Speech anxiety, or speech fright, is a common condition, experienced by roughly 70 percent of the population at one time or another, report researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi Speaking Center. Being afraid of speaking in front of a group is avoidable and controllable with the proper education, self-knowledge and practice.
Thoughts
Fearful thoughts about making a mistake, looking foolish or stumbling over the words often are the cause of speech anxiety.
Physical Reactions
Thoughts often produce physical reactions that add to the anxiety. Speech anxiety often results in excessive perspiring, sweaty palms, increased heart rate, nausea or shaky voice.
Inferiority
A lack of knowledge or understanding about the subject matter being presented or a perceived idea that the audience will unfairly judge the content of a speech can lead to inferiority and speech anxiety.
Control
Deep breathing is one of the best methods of controlling the physical reactions when speech anxiety pops up. A brisk walk or other relaxation techniques also can slow the physical reactions that can sabotage a speech.
Preparation
Preparation can help speakers overcome speech anxiety. A well-researched written guide from which they can reference while speaking is a useful tool.
Concealment
Professors at the College of New Jersey suggest students new to public speaking learn to conceal their fears with tricks used by professional speakers, such as visualization, knowing the audience and what they expect and transforming anxiety into energy.
