Public Speaking

Develop Strategies to Overcome Performance Anxiety (^21)
To counteract nervous tension, get a good night’s sleep the night before and then
on speech day, work off your excess energy by doing some form of physical exercise such
as weight lifting, brisk walking, or running. Try to relax by listening to soothing music.
Eat breakfast and lunch, but limit your sugar and caffeine intake if these substances
make you feel wired. Just before you speak, focus on relaxing your major muscle groups
and breathe slowly and deeply.
Systematic Desensitization
If you are extremely nervous, you can try systematic desensitization,^17 a technique
designed to minimize the physical effects of PSA. Theoretically, you can’t be relaxed and
tense at the same time, so this process teaches you how to relax physically as you think
your way through increasingly intense scenarios. Although psychologists developed it
to deal with irrational fears of snakes, researchers have found the techniques useful in
alleviating public speaking anxiety.
This method involves three basic activities: (1) construct a list of frightening activi-
ties and put them in order, from least to most frightening; (2) learn some principles of
relaxation; and (3) learn to relax as you think your way through progressively threaten-
ing situations.
To apply the techniques, first, list about fifteen public speaking activities and
order your list, from the least to the most frightening. Your list might range from
reading about a speech (not threatening) to giving a live speech on national televi-
sion (terrifying). Receiving a speech assignment and giving a classroom speech will
lie somewhere in between. Include things you can imagine happening but that you’ve
never seen, such as fainting during your speech. Make each incident detailed and
vivid. Interestingly, researchers have found that humor is helpful, so something as
crazy as “during my speech a bird flies into the room and lands on my head” can go
on your list. Sort your list into five piles: low, medium low, medium, medium high,
and high, then order items from lowest to highest within the pile. Set this aside for
a day.
systematic desensitization
process designed to lessen
physical reactions to stress;
teaches how to relax while
thinking about frightening
speech events
Figure 2.2
Performance Anxiety
Knowing that anxiety is
greater at certain periods
can help you control your
nervousness by planning
strategies that enable you to
get through these periods.
Less nervous
Mor
e nervous
Question-and-
answer period
Before Introduction Body Conclusion
speech
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