Speech anxiety is also known as communication apprehension. These terms encompass most of the adverse physical and emotional reactions one may feel before, during and after public speaking. These include feelings of humiliation, nervousness, dread or concern, fear of failure or rejection, upset stomach, voice changes, excessive nervous energy or sweating, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat and trembling. There's no need to apologize at the beginning of your speech; instead, you can take steps to manage speech anxiety and come out shining in the end.
Step 1
Set yourself up to succeed by choosing a topic you know very well and setting realistic goals for yourself. These include conveying a manageable amount of information within the time allotted and recognizing that you may not do perfectly--hardly anybody does. But you can definitely do well.
Step 2
Practice your speech beforehand, but don't memorize it or plan on reading it off of cards. Remember you're talking about something you know well; leave yourself the flexibility to apply that knowledge. Make an outline of the information points you'd like to cover in your speech, then practice speaking just as if you were giving the speech then and there. As you practice, consider whether you're presenting the information in a concise way that will educate your listeners. You can't tell them everything about something you're expert in, but you can hit the high points. Also practice making eye contact (with yourself in the mirror, if necessary) and speaking slowly enough to be well understood. Use body language, such as hand gestures or the way you stand, to emphasize key points or convey feeling to the audience.
Step 3
Write key phrases or concepts you want to be sure to convey down on index cards; these are prompts to help get you started again if you wander off the topic or get lost. Organize your prompts with one card for the introduction (vital information such as your name, credentials, what you're going to talk about and why the information you're sharing should matter to the audience), another for the main points you want to convey during your talk and another card for any points you want to make sure to provide in closing.
Step 4
Practice stress-relief techniques. Different things relax each of us, but a few tactics known to help you perform well include deep breathing, yoga, meditation or stretching, getting a massage, getting some exercise, getting lots of sleep and eating well. Remember, this is all about setting yourself up for success.
Step 5
Recognize that the audience probably won't be able to tell how nervous you are. In fact, the audience isn't there to judge you at all--they're actually a source of support.
Make a list of your fears. Look them over and consider whether they're realistic. Plan out how you'd deal with the realistic fears. To quote a great example given on the University Center Rochester website: "Would the entire audience REALLY begin pointing, laughing and mocking you? Probably not. Could you drop your cards, yes. What would you do? How about pick them up?" When we examine our fears rationally, we find that they're usually much simpler than we thought them to be.
