Speech anxiety triggers
The reasons non-academics give for why the prospect of
giving a speech gives them anxiety are, roughly, the sames as those confirmed
via academic research. Note 4
The major sources or
triggers of speech anxiety are (Note 4):
Lack of preparation
The fear of making
mistakes
Concerns about
appearance
Projections about a
lack of audience interest, and
Lack of previous
experience public speaking
Coping With Public
Speaking Stress
There are really two ways to cope with the stress of
speaking in public:
Avoidance:
Convert speeches to sit-down style presentations
Stress management:
Manage your Mind
Avoidance:
Convert speeches to sit-down style presentations
Let’s
be honest.
The most effective way to eliminate the stress of speaking
in public is to not speak in public.
You should bookmark this article now so you will be able to
reference that little tidbit later.
In all seriousness, for many, many people, this is exactly
the strategy they adopt. It works.
If you MUST give a presentation, you can still use this
strategy (but with a twist).
Not all presentations are alike. There are State of the
Union addresses to the entire nation. TED Talks seen by millions on the web.
And then there is the ‘presentation’ you need
to give at your team meeting.
Sit-down style presentations often get lumped into the
category of presentations and public speaking. And they are a different breed
entirely. They are made sitting down, around a table, updating a project team,
or presenting our thinking to our boss.
The context of these types of ‘sit-down’ meetings has a profound effect on the
stress they generate.
These types of
meetings and presentations:
Consist of small
groups, in a more intimate setting, seated
Will be more detail
oriented
Are more likely to
result in discussion, with other people contributing and asking questions
Likely to have the
participants holding a hard-copy of the presentation in their hand
They can be, for many, considerably less stressful.
Where possible, a useful avoidance mechanism is to convert a
‘public
speaking’
style presentation into a sit-down style presentation. It will have smaller groups, seated
around a table, with supporting material that can be referenced. And it will be
less stressful.
