Controlling Speech Anxiety The Problems with HIGH Speech Anxiety... People with high speech anxiety often avoid communication. They are rarely perceived.

Controlling Speech Anxiety

• The Problems with HIGH Speech Anxiety...• People with high speech anxiety often

avoid communication.• They are rarely perceived as leaders.

• Others may have negative perceptions of them since they seem uneasy.

• BUT people with high anxiety can be taught how to manage their anxiety!

Tips & Tricks to Reduce Your Speech Anxiety

• Prepare ahead.

• Realize it exists. What are your fears? Make a list of your fears. Now look to see what is realistic, what is not? 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? See…you can plan how to respond to realistic fears.

• Practice breathing and relaxing. Most fear can be reduced by deliberate slow breathing. Breath with the diaphragm. One way to remember how is: Breath in Big Baby Belly…Breath out Belly In. Plan and practice your breathing. Try visualization exercises.

• Don’t clench your fists or lock your knees…boy that will bottle the stress right in!

• What can you do to minimize your symptoms?

• PRACTICE!

• Use Visual Aids – PowerPoint, Posters, Objects, Videos, etc. help you remember segments of your speech and help you to move to that area physically and mentally. Use items that are familiar and make you feel good. Make sure you practice with them and have taken time to prepare them. A poorly designed and sloppy visual aid will increase your anxiety, not reduce it.

• Have a “gimmick” for each part of your speech…role-plays, skits, poems, music, etc. This helps you to look forward to different areas of your speech.

• How about audience participation…close your eyes, imagine this…

• Might you use a “helper?” However, the helper might be very nervous and cause more harm than good.

• Movement helps breathing! Plan and practice your movement. The most logical times to move would be during the transitions of your speech.

• Get support! Talk to your teacher, a friend, another student in the class, a counselor, etc.

• Have Realistic Goals! Some folks do not completely eliminate speech anxiety, but instead learn to reduce it or manage it. Set goals and make specific plans for each section of your speech…For example, know what you should do in the introduction, then maybe plan to walk to a visual aid to help you BREATHE!

• Think positive thoughts! Don’t engage in self-sabotage…some people will get “stuck” during the brainstorming process of finding a topic because nothing seems interesting enough to talk about. We are not that critical! Try to find a topic you can feel comfortable, but remember any topic can be good or bad, it is how you develop and use the topic!

• Know your Topic.

• Know your Audience.

• Know Yourself.

• Know your Speech.

• Focus on your Message, not yourself.

• Recognize your value and uniqueness.

• “Never let them see ya sweat!”• Walk CALMLY. Don’t race up or down.

• Wait, don’t begin until you are ready. Take a few minutes to look over your notes, say your first sentence to yourself, take a deep breath, and then begin!

• Don’t “pack up” before you are done.

• Look to friendly folks. Can you bring a friend with?

• Take breaks with pauses, use movement (walk to your visual aids).

• Practice, “Concepts not Words.”

• DON’T MEMORIZE! Try extemporaneous style. This means, reduce your script to a key-word outline, constantly practicing reducing the notes and reducing the notes to keywords. Eventually you might not even need notes.

• Exercise. Try walking before your speech. More strenuous exercise should take place much earlier in the day, not just before your speech. Stretch your muscles throughout your body. Try isometric exercise (tense the muscle group, hold, release). Make a “Lion Face” and a “Mouse Face” to loosen up your facial muscles. Make fists, hold, release. Try shoulder rolls/lifts.

• You might warm up your voice: “my mama makes me eat my m and m’s” …you could even sing this up and down the music scale if you are brave or alone in your car!

• Avoid chocolate, milk and other substances that will cause your mucus to form…yuck! Water is always good. Not too much, you might need to use the bathroom…enough said.

• Caffeine is bad. Again, enough said…

• "Fake it until you make it” some folks say. Why not just pretend you are not afraid? “Act as if…” is another cliché some people use. Act as if you are not afraid.

• Dress for success. Wear your favorite outfit (it must be appropriate though…no belly shirts, etc.).

• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. AND don’t take your shoes off while speaking…sure, it sounds like common sense, but many people do!

• Watch your classmates and learn. DO NOT compare yourself to them and “put yourself down.” It seems in life there is always someone you would like to be like, but there is someone saying the same thing wishing they could be like you!

• Remember, this is just a speech! Really, it is just a speech. You are a full person outside of this role as a speaker. You have friends and family, or at least a dog that loves you! Too many of us judge ourselves based upon too narrow of a role.

• Can you work harder on the outline, visual aids, etc. to help boost your sense of what you have accomplished?

• At the end of your speech, look out to the audience and nod your head…just like the gymnast who places her or his hands triumphantly up in the air whether the performance was good or bad!

• Try the “Stop and Calm Technique.”

• For those of you who “Stop and Calm” does not work, remember there is a role for professional help. You can use what is called, “systematic desensitization.” ASK FOR HELP! THERE IS HOPE!

Trembling hands

• Use a 3x5 note card

• Hold note card with both hands

Stumbling over words

• Deliberately slow down your speaking rate until the problem disappears

Not enough breath

• Speak slowly

• Take longer pauses between sentences

• Breath from your diaphragm through your nose

Unwillingness to look @ audience

• In the beginning do not look @ individuals

• Look slightly to one side of the audiences faces

• Later, pick the friendliest face in the audience & look at their face

Excessive perspiration

• Ignore it

• Do not call attention by wiping your face or hands

Cold hands & feet

• Make some platform movement

• Make gestures

Hoarse or squeaky voice

• Concentrate on breathing

• Ignore it

Dry mouth

• Speak slowly to avoid getting tongue tied

• Do not lick you lips in front of the audience

Tense muscles

• Use platform movement

• Use gestures

Cramps, butterflies, & stomach noises

• Remember that the audience is not normally aware of these things

• Ignore them as much as possible

Wanting to return to your seat

• Resist this feeling at all costs

• Practice will lessen the feeling

• Don’t start heading for your seat before the speech is finished

Feeling inferior

• Try dressing for the speech

• Make sure you feel good about you before you reach the stage