The Physical Part
A successful football coach has to be able to cause it when he speaks to his team in the locker room when they’re behind by three touchdowns at halftime. In this age of extreme sports, we go to great lengths and expense just to experience it.
What’s that "it"? It is that feeling of being "pumped up". It is that feeling of being psyched up to meet a challenge. It is that surge of energy that makes us want to take on the world.
And yet when we experience "it" in a public speaking situation, we feel like it’s the worst thing that could happen to us.
Here’s a list of some of the most commonly reported physical signs of speech anxiety:
- Shaky hands and/or knees
- Butterflies in the stomach
- Stuttering
- Going blank
- Fidgeting and extra movement
- Sweaty palms
- Blushing
- Dry mouth
- Squeaky or unpredictable voice
Luckily none of us experiences all of these all at once!
Our bodies are magnificent creations. One of our gifts is our ability to respond to emergency situations. You may have read about a mother who was able to lift the front end of a car off her toddler or a …
When we face an emergency, we are stronger and faster based on a surge of adrenaline. This hormone causes general increased muscle tension and accelerated body systems. This is sometimes referred to as our “Fight or Flight” reaction.
When we view public speaking as a negative (or emergency) situation, then our brain sends the signal to our body which causes the release of a flood of adrenaline. Our body reacts as it’s designed to react and those same physical reactions occur – increased muscle tension and accelerated body systems.
As you can see in the chart below, these same reactions cause the physical symptoms associated with speech anxiety.
| Sign | Symptom | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| Shaky hands and knees | Unreleased tension in extremities | Increased muscle tension |
| Dry mouth, nausea, indigestion, “butterflies” | Stomach tightens, diaphragm locks, digestion and saliva flow slowed | Increased muscle tension |
| Sweating | Body temperature rises | Accelerated body systems |
|
Mind goes blank Increase in “ums”, “ers”, “ahs” Stuttering |
Sensory overload (similar to why things seem to be in slow motion during a wreck, etc.) | Accelerated body systems |
|
Can’t seem to get enough air, may become a little light-headed. Voice (pitch, volume) seem to be out of control |
Tightened chest and neck muscles | Increased muscle tension |
| Blushing | Redirected blood flow | Accelerated body systems |
|
Fidgeting with hands Unconscious body movement |
Excess energy | Accelerated body systems |
The “mind-body” connection in public speaking is obvious. Our thoughts about public speaking set off a physical reaction. When we notice those physical reactions (heart beats, sweating, shaking, etc.) then our mind responds, “I must be scared!” which causes us to react even more and so on…
As we mentioned in the speech anxiety page, the extra energy itself is not a negative thing – we can use it to be a lively, dynamic speaker (just like an athlete gets psyched up for a game). But when the surge of energy is too extreme based on a strong message sent from our brain, then the physical reaction may be distracting especially for the speaker. Techniques in the Physical Tools link can help “take the edge off”. But first we need to understand the Mental Aspect which sets the reaction in motion.