Chapter Five

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Chapter Five
Managing Speech Anxiety
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Chapter Five

• Table of Contents
• What Causes Public Speaking Anxiety?
• Pinpointing the Onset of PSA
• Strategies for Getting Started with Confidence

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Managing Speech Anxiety

• Seasoned public speakers are more practiced at
  making speech anxiety work for, and not against,
  them.

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What Causes Public Speaking Anxiety?

• Public speaking anxiety (PSA) the fear
  associated with either actual or anticipated
  communication to an audience as a speaker.

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What Causes Public Speaking Anxiety?

• Lack of Experience
• Feeling Different
• Being the Center of Attention

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What Causes Public Speaking Anxiety? Lack of
Experience

• Anxiety is a natural reaction to new experiences.

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What Causes Public Speaking Anxiety?Feeling
Different

• Almost everyone experiences nervousness about
  giving a speech.
• Novice speakers become anxious because they worry
  that being unique also means being inferior

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What Causes Public Speaking Anxiety? Being the
Center of Attention

• You see yourself more critically than the
  audience
• Actually, audiences notice little about us that
  we dont want to reveal.

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Pinpointing the Onset of Public Speaking Anxiety

• The onset of PSA can occur at different times
• Pre-Preparation Anxiety
• Preparation Anxiety
• Pre-Performance Anxiety
• Performance Anxiety

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Pinpointing the Onset of Public Speaking
AnxietyPre-Preparation Anxiety

• Pre-preparation anxiety
• anxiety felt the minute a person knows they will
  be giving a speech

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Pinpointing the Onset of Public Speaking
AnxietyPreparation Anxiety

• Preparation anxiety
• Anxiety felt as a person begins to prepare,
  feeling overwhelmed by the speech writing process

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Pinpointing the Onset of Public Speaking
AnxietyPre-Performance Anxiety

• Pre-performance anxiety occurs when people
  rehearse their speech. They may realize their
  ideas dont sound as focused or interesting as
  they should.

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Pinpointing the Onset of Public Speaking
AnxietyPerformance Anxiety

• The majority of people experience performance
  anxiety, or anxiety just before speaking begins.

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Strategies for Getting Started with Confidence

• The surest route to gaining confidence is through
  preparation and practice.

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Strategies For Getting Started With Confidence

• Prepare and Practice
• Modify Thoughts and Attitudes
• Visualization
• Use Relaxation Techniques
• Depersonalize the Speech Evaluation
• Seek Pleasure in the Occasion

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Strategies for Getting Started With
ConfidencePrepare and Practice

• If you are confident that you know the material
  and have adequately rehearsed then youll feel
  more confident at the podium.

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Strategies for Getting Started With Confidence
Modify Thoughts And Attitudes

• Regard your speech as a valuable activity.
• Remind yourself why public speaking is a good
  skill to have
• View public speaking as an opportunity, not a
  threat.

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Strategies for Getting Started With Confidence
Visualization

• Visualizing mentally seeing yourself give a
  successful speech

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Strategies for Getting Started With Confidence
Use Relaxation Techniques

• Stress-Control Breathing the center of breathing
  is felt on the stomach rather than on the chest
• Stage One inhale air and let your abdomen go
  out. Exhale air and let your abdomen go in.
• Stage Two as you inhale, use a soothing word
  such as calm or relax.

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Strategies for Getting Started With Confidence
Use Relaxation Techniques

• Practice some controlled, natural gestures that
  might be useful in enhancing your speech

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Strategies for Getting Started With Confidence
Use Relaxation Techniques

• Walk around as you make some of your points
• Movement relieves tension, and holds the
  audiences attention.

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Strategies for Getting Started With Confidence
Depersonalize The SpeechEvaluation

• Focus on the message
• It will lessen your anxiety
• It reminds you of your speech purpose.
• Think of your speech as a conversation instead of
  a performance.

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Strategies for Getting Started With
ConfidenceSeek Pleasure in the Occasion

• Giving a speech can be satisfying and empowering