MANAGING SPEECH HOMILETICS 1

ANXIETY CHAPTER 2
 SHARE IN CLASS:
WHO FINDS TROUBLE SPEAKING IN PUBLIC?
WHO HAS A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE IN
PUBLIC SPEAKING?
 MANAGING SPEECH ANXIETY

Contrary to what most of us think, feeling

nervous about giving a speech is considered
one of the less severe social anxieties. Nervous energy
can boost performance. This chapter introduces specific
techniques that speakers use to minimize their tension.
 MANAGING SPEECH ANXIETY
Some of us tend to be more anxious than others
about public speaking because of our particular
psychological traits, life experiences, or even
genetic factors. Researchers have identified several factors that underlie
a fear of public speaking. Each factor can precipitate public speaking
anxiety (PSA) — “a situation-specific social anxiety that arises from the
real or anticipated enactment of an oral presentation.” Fortunately, we
can learn techniques to tame this anxiety and make it work for us. The
 SHARE IN CLASS:
WHAT MAKES ME ANXIOUS AND
AFRAID TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC?
1. IDENTIFY FACTORS
UNDERLYING THE FEAR OF
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Lack of
Positive Feeling
Experienc Different
e
Being the
Center of
Attraction
 LACK OF POSITIVE
EXPERIENCE
If you are new to public speaking or have had
unpleasant experiences, anxiety about what to
expect is only natural. And without positive
experiences to draw on, it’s hard to put this
anxiety into perspective. It’s a bit of a vicious
circle. Some people react by deciding to avoid
making speeches altogether, yet gaining more
experience is key to overcoming speech
 FEELING DIFFERENT
The prospect of getting up in front of an audience
makes many of us extra-sensitive to our personal
idiosyncrasies, such as a less-than-perfect haircut,
a slight lisp, or an accent. We may even believe that no one could
possibly be interested in anything we have to say. As inexperienced
speakers, we become anxious because we assume that being different
somehow means being inferior. Actually, everyone is different from
everyone else in many ways, and nearly everyone experiences
 BEING THE CENTER OF
ATTENTION
Certain audience behaviors — such as chatting with a neighbor or checking text
messages during a presentation — can cause us as speakers to think that we
lost the audience’s attention by doing something wrong; we wonder about
our mistakes and whether others noticed these supposed flaws. Researchers have
termed this tendency the illusion of transparency — when a speaker thinks his
or her anxiety is more noticeable than it is. Left unchecked, this kind of self-
consciousness can distract us from the speech itself, with all our attention now
focused on “me.” We then become more sensitive to things that might be wrong —
and that makes us feel even more conspicuous, which in turn increases our anxiety!
Actually, an audience rarely notices anything about us that we don’t want to reveal.
2. PINPOINT THE ONSET OF
PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY
 PRE-PREPARATION ANXIETY
Some people feel anxious the minute they
know they will be giving a speech.
Pre-preparation anxiety can be a problem
when we delay planning for the speech, or when it so
preoccupies us that we miss vital information needed to fulfill
the speech assignment.
 PREPARATION ANXIETY
Preparation pressures produce a cycle of
stress, procrastination, and outright
avoidance, all of which contribute to
preparation anxiety. Research has shown, however, that for most
speakers, anxiety is lowest during the preparation phase,
suggesting that the best way to gain a sense of control and
confidence is to immerse yourself in the speech’s preparation.
But over-preparation can also be an indicator of poorly managed
 PRE-PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
Some people experience anxiety as they rehearse their speech. This is
when the reality of the situation sets in: They worry that the
audience will be watching and listening only to them; or they
feel that their ideas aren’t as focused or as interesting as they
should be, and they sense that time is short. If you experience
heightened anxiety at this point, consider using anxiety stop-time
technique: Allow your anxiety to present itself for up to a few minutes
until you declare time for confidence to step in so you can proceed to
 PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
For most people, anxiety is highest just as a speech
begins. Performance anxiety is probably most
pronounced during the introduction portion of the speech
when we are most aware of the audience’s attention. Not
surprisingly, audiences we perceive to be hostile or negative usually
cause us to feel more anxious than those we sense are positive or
neutral. However, experienced speakers agree that by controlling their
nervousness during the introduction, the rest of the speech goes quite
3. USE PROVEN STRATEGIES
TO BUILD CONFIDENCE
Modify
Prepare and Thoughts Visualize
Practice and Success
Attitudes
Use
Activate the
Movements
Relaxation
to Minimize
Response
Anxiety
 PREPARE AND PRACTICE
 Preparation should begin as soon as possible after a speech is assigned.
 Once you have prepared the speech, you should rehearse it several
times. Students who practiced their speeches in front of small
audiences of three to eight people received significantly higher
evaluations of their classroom speeches than students who didn’t
practice or practiced in different ways.
 The best way to work out your fear of speaking is to overwork it —
practice as often as you can, and, in the future, accept as many
speaking engagements as appropriate
 MODIFY THOUGHTS AND
ATTITUDES
As you prepare for and deliver your speech:
 Envision it as a valuable, worthwhile, and challenging activity
 Encourage yourself with positive self-talk: Remind yourself of
all the reasons that public speaking is helpful personally,
socially, and professionally.
 Think of speechmaking as a kind of ordinary conversation
instead of a formal performance.
 VISUALIZE SUCCESS
Visualization is the practice of summoning feelings
and actions consistent with successful performance.
It requires you, the speaker, to close your eyes and
visualize a series of positive feelings and actions that will occur on the
day of your speech.
Do the following activity while the instructor reads:
 Close your eyes and allow your body to get feel. You feel thoroughly prepared to discuss the
comfortable in the chair in which you are sitting. topic that you will be presenting today.
Take a deep, comfortable breath and hold it . . . now
slowly release it through your nose. Now take  Now you see yourself standing or sitting in the room
another deep breath and make certain that you are where you will present your speech, talking very
breathing from the diaphragm . . . hold it . . . now comfortably and confidently with others in the room.
slowly release it and note how you feel while doing The people to whom you will be presenting your
this. Now one more deep breath . . . hold it . . . and speech appear to be quite friendly and are very
release it slowly . . . and begin your normal breathing cordial in their greetings and conversations prior to
pattern. Shift around if you need to get comfortable the presentation. You feel absolutely sure of your
again. material and of your ability to present the
 Now begin to visualize the beginning of a day in information in a forceful, convincing, positive
which you are going to give an informative speech. manner.
See yourself getting up in the morning, full of  Now you see yourself approaching the area from
energy, full of confidence, looking forward to the which you will present. You are feeling very good
day’s challenges. As you dress, you think about how about this presentation and see yourself move
dressing well makes you look and feel good about eagerly forward. All of your audiovisual materials are
yourself. As you are driving, riding, or walking to the well organized, well planned, and clearly aid your
speech setting, note how clear and confident you presentation.
 ACTIVATE THE RELAXATION
RESPONSE
The relaxation response is a state of deep physical rest that
decreases stress. Just as you would warm up before taking a
lengthy jog, use the following relaxation techniques before,
and even during, your speech to help slow your heart rate and
breathing rate, lower your blood pressure, increase blood flow to
major muscles, and reduce muscle tension. These more relaxed
physiological sensations help you feel better and result in better
concentration and sharper performance.
 A. BRIEFLY MEDITATE
1. Sit comfortably in a quiet place.
2. Relax your muscles, moving from neck to
shoulders to arms to back to legs.
3. Choose a word, phrase, or prayer associated
with your belief system (e.g., “Praise the
Father through the Son and King”). Breathe
slowly and say it until you become calm
(about ten to twenty minutes).
 B. USE STRESS-CONTROL
BREATHING
1. Inhale 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.
2. As you inhale, use a soothing word such as calm or relax, or
a personal mantra, like this: “Inhale calm, abdomen out,
exhale calm, abdomen in.” Go slowly, taking about three to
fivepracticing
Begin seconds with each inhalation
stress-control and several
breathing exhalation.
days before a speech event. Then, once
the occasion arrives, begin stress-control breathing while awaiting your turn at the
podium. And you can continue the breathing pattern as you approach the podium, and
once more while you’re arranging your notes and getting ready to begin.
USE MOVEMENT TO
MINIMIZE ANXIETY
Practice
Move as
Natural
you speak
Gestures

Learn
Enjoy the
from
occasion
feedback
 A. PRACTICE NATURAL
GESTURES
Practice natural gestures such as holding up your index finger when
stating your first main point. Think about what you want to say as you do
this, instead of thinking about how you look or feel.
 B. MOVE AS YOU SPEAK
Walk around as you make some of your points. Movement relieves tension
and helps hold the audience’s attention. Some actual exercise a few hours
prior to your speech can sharpen your mental focus, leaving you more
limber and better able to move naturally.
 C. ENJOY THE OCCASION
Most people ultimately find that giving speeches
can indeed be fun. It’s satisfying and empowering
to influence people, and a good speech is a sure
way to do this. All of the time and effort that go into preparing and
delivering a speech, from the moment the assignment is made to the
moment you step away from the podium, make public speaking both
challenging and exciting. Think of it in this way, and chances are you will
find much pleasure in it.
 D. LEARN FROM FEEDBACK
Speech evaluations help to identify ways to improve
what you do. You can learn a lot through self-evaluation, but self-
perceptions can be distorted, so objective evaluations by others often are
more helpful. In your speech class, your speech assignments will be
evaluated by your instructor, of course, and probably by your
classmates as well. Both sources will provide practical feedback to help
you improve your next speeches. Ultimately, all speakers rely on audience
feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of their speeches.
 SHARE IN CLASS:
HOW DID THE APPOINTED SON
OVERCOME HIS PUBLIC SPEAKING
ANXIETY?