1. Chapter 3: Managing Speech Anxiety

2. Ever feel like this?

3. Identify What Makes You Anxious
Public-speaking anxiety (PSA)
Fear or anxiety
Associated with actual or anticipated communication to audience as speaker
Identify what makes you anxious.
Can help lessen your fear

4. On a separate sheet of paper answer:
List five experiences that give you the most anxiety.
Rate these experiences on a scale of 1 (no anxiety) to 5 (lots of anxiety).
Now list public speaking and rate how you feel on a scale of 1 (no anxiety) to 5 (lots of anxiety).

5. Causes of PSA Lack of positive experience Feeling different
Being center of attention

6. Lack of Positive Experience
Speech anxiety can be caused by
Lack of exposure to public speaking;
Unpleasant public speaking experiences.
Gaining experience helps you overcome anxiety.

7. Feeling Different Common causes of speech anxiety
Feeling alone
Feeling sensitive about personal idiosyncrasies
Fear that no one is interested
Everyone is different in many ways.
Nearly everyone experiences nervousness.

8. Being the Center of Attention
Audience behaviors causing speech anxiety
Lack of making eye contact
Conversing with a neighbor
Self-consciousness can make you feel conspicuous.
Audiences often notice only what we reveal.

9. Pinpoint the Onset of Anxiety
Anxiety can strike at different times.
Anxiety may cause procrastination or poor performance.
Identify the first onset of nervousness.
Allows you to address it promptly with specific anxiety-reducing techniques

10. When PSA Occurs Pre-preparation anxiety Preparation anxiety
Pre-performance anxiety
Performance anxiety

11. Pre-Preparation Anxiety
Consequences
Reluctance to begin planning
Preoccupation with anxiety
Missing vital information about the speech
Address anxiety early with stress-reducing techniques.

12. Preparation Anxiety Produces a cycle of
Stress;
Procrastination;
Outright avoidance.
Take short breaks to regain confidence.

13. Pre-Performance Anxiety
May occur while rehearsing the speech
Can cause you to stop rehearsing

14. Pre-Performance Anxiety (cont.)
Use the anxiety stop-time technique.
Allow anxiety to present itself.
Wait a few minutes.
Declare time for confidence to step in.
Proceed.

15. Performance Anxiety May occur as the speech begins
Control nervousness during the introduction.
Rest of the speech comes easily
Manage anxiety.
Don’t let anxiety manage you.

16. Use Proven Strategies to Build Your Confidence
Many strategies can help reduce fears.
Thoroughly plan for each presentation.

17. Prepare and Practice Begin preparing as soon as possible.
Rehearse your speech several times.

18. Modify Thoughts and Attitudes
Have a positive attitude.
Envision your speech as
Valuable;
Worthwhile;
Challenging;
An opportunity for personal growth.

19. Visualize Success Visualization helps reduce nervousness.
Close your eyes.
Picture the day of your speech.
Visualize positive feelings and reactions.

20. Activate the Relaxation Response
“Fight or flight” response
Rapid heart rate and breathing
Dry mouth and faintness
Freezing up
Relaxation response counteracts these sensations.

21. Activate the Relaxation Response (cont.)
Briefly meditate.
Relax your muscles and breathe slowly.
Repeat a word or phrase.
Use stress-control breathing.
Inhale; let your abdomen go out.
Exhale; let your abdomen go in.

22. Use Movement to Minimize Anxiety
Practice natural gestures used while speaking.
Example: Hold up your index finger.
Move as you speak.
Relieves tension
Helps hold audience’s attention

23. Learn from Feedback Welcome feedback.
Opportunity to do better next time
Pay attention to objective evaluations.
Feedback is meant to help you.

24. Summary Questions
What is public speaking anxiety? What are some of the common fears associated with it?
When does nervousness occur in the speechmaking process?
What strategies does this chapter offer for gaining confidence as a public speaker?

25. Demonstration Speech Assignment
Let’s refer to the outline, rubric, and example.
Let’s do another example.

26. Audience Analysis 1 What does the speaker do well?
What does the speaker need to improve?
What are your overall impressions of the speaker and his/her delivery?
What can you take away from this speech?