high school, and you all may think that I don't have it nearly as bad as you do. But I have a problem. I'm becoming terrified of people for fear that they will try to talk to me and I won't know what to say and end up making a fool of myself. I have been stressing over my honors literature class's debate for literally over a month. I have hardly slept. My class is full of intelligent people, and I have never said more than a few words in this class, except for the few times my teacher has called on me to answer. These occasions have involved me shaking, blushing, stuttering, and my voice becoming distorted. And then, even though my teacher praises me for an answer, he asks me to say it again! This time I have to speak for five minutes by myself, and then my partner has her turn. I'm afraid I will suddenly forget everything like I always do, or people will start laughing and whispering amongst themselves like they always do. Help!
- —Guest SAD, sad girl
groping for the words
- When asked to speak, despite on the dose of alprex, there is something that takes place which is beyond your ( read mine) power to control. Heart beat goes up, you start feeling feverish. Despite your best efforts your vocal chord pitch distorts. Your anxiety becomes glaring to people. Why? 1. I found I become extremely conscious of my performance and thinking about perceived adverse reaction from the audience. But no, even knowing they are just my acquaintances, because of increased heart beat and anxiety led malfunctioning of the system you just grope for the right words to express your subject matter. In short everything goes haywire. It may last for a few seconds to a few minutes. But by that time destruction is complete. Solution? I avoid attending meetings where I may be asked to speak. 2. Surprisingly I find no difficulty in making informal communication even in the meeting or when I know I have to address people NOT known to me. 3 I have no problem in addressing when I HEAD the meeting.
- —Guest vamshark
Help maybe?
- I am actually presenting something in about an hour and I've been freaking out for two weeks! Usually what happens is that I see everyone else's projects and I start thinking mine is crap! My stomach is all knotted my hands are clammy and I get really shaky and start blushing. What helps me sometimes is to tune every other presentation out and pretend its just me presenting and the professor grading. Or just let the classroom fade away into darkness and pretend youre by yourself. If you have a professor, like I do, that calls you out or asks questions in the middle of your presentation and you don't know the answer, just blow it off with a shrug, "the topic was a bit confusing, this is all I got." If you show some sort of effort and accept your mistakes usually things will go well. Presenting isn't really a big deal, weather youre in high school, college or even work your peers won't remember your presentation at the end of the day, only you will.
- —Guest Kayla
Can Act, Can't Present
- The weird thing is, I'm in drama club and have been for four years. I can get up in front of three hundred plus people and act my part no problem. But when I had to do an oral presentation for class, I got in front of the class, said maybe three words, then had a really bad panic attack. I have no idea why I can act in the play, but not do presentations for class.
- —Guest UncleGibby
Just flat out stressed for days before
- I don't understand whenever I read from a text book for the teacher I can read through it like pie, when I have to get in front of the class I start to shake my voice will rattle and feel like I'm going to pass out I don't understand all the other kids in my class can do it great I look at other people's strategy like stretching before a presentation that doesn't work. But I think it will get easier after continuous presentations but I'm just worried when I get to college to give a presentation in front of a big class like 100's instead of like 20 to 30.
- —Guest Guest
Comforting
- I honestly think reading all these responses actually makes me feel a little more confident now. I don't think my anxiety will go away, but it's so nice to hear that I am not the only one. Everyone here seems to suffer the same way I do and I don't feel so alone now. It's nice to read people's responses to this problem rather than ads for what you can buy to "treat" this.
- —Guest SAD
college presentation
- I'm absolutely petrified of doing a presentation. I can imagine it going okay until I actually stand up there, I start to shake. I freeze and can't talk. I can feel my heart beat in my head I go really hot and red and I just feel like an embarrassment. I have a presentation tomorrow and I'm actually crapping myself about it. I find it hard to read off paper so I'm thinking of just having flash cards instead will this help or not??
- —Guest han
Possible SAD?
- When I have to give an oral presentation I shake almost uncontrollably in my seat. When I have to go up I have trouble breathing and I find it difficult to maintain eye contact. I usually end up mumbling or getting a squeaky voice. I feel uncomfortable in my own shoes and sometimes beforehand I stay home or end up leaving school to go home from a really bad panic attack.
- —Guest Lara
Scared of speaking in front of crowd
- Well , i have a fear of getting up in front of people and speaking. When i have to get in front of my classes and show my projects, I shake, get sick to my stomach, and can't speak, my voice sounds weird and I studder. I deal with it this way: I practice in front of my friends or family, I act like I am talking to them when I am in front of my classes. My mother has anxiety disorders really bad, she gets panic attacks. I think I am going to turn out the same way.
- —Guest Hayden
Feel Cowardly
- I have not always had fear in public speaking, only occassionally. Now, that I am older and more tired, I tend to stress more and am more weary. I have found out that I have to brief a major general in two days for someone else that bailed at the last moment. There will be about 50 sets of judging eyes staring at me when I discuss someone else's charts. I shake, sweat under the arms and butt crack, heart pounds, get dizzy, voice shakes, arms tremble, want to poop, feel weak, and want to just die. In the end, I tell myself to just get on with it, it will soon be over and I can go on with life. I have to develop a sense of not caring about what people think about me; it is who I am. If they don't like it they can brief it!
- —Guest JFS
Help
- I can relate to you all, I am 27 and I work on a in work program which involves me having to deliver a 1hr welcome session 2x a week up until recently we have had very limited numbers no more than 6 but even that I've struggled with but lately numbers have exploded and I'm delivering to groups of people 13+ I'm terrified all week and feel physically sick the night before and loose sleep- I think I am most worried about being challenged in front of a group of people, I have to Do it as its part of my job but is making me so unhappy. My heart pounds, tummy does cart wheels, I get sweaty palms and I shake and I talk so quickly to get things over with- can anyone give me any advice as I'm on the verge of getting a new job due to this.
- —Guest Anon
1-15 of 51Next
