What is Anxiety in Public Speaking?
Anxiety in Public Speaking is what you feel when you get up to give a speech in front of an audience. It’s a panicky feeling associated with physical sensations that are all too painfully familiar to those affected – increased heart and breathing rates, increased adrenaline, over-rapid reactions, and a tension in the shoulder and neck area. These bodily changes can affect the voice, making it sound tremulous, or disjointed by over-rapid breathing, a rapid heart rate, dry mouth and sweaty palms. Most people list Anxiety in Public Speaking or “stage fright” as one of the things they fear most. Ten top causes for Anxiety in Public Speaking • A lack of preparation. • Feeling that you have either too few or too many points to cover in the allotted time period. • Worried that your audience is overly critical. • Fear that you won’t be entertaining or interesting and people will walk out. • Trying to emulate other speakers rather than simply being you. • Being fearful of potential negative out
