speech changes anxiety

Anxiety and Slurred Speech: The Link Between Stress and Speech Difficulties

Your tongue tangles and your words stumble as anxiety tightens its grip, leaving you to wonder: could your stressed-out mind be sabotaging your speech? This common experience highlights the intricate relationship between our mental state and our ability to communicate effectively. Anxiety, a pervasive mental health condition affecting millions worldwide, can manifest in various physical symptoms, including changes in speech patterns. Understanding the connection between anxiety and speech difficulties is crucial for those who experience these challenges and for the professionals who aim to help them.

Anxiety is more than just feeling worried or stressed; it’s a complex interplay of emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses that can significantly impact our daily lives. While most people are familiar with the emotional aspects of anxiety, such as excessive worry and fear, the physical manifestations are equally important to recognize. One such manifestation that often goes overlooked is the effect anxiety can have on our speech.

Stress vs. Anxiety: Understanding the Key Differences and Similarities is crucial in recognizing how these conditions can affect our bodies differently. While stress is typically a short-term response to a specific situation, anxiety can be more persistent and may not always have an identifiable cause. Both can influence our speech, but anxiety’s long-term effects can be particularly pronounced.

Slurred speech, characterized by unclear or mumbled words, is typically associated with neurological conditions or substance use. However, emerging evidence suggests that anxiety may also play a role in causing or exacerbating speech difficulties. This connection raises important questions about the extent to which our mental state can influence our ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

The Physiological Effects of Anxiety on Speech

To understand how anxiety can affect speech, it’s essential to examine the physiological changes that occur in the body during periods of heightened stress and anxiety. When we experience anxiety, our nervous system kicks into high gear, triggering the “fight or flight” response. This survival mechanism, while useful in truly dangerous situations, can wreak havoc on our bodies when activated unnecessarily or too frequently.

One of the primary ways anxiety affects speech is through its impact on the nervous system. The autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions, becomes hyperactive during anxiety episodes. This hyperactivity can lead to increased muscle tension throughout the body, including the muscles involved in speech production.

The release of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, plays a significant role in this process. These hormones can cause muscle tension and affect coordination, potentially leading to difficulties in articulating words clearly. The muscles in the face, jaw, tongue, and throat may become tense or constricted, making it harder to form words properly and potentially resulting in slurred or unclear speech.

Another crucial factor is the impact of anxiety on breathing patterns. Anxiety often leads to shallow, rapid breathing or hyperventilation. Proper breath support is essential for clear speech production, as it provides the necessary airflow to produce sounds. When breathing becomes irregular or shallow due to anxiety, it can disrupt the natural rhythm and flow of speech, potentially contributing to slurring or other speech difficulties.

The Hidden Link: How Stress Can Impact Your Speech and Communication delves deeper into these physiological connections, highlighting how chronic stress and anxiety can have long-term effects on our ability to communicate effectively.

Cognitive effects of anxiety also play a role in speech production. Anxiety can cause racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating, and a sense of mental “fog.” These cognitive symptoms can make it challenging to organize thoughts coherently, leading to hesitations, word-finding difficulties, or jumbled sentences. When combined with the physical tension and breathing irregularities, these cognitive effects can further contribute to speech that sounds slurred or unclear.

Can Stress and Anxiety Cause Slurred Speech?

While the physiological mechanisms suggest a plausible link between anxiety and slurred speech, it’s important to examine the direct evidence supporting this connection. Research in this area is ongoing, but several studies and case reports have highlighted the potential for anxiety to impact speech clarity.

Case studies have documented instances where individuals experiencing severe anxiety reported symptoms of slurred speech or difficulty articulating words clearly. These reports often describe situations where the speech difficulties were most pronounced during periods of heightened anxiety, such as during public speaking or stressful social interactions.

One notable case involved a 35-year-old woman who experienced episodes of slurred speech and difficulty swallowing during panic attacks. Her symptoms improved when her anxiety was managed through therapy and medication, suggesting a direct link between her anxiety and speech difficulties.

Scientific research has also begun to explore this connection more systematically. A study published in the Journal of Fluency Disorders found that individuals with social anxiety disorder were more likely to report speech disfluencies, including symptoms that could be perceived as slurring, compared to those without anxiety disorders.

Another study, focusing on the effects of stress on speech production, found that participants under experimentally induced stress showed changes in their speech patterns, including reduced clarity and increased errors. While this study didn’t specifically look at clinical anxiety, it provides evidence for how stress can impact speech production in ways that might be perceived as slurring.

It’s crucial to note that while anxiety can contribute to speech difficulties that may be perceived as slurring, true neurological slurred speech (dysarthria) is a distinct condition with different underlying causes. Can Anxiety Cause a Stroke? Understanding the Link Between Stress and Cardiovascular Health explores some of the more severe neurological concerns that can arise from chronic stress and anxiety, highlighting the importance of differentiating between anxiety-related speech changes and other medical conditions.

Differentiating between anxiety-induced speech difficulties and other causes is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment. While anxiety can cause symptoms that mimic slurred speech, true neurological slurring is often accompanied by other symptoms and requires medical evaluation. If speech difficulties persist or are accompanied by other neurological symptoms, it’s crucial to seek medical attention to rule out more serious conditions.

Types of Speech Difficulties Associated with Anxiety

Anxiety can manifest in various speech-related difficulties, not just those that might be perceived as slurring. Understanding these different types of speech issues can help individuals and healthcare providers better recognize and address anxiety-related communication challenges.

Understanding Stuttering: Causes, Stress, and Management Techniques provides an in-depth look at one of the most well-known speech difficulties that can be exacerbated by anxiety. Stuttering, characterized by repetitions, prolongations, or blocks in speech, can become more pronounced during periods of heightened anxiety. While stuttering is often a developmental condition, many individuals who stutter report that their symptoms worsen when they feel anxious or stressed.

Word-finding difficulties are another common issue associated with anxiety. Many people experience the frustrating phenomenon of having a word “on the tip of their tongue” but being unable to recall it. This difficulty can become more frequent and pronounced during anxiety episodes, as the cognitive effects of anxiety can interfere with memory retrieval and language processing.

Rapid speech or cluttering is a less recognized but equally important anxiety-related speech issue. Some individuals may find that their speech becomes rushed or jumbled when they’re anxious, making it difficult for others to understand them. This rapid speech can sometimes be mistaken for slurring, as words may run together or be partially omitted in the rush to communicate.

Anxiety and Throat Tightness: Understanding the Connection and Finding Relief explores another aspect of anxiety that can affect speech: changes in voice quality and vocal tension. Anxiety can cause the muscles in the throat and vocal cords to tense up, leading to a strained or hoarse voice. This tension can also contribute to difficulty in articulating words clearly, potentially contributing to speech that sounds slurred or unclear.

Factors that May Exacerbate Anxiety-Related Speech Issues

Several factors can influence the severity and frequency of anxiety-related speech difficulties. Understanding these factors can help individuals and healthcare providers develop more effective management strategies.

The severity and duration of anxiety play a significant role in determining its impact on speech. Chronic, severe anxiety is more likely to cause persistent speech difficulties compared to mild or occasional anxiety. Long-term anxiety can lead to habitual muscle tension and breathing patterns that may require more intensive intervention to address.

Specific anxiety disorders may have different effects on speech. For example, social anxiety disorder, which involves intense fear of social situations, may particularly impact speech in social contexts. Can Anxiety Cause Stuttering? Exploring the Connection Between Stress and Speech Disorders delves into how social anxiety can specifically affect fluency and articulation in social situations.

Panic disorder, characterized by sudden, intense episodes of fear, can cause acute speech difficulties during panic attacks. The rapid breathing, muscle tension, and cognitive disruption associated with panic attacks can significantly impact speech clarity and fluency.

Concurrent physical health conditions can also exacerbate anxiety-related speech issues. For instance, individuals with respiratory conditions may find that anxiety-induced changes in breathing patterns have a more pronounced effect on their speech. Similarly, those with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders may experience increased jaw tension during anxiety episodes, further impacting their ability to articulate clearly.

Environmental stressors and triggers can play a crucial role in the manifestation of anxiety-related speech difficulties. Conquering Public Speaking Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming a Common Fear explores how specific situations, such as public speaking, can trigger intense anxiety and associated speech problems. Identifying and addressing these triggers can be an important part of managing anxiety-related speech issues.

Managing and Treating Anxiety-Induced Speech Difficulties

Addressing anxiety-related speech difficulties often requires a multi-faceted approach that targets both the underlying anxiety and the specific speech symptoms. Several strategies and treatments have shown promise in managing these interconnected issues.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a widely used and effective treatment for anxiety disorders. CBT can help individuals identify and challenge anxious thoughts, develop coping strategies, and gradually face anxiety-provoking situations. For those experiencing speech difficulties related to anxiety, CBT may include specific techniques for managing anxiety in speaking situations and reframing negative thoughts about their speech abilities.

Relaxation and breathing exercises are crucial tools for managing anxiety and its physical symptoms. Techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce the overall muscle tension that contributes to speech difficulties. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises can improve breath support for speech while also helping to calm the nervous system.

Understanding Anxiety Brain Fog: Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Management Strategies offers insights into managing the cognitive symptoms of anxiety that can impact speech, such as difficulty concentrating or organizing thoughts. Techniques for improving mental clarity and focus can be beneficial for those experiencing word-finding difficulties or jumbled speech due to anxiety.

Speech therapy interventions can be particularly helpful for individuals experiencing persistent speech difficulties related to anxiety. Speech-language pathologists can provide targeted exercises to improve articulation, fluency, and voice quality. They may also teach strategies for managing anxiety-related symptoms during speech, such as techniques for maintaining breath support or reducing vocal tension.

Medications used to treat anxiety disorders may indirectly improve speech difficulties by reducing overall anxiety levels. However, it’s important to note that some medications can have side effects that impact speech, such as dry mouth or muscle relaxation. Discussing potential speech-related effects with a healthcare provider is crucial when considering medication options.

Lifestyle changes can play a significant role in reducing overall anxiety and stress levels, potentially improving speech difficulties as a result. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and a balanced diet can all contribute to better anxiety management. Reducing caffeine and alcohol intake may also be beneficial, as these substances can exacerbate anxiety symptoms and potentially impact speech.

Can Anxiety Cause Heart Murmurs? Understanding the Link Between Stress and Heart Health highlights the importance of managing overall physical health as part of anxiety treatment, which can have positive effects on various anxiety-related symptoms, including speech difficulties.

For those experiencing anxiety-related coughing or throat clearing, which can interrupt speech and contribute to communication difficulties, Anxiety Cough: Understanding the Link Between Stress and Respiratory Symptoms offers specific strategies for managing these symptoms.

In conclusion, the relationship between anxiety and speech difficulties, including symptoms that may be perceived as slurred speech, is complex and multifaceted. While anxiety can indeed impact speech clarity and fluency through various physiological and cognitive mechanisms, it’s important to recognize that true neurological slurred speech is a distinct condition requiring medical evaluation.

For individuals experiencing anxiety-related speech difficulties, understanding this connection can be the first step towards finding effective solutions. It’s crucial to remember that these challenges are not uncommon and that help is available. A combination of anxiety management techniques, speech therapy interventions, and lifestyle changes can often lead to significant improvements in both anxiety symptoms and speech clarity.

If you’re struggling with persistent anxiety and speech difficulties, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A healthcare provider or mental health professional can provide a proper diagnosis and develop a tailored treatment plan to address your specific needs. With the right support and strategies, it’s possible to manage anxiety effectively and regain confidence in your ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

Remember, your voice deserves to be heard, and anxiety doesn’t have to stand in the way of clear, confident communication. By addressing both the underlying anxiety and its impact on speech, you can work towards expressing yourself freely and without fear.

References:

1. American Psychological Association. (2022). Anxiety disorders. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety

2. Iverach, L., & Rapee, R. M. (2014). Social anxiety disorder and stuttering: Current status and future directions. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 40, 69-82.

3. Buchanan, H., Lilley, C., & Hulbert-Williams, N. (2014). Anxiety and depression in adults with stuttering: A systematic review. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 42, 28-44.

4. Siegel, A., & Sapru, H. N. (2019). Essential neuroscience (4th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

5. Endler, N. S., & Kocovski, N. L. (2001). State and trait anxiety revisited. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 15(3), 231-245.

6. Hofmann, S. G., & Smits, J. A. (2008). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adult anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 69(4), 621-632.

7. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Stuttering. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering/

8. National Institute of Mental Health. (2022). Anxiety disorders. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders

9. Laukka, P., Linnman, C., Åhs, F., Pissiota, A., Frans, Ö., Faria, V., … & Furmark, T. (2008). In a nervous voice: Acoustic analysis and perception of anxiety in social phobics’ speech. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 32(4), 195-214.

10. Menzies, R. G., Onslow, M., Packman, A., & O’Brian, S. (2009). Cognitive behavior therapy for adults who stutter: A tutorial for speech-language pathologists. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 34(3), 187-200.

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Difficulty Talking, Speaking, Moving Mouth and Tongue Anxiety Symptoms

Difficulty speaking and talking, or moving the mouth, tongue, or lips are common symptoms of anxiety disorder , including generalized anxiety disorder , social anxiety disorder , panic disorder , and others.

This article explains the relationship between anxiety and the difficulty talking symptom.

Difficulty speaking, talking, moving mouth, tongue, or lips anxiety symptoms descriptions:

• Having difficulty or unusual awkwardness speaking; pronouncing words, syllables, or vowels.
• Having difficulty moving your mouth, tongue, or lips.
• Suddenly become self-conscious of your problems talking, speaking, moving your mouth, tongue, or lips.
• Uncharacteristically slurring your speech.
• You are uncharacteristically speaking much slower or faster than normal.
• You are uncharacteristically jumbling up words or fumbling over your words when speaking.
• You find that your mouth, tongue, or lips aren’t moving the way they normally would.
• Your mouth, tongue, lips, or facial muscles aren’t responding the way they normally do.
• It can feel as if your face muscles are unusually stiff, which is making talking difficult and forced.
• It can feel as if your face has been anesthetized somewhat, making speaking or moving your mouth, tongue, or lips difficult.

This symptom is often described as “slurred speech.”

This symptom can persistently affect just the mouth, lips, or tongue only, can affect more than one at the same time, can shift from one to another, and can involve all of them over and over again.

Having difficulty speaking can come and go rarely, occur frequently, or persist indefinitely. For example, you might have difficulty speaking once in a while and not that often, have difficulty speaking or moving your mouth, tongue or lips off and on, or have difficulty all the time.

Difficulty speaking can precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety sensations and symptoms, or occur by itself. It can also precede, accompany, or follow an episode of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and elevated stress, or occur “out of the blue” and for no apparent reason.

This symptom can range in intensity from slight, to moderate, to severe. It can also come in waves where these mouth and speaking symptoms are strong one moment and ease off the next.

This symptom can change from day to day and from moment to moment.

All of the above combinations and variations are common.

Difficulty speaking or moving your mouth, tongue, or lips can seem more troublesome when in social, professional, or public settings.

To see if anxiety might be playing a role in your anxiety symptoms, rate your level of anxiety using our free one-minute instant results Anxiety Test , Anxiety Disorder Test , or Hyperstimulation Test .

The higher the rating, the more likely it could be contributing to your anxiety symptoms, including having difficulty talking or moving your mouth, tongue, or lips.

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Why does anxiety cause difficulty speaking, talking, or moving your mouth, tongue, or lips?

Medical Advisory

When this symptom is caused by anxiety, there are many reasons why anxiety can cause this symptom. Here are two of the most common:

1. Stress response

Behaving anxiously activates the stress response , also known as the fight or flight response . The stress response causes body-wide changes that prepare the body for immediate emergency action.[ 1 ][ 2 ] Because of the many changes, stress responses stress the body.

A part of these changes include altering brain function so that our attention is primarily focused on danger detection and reaction, and stimulating the nervous system so that the body is energized and can react quickly.[ 2 ] These changes can affect muscle movements, including the muscles in the mouth, tongue, and lips.

Many people experience difficulty talking and moving their mouth, tongue, or lips when anxious and stressed.

2. Hyperstimulation

Hyperstimulation can keep the stress response changes active even though a stress response hasn’t been activated. Chronic difficulty speaking, talking, and co-ordination problems with the mouth, tongue, and lips are common symptoms of hyperstimulation.

There are many other reasons why anxiety can cause this symptom. We explain these additional reasons under the symptom “Difficulty Speaking” in the Symptoms section (chapter 9) in the Recovery Support area of our website. The Symptoms section lists and explains all of the symptoms associated with anxiety.

How to stop the difficulty talking and moving the mouth, tongue, or lips anxiety symptoms?

When this anxiety symptom is caused by apprehensive behavior and the accompanying stress response changes, calming yourself down will bring an end to the active stress response and its changes. As your body recovers from the active stress response, this anxiety symptom should subside. Keep in mind it can take up to 20 minutes or more for the body to recover from a major stress response. This is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

When difficulty speaking or moving your mouth, tongue, or lips is caused by chronic stress (hyperstimulation), such as from overly apprehensive behavior, it can take much longer for the body to calm down and recover, and to the point where this anxiety symptom subsides.

Nevertheless, since this symptom is a common symptom of anxiety and stress, it needn't be a cause for concern or worry. This symptom subsides when you’ve eliminated the active stress response or hyperstimulation.

As the body recovers, difficulty speaking and talking, or moving your mouth, tongue, and lips problems disappear and normal functioning returns.

Many of those who struggle with anxiety worry that MS, ALS, a brain tumor, or other neurological condition may be the cause of their symptoms. Checking on the Internet may cause more anxiety, since co-ordination problems are common symptoms of these medical conditions.

But again, these types of symptoms are common for anxiety and stress. Therefore, they needn’t be a cause for concern.

For a more detailed explanation about all anxiety symptoms, why symptoms can persist long after the stress response has ended, common barriers to recovery and symptom elimination, and more recovery strategies and tips, we have many chapters that address this information in the Recovery Support area of our website.

If you are having difficulty containing your worry, you might want to connect with one of our recommended anxiety disorder therapists to help you learn this important skill. Working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist is the most effective way to overcome what seem like unmanageable worry and problems with anxiety.

Common Anxiety Symptoms

• Heart palpitations
• Dizziness, lightheadedness
• Muscle weakness
• Numbness, tingling
• Weakness, weak limbs
• Asthma and anxiety
• Shooting chest pains
• Trembling, shaking
• Depersonalization
• Chronic pain
• Chronic fatigue
• Muscle tension
• Lump in throat

Additional Resources

• For a comprehensive list of Anxiety Disorders Symptoms Signs, Types, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
• Anxiety and panic attacks symptoms  can be powerful experiences. Find out what they are and how to stop them.
• How to stop an anxiety attack and panic.
• Anxiety Test
• Anxiety Disorder Test
• Social Anxiety Test
• Generalized Anxiety Test
• Hyperstimulation Test
• Anxiety 101 is a summarized description of anxiety, anxiety disorder, and how to overcome it.

Return to our anxiety disorders signs and symptoms page.

anxietycentre.com: Information, support, and therapy for anxiety disorder and its symptoms, including Difficulty Talking, Speaking, Moving The Mouth Anxiety Symptoms.

1. Selye, H. (1956). The stress of life. New York, NY, US: McGraw-Hill.

2. Folk, Jim and Folk, Marilyn. “ The Stress Response And Anxiety Symptoms. ” anxietycentre.com, August 2019.

3. Hannibal, Kara E., and Mark D. Bishop. “ Chronic Stress, Cortisol Dysfunction, and Pain: A Psychoneuroendocrine Rationale for Stress Management in Pain Rehabilitation. ” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2014.

4. Justice, Nicholas J., et al. “ Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-Like Induction Elevates β-Amyloid Levels, Which Directly Activates Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Neurons to Exacerbate Stress Responses. ” Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience, 11 Feb. 2015.

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Anxiety-Induced Speech Issues: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

• Resony Health

Table of Contents

Understanding the Relationship Between Anxiety and Slurred Speech: Explore the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for anxiety-induced speech issues, and discover how Resony’s program can help manage anxiety and improve speech.

Understanding Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders affect millions of Americans annually, leading to symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and insomnia. Some physical symptoms of anxiety include digestive trouble, headaches, sleep disturbances, weakness and fatigue, elevated heart rate, and sore or tense muscles. These disorders can also manifest as physical symptoms, including digestive issues, sleep disturbances, and muscle tension, which can significantly impact an individual’s ability to carry out daily activities. For example, a person with an anxiety disorder may experience persistent muscle tension, leading to discomfort and difficulty in movement, which can affect various aspects of their daily life, including speech and communication.

Moreover, anxiety disorders can cause a wide array of symptoms that affect both the body and mind. These symptoms may include elevated heart rate, weakness and fatigue, as well as sore or tense muscles, making it challenging for individuals to function normally. For instance, a person experiencing anxiety-induced muscle tension may find it difficult to relax their facial muscles, which can contribute to speech-related issues such as dysarthria or slurred speech . This highlights the pervasive impact of anxiety disorders on both physical and mental well-being and emphasizes the importance of seeking appropriate support and treatment to manage these symptoms effectively.

Anxiety disorders can also lead to significant difficulties in normal activities due to the physical and mental symptoms they induce. For instance, individuals with anxiety disorders may encounter challenges in social or public settings, affecting their ability to engage in conversations or public speaking due to the physical symptoms of anxiety, which can lead to speech-related issues . This can result in a diminished quality of life and increased distress for those grappling with the effects of anxiety disorders. Therefore, recognizing the wide-ranging impact of anxiety disorders on both physical and mental well-being is crucial to address the needs of individuals affected by these conditions.

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The Relationship Between Anxiety and Speech

Anxiety disorders can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to communicate effectively. When individuals experience anxiety, they may encounter various speech-related issues, including slurred speech, due to the physiological and psychological effects of the condition. The complex interplay of muscle tension and cognitive processes affected by anxiety can lead to a range of speech-related issues , from slower or faster speech to jumbled speech and difficulty expressing thoughts clearly. This can result in significant challenges for individuals attempting to engage in verbal communication, affecting their confidence and social interactions.

For example, a person with anxiety may find themselves struggling to maintain a clear and coherent conversation due to the impact of their anxious thoughts on their ability to speak. This can be particularly challenging in social or public settings, where the pressure to communicate effectively may exacerbate the symptoms of anxiety-induced speech issues. Consequently, it’s essential to recognize the relationship between anxiety and speech difficulties, as it can significantly affect an individual’s quality of life and overall well-being. By understanding the intricate connection between anxiety and speech, individuals and healthcare professionals can address these challenges more effectively, offering tailored support and interventions.

Moreover, while anxiety may not directly cause slurred speech, its contribution to or mimicry of the effects of slurred speech should not be dismissed. Understanding this relationship is crucial in addressing speech issues associated with anxiety and providing appropriate support for individuals experiencing these challenges. Therefore, it’s important to explore strategies and interventions that aim to alleviate anxiety-related speech issues and improve the overall communication abilities of individuals impacted by anxiety disorders. By acknowledging the complexities of the relationship between anxiety and speech, individuals and healthcare professionals can work towards enhancing the support and resources available for those affected by these challenges.

Research sources indicate the various factors that can contribute to anxiety-induced slurred speech. These factors include overactive thoughts, muscle tension, over-awareness, anxiety medications, tiredness, caffeine, and more, all of which can impact a person’s ability to speak clearly. Understanding these contributing factors is essential in devising targeted interventions and support strategies for individuals grappling with anxiety-related speech issues, further underscoring the importance of recognizing the nuanced connections between anxiety and speech.

Symptoms of Anxiety-Induced Speech Issues

Anxiety can manifest in various speech-related issues, such as a shaky voice, quiet voice, dry throat, difficulty expressing thoughts, and even stuttering, making communication a challenge for individuals experiencing anxiety. It’s essential to recognize that slurred speech, also referred to as dysarthria, is not always directly caused by anxiety but can also be linked to conditions like multiple sclerosis and head injury, emphasizing the importance of thorough evaluation and diagnosis. This highlights the complexity of diagnosing speech issues and emphasizes the need for comprehensive assessments to identify the underlying causes.

In the context of anxiety disorders, difficulty speaking is a prevalent symptom that can significantly impact an individual’s social interactions and overall quality of life. The challenges in verbal communication can be particularly pronounced in social settings, adding to the burden experienced by those with anxiety-related speech issues. Therefore, it’s crucial to address the complex interplay between anxiety and speech problems, seeking comprehensive solutions that encompass both mental health support and specialized speech therapy techniques.

For instance, individuals with anxiety-related speech issues may benefit from targeted speech therapy sessions aimed at improving communication skills and reducing the distress associated with speaking difficulties. These therapy interventions can offer practical strategies for managing anxiety-induced speech issues, empowering individuals to navigate social situations with greater confidence and ease. Furthermore, a holistic approach to managing anxiety and its impact on speech involves exploring comprehensive treatment programs and resources, such as Resony’s digital therapy app, which offers specific exercises designed to reduce muscle tension, alleviate anxiety-related speech challenges, and promote overall mental well-being. By addressing the multifaceted nature of anxiety-induced speech issues, individuals can work towards enhancing their communication abilities and regaining a sense of control over their verbal expression.

Understanding the symptoms and challenges associated with anxiety-induced speech issues is essential in providing effective support and interventions for individuals affected by these conditions. By acknowledging the multifaceted nature of these symptoms and their impact on daily life, healthcare professionals and support networks can develop tailored strategies to address the needs of those experiencing speech-related difficulties due to anxiety.

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Addressing Misconceptions About Slurred Speech and Anxiety

One common misconception about slurred speech is that it always indicates a serious health issue. However, it’s important to note that slurred speech caused by anxiety does not necessarily signify a severe medical condition and is generally not dangerous. It’s crucial to understand that anxiety can affect muscle movements involved in speech due to the stress response and hyperstimulation, contributing to speech difficulties. For example, overactive thoughts, muscle tension, and anxiety-related medications can all impact speech patterns and clarity, highlighting the need to address the underlying anxiety to alleviate speech issues.

Moreover, calming down and eliminating the active stress response can significantly help stop difficulty in talking and moving the mouth, tongue, or lips, subsequently improving the ability to speak clearly and coherently. This underscores the importance of managing anxiety effectively to mitigate its impact on speech, as it can lead to feelings of over-awareness, tiredness, and muscle tension that contribute to slurred speech. Therefore, dispelling misconceptions about anxiety-induced slurred speech and raising awareness about its connection to anxiety can facilitate better understanding and support for individuals experiencing speech difficulties due to anxiety.

Research sources provide valuable insights into the misconceptions surrounding anxiety-induced speech issues. These sources emphasize that slurred speech caused by anxiety does not indicate a serious health issue and is generally not dangerous. This understanding can alleviate unnecessary worry and encourage individuals to seek the necessary support and interventions to manage their speech-related challenges effectively. By addressing these misconceptions and providing accurate information about the connection between anxiety and speech, healthcare professionals and support networks can offer more informed and empathetic care for those impacted by anxiety-induced speech issues.

Overcoming Anxiety and Improving Speech

Anxiety disorders can significantly impact an individual’s daily life, leading to symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and insomnia. These physical and mental symptoms can make it difficult for individuals to engage in normal activities, including speaking and communicating effectively. The impact of anxiety on speech can be multifaceted, leading to various speech-related issues such as slurred speech, shaky voice, quiet voice, dry throat, trouble expressing thoughts, and stuttering. For instance, individuals experiencing anxiety may find it challenging to articulate their thoughts clearly, leading to slower or faster speech, jumbled speech, or even slurred speech. This can be particularly troublesome in social or public settings, where communication is crucial for effective interaction. It’s important to note that while anxiety may not directly cause slurred speech, it can contribute to or mimic its effects, making it essential to address anxiety as part of a comprehensive approach to speech issues.

In addressing these challenges, anxiety treatment programs can provide valuable support in managing anxiety and potentially improving speech issues. Additionally, speech therapy can play a crucial role in helping individuals develop enhanced communication skills and reduce the anxiety associated with speech problems. Furthermore, research sources provide valuable insights into the various interventions and support strategies available for individuals grappling with anxiety-induced speech issues. These sources emphasize the role of anxiety treatment programs and speech therapy in addressing the multifaceted symptoms of anxiety disorders, including speech-related challenges. By acknowledging the diverse approaches to managing anxiety and improving speech, individuals and healthcare professionals can explore comprehensive solutions to address the needs of those affected by these conditions. This underscores the importance of a tailored and multifaceted approach to managing anxiety-related speech issues, encompassing both mental health support and targeted interventions.

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Resony’s Approach to Managing Anxiety

Resony’s program offers a comprehensive approach to managing anxiety and speech-related issues by incorporating various exercises and techniques. The program includes exercises for resonant breathing, muscle relaxation, and a gratitude self-care journal, all of which are specifically designed to reduce muscle tension, overactive thoughts, and anxiety-related speech issues. For example, resonant breathing exercises can help individuals regulate their breathing patterns and promote a sense of calm, which can be particularly beneficial for managing anxiety-induced speech issues. Muscle relaxation techniques can aid in reducing physical tension, allowing individuals to speak more clearly and fluently, while the gratitude self-care journal encourages a positive mindset and aids in reducing anxiety-related stress.

These techniques offered by Resony aim to address the contributors to anxiety-induced slurred speech, providing individuals with practical tools to effectively manage their symptoms. By incorporating these exercises into their daily routine, individuals can work towards reducing the impact of anxiety on their speech and overall mental well-being. Through the use of these techniques, individuals can learn to recognize and address the physical and emotional aspects of their anxiety, ultimately leading to improved speech and a better quality of life. The holistic and practical approach of Resony’s program makes it a valuable resource for those looking to manage anxiety-related speech issues and improve their overall mental well-being.

Furthermore, research sources provide insights into the specific techniques and exercises offered by digital therapy programs like Resony. These sources emphasize the role of exercises for resonant breathing, muscle relaxation, and gratitude self-care journaling in managing anxiety-related speech issues, highlighting the practical and evidence-based approach adopted by such programs. By acknowledging the contributions of these programs to managing anxiety and speech-related challenges, individuals and healthcare professionals can explore valuable resources to address the needs of those affected by these conditions. This underscores the importance of accessible and tailored support for individuals grappling with anxiety-induced speech issues, emphasizing the potential impact of digital therapy apps in enhancing their well-being.

Concluding Thoughts

Understanding the relationship between anxiety and speech is crucial in addressing the challenges associated with anxiety disorders. It’s essential to recognize that anxiety can lead to a variety of speech-related issues, including slurred speech, jumbled speech, and difficulty expressing thoughts. While anxiety may not directly cause slurred speech, its impact on muscle tension and cognitive processes can contribute to or mimic the effects of slurred speech. This highlights the need for comprehensive support systems that address both anxiety and speech-related challenges.

Individuals experiencing anxiety-induced speech issues may also encounter symptoms such as a shaky voice, dry throat, and stuttering. By acknowledging these symptoms and their potential connection to anxiety, individuals can seek appropriate assistance and support to manage their mental well-being. It’s important to highlight that slurred speech caused by anxiety does not point to a serious health issue and is generally not dangerous. This understanding can provide relief to individuals experiencing speech issues due to anxiety, encouraging them to seek the necessary help without undue worry.

In addressing these challenges, individuals are encouraged to explore programs like Resony, which offer tailored support for managing anxiety and speech-related issues. These programs can include exercises for resonant breathing, muscle relaxation, and gratitude self-care journaling, aligning with the contributors to anxiety-induced slurred speech. By seeking support from such programs, individuals can embark on a journey towards better mental well-being and improved speech, ultimately enhancing their overall quality of life. For more details and to start the journey towards better mental well-being, readers can visit the Resony website at Resony’s Website .

Source 1 :  https://www.springfieldwellnesscenter.com/nad-blog/the-relationship-between-anxiety-and-slurred-speech Source 2 :  https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/slurred-speech Source 3 :  https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-disorders/symptoms/difficulty-talking-speaking Source 4 :  https://greatspeech.com/can-anxiety-cause-problems-with-speech

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• Anxiety Guide
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Other Symptoms

Slurred speech from anxiety: causes and treatments, fact checked.

Micah Abraham, BSc

Last updated October 10, 2020

Many anxiety symptoms can make a person feel like there is something wrong with their brain. Our brains are arguably the most important part of our bodies, and deep down many people with anxiety have a fear that their brain may fail them. They worry that something is wrong with their brain, like a tumor or multiple sclerosis, and that worry causes them even more anxiety.

Slurred speech is an example of an anxiety symptom that can be incredibly frightening. But it's common with those suffering from anxiety attacks, and in most cases it says nothing about the health of your brain.

Causes of Anxiety Slurred Speech

Slurred speech, also known as dysarthria, is when a person’s words become jumbled together and may be difficult to understand. This is caused by the muscles that are used to create speech not functioning properly or to their best ability.

Slurred speech without alcohol is linked to a variety of diagnoses that are cause for concern, including:

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Brain Tumors
• Lyme Disease
• Head Injury
• Cerebral Palsy

If you think there's any chance that you may suffer from these or any related conditions, see a doctor. You should never leave your brain's health up to chance, because your brain is simply too important to take those types of risks.

However, it should be noted that in most cases where slurred speech is caused by the diagnoses above, the slurred speech is long lasting. It may fade in and out over the course of a lifespan, but rarely a few hours or less. It's possible, which is why this isn't a risk you should take to chance, but it's uncommon.

For some people, anxiety can cause slurred speech, as well as issues that resemble slurred speech. All of the following are potential links between stress/anxiety and slurring of words:

• Overactive Thoughts One of the key reasons that some people slur their words is because anxiety makes it hard to focus. Stress can affect recall and mental accuracy, and extreme anxiety can cause you to be so far "in your head" that it is extremely difficult to get words out. In a way, anxiety makes your brain work too hard, and when it does some of the other things your brain needs to do don't work as well - like speaking.
• Muscle Tension Anxiety also causes significant muscle tension. Muscle tension can make it harder to move mouth muscles, which of course is the main cause of slurred speech in most other conditions.
• Over-Awareness An interesting problem with anxiety is the way it makes you over-aware of what would otherwise be subconscious/automatic behaviors. It's seen in other areas of life as well - for example, anxiety can make it harder for some people to walk because they're more aware of the movements in their legs. It can affect the mouth and speech as well. Speech is an automatic movement, and during intense anxiety your mouth movements may be controlled by you rather than your subconscious mind, making them much harder to do.
• Anxiety Medications Slurred speech is the side effect of many different anxiety medications. Most often it's because these medications also act as muscle relaxants and make it harder to move the muscles in your mouth and face.
• Tiredness, Caffeine, and More Several fairly normal issues can also affect speech. For example, those that are very tired may be more prone to slurred speech because their brain is not functioning as well as normal. Tiredness (as well as a lack of caffeine for those with caffeine addiction and other issues that may affect alertness) slows the brain down to the point where muscles may work less effectively.

These are just some of the reasons that anxiety may be responsible for slurred speech. It should also be noted that some slurred speech once in a while is normal even in those without anxiety. But when you have anxiety, it's easy to feel as though your problems speaking mean "something more" than what someone without anxiety would think.

Slurred Speech From Anxiety Isn't Dangerous

While it's important to talk with your doctor about the cause of your slurred speech, slurred speech caused by anxiety is not dangerous. It's not a sign that you have something else coming, or that your brain will somehow be inefficient for handling life tasks in the future.

There isn't a specific treatment for slurred speech because slurred speech is simply a response to anxiety. One thing you should do, however, is avoid forcing the words out. If your speech is slurring, forcing yourself to speak is going to add more stress. The more you try to force out words that aren't coming out naturally, the more you'll find that the words become more troubling as your brain becomes more stressed as a result.

The best course of action is to learn how to cope with anxiety and learn to properly manage it.

Questions? Comments?

Do you have a specific question that this article didn’t answered? Send us a message and we’ll answer it for you!

Where can I go to learn more about Jacobson’s relaxation technique and other similar methods? – Anonymous patient

You can ask your doctor for a referral to a psychologist or other mental health professional who uses relaxation techniques to help patients. Not all psychologists or other mental health professionals are knowledgeable about these techniques, though. Therapists often add their own “twist” to the technqiues. Training varies by the type of technique that they use. Some people also buy CDs and DVDs on progressive muscle relaxation and allow the audio to guide them through the process. – Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP

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Can Anxiety Cause Problems with Speech?

Anxiety disorders affect approximately 19 percent of people living in the United States, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (also referred to as NAMI.) These disorders can result in a wide array of persistent symptoms ranging from headaches, fatigue, and GI problems to the inability to interact with the world and those around them due to the crippling nature of these disorders. In some cases, anxiety can affect one’s ability to speak clearly and concisely when interacting with others, causing speech to be slower or faster than normal, and in some cases, speech can become jumbled or slurred. If you or someone you love is struggling with speech or language due to anxiety, get help now by scheduling your free introductory call today!

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a common and normal reaction to the presence of stress in the body, and in some situations, this response can be beneficial. Anxiety can help us to become aware of situations that may be dangerous, and alert us to be prepared and attentive to our surroundings. Anxiety disorders differ from normal experiences of anxiety, nervousness, or fear in the sense that these feelings are excessive and debilitating. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable and there is a wide range of treatment options that can help most people with anxiety disorders lead normal and productive lives.

How Can Anxiety Affect Speech?

Chronic or persistent anxiety can negatively impact the cognitive part of speech production, as well as the physical process of speaking. When one becomes anxious, the muscles in the face and jaw can experience increased tension, which can impact speech production. 

This type of muscle tension can result in variations in the way speech sounds, as it is difficult to properly manipulate speech sounds as one does normally. The pharynx and mouth must make specific movements for the proper resonation of sounds. 

An increase in muscle tension may make it more difficult for the mouth and tongue to produce words in a clear, concise manner. In some cases, there’s the potential that speech may begin to sound “slurred” because of this.

Racing thoughts and increased speed of speech are also common symptoms of anxiety, which can also affect one’s ability to communicate effectively. Those who experience anxiety often feel that they are struggling to keep up with their own thoughts and may attempt to match the speed of their speech with the speed of their thoughts. This can cause a stutter or slurred speech. Difficulties with communication as a result of anxiety can be more pronounced among those who experience other speech and language challenges. 

It is important to remember, however, that anxiety affects people in a wide variety of ways, and how anxiety may affect speech varies between people. Because everyone experiences and reacts to anxiety in different ways, many people with anxiety may experience no changes in their speech at all while others may have significant impacts on their ability to speak. 

While anxiety is a common and natural response to stress, for some people anxiety becomes chronic, excessive, and disruptive to their daily lives. If you’re struggling with anxiety that’s negatively impacting your speech, get help now by scheduling your free introductory call today!

Can Anxiety Cause Jumbled or Slurred Speech?

Sometimes, significant anxiety can result in symptoms that closely resemble those seen in someone with a motor speech disorder, such as a stutter or slurred speech. Slurred speech as a result of anxiety is not the same as slurred speech due to a motor speech disorder such as dysarthria . Generally speaking, slurred speech due to anxiety is relatively rare. 

What are the Signs of Speech Anxiety?

When anxiety affects one’s ability to interact with others in public and social situations, this can be referred to as a social anxiety disorder. Someone with a social anxiety disorder may experience extreme anxiety related to feeling uncomfortable, humiliated or embarrassed, rejected, or looked down upon by others. This can manifest into an extreme fear of public speaking, meeting new people or experiencing new social situations, or even eating and drinking in public. These fears and anxieties can cause problems with daily function and can persist for long periods. 

Anxiety can cause both physical and cognitive problems that can affect speech. These can include:

Shaky Voice: A shaky speaking voice is perhaps one of the most widely recognized effects that anxiety can have on speech. When an anxious person speaks, they may feel like their voice box is shaking (along with the rest of the body.) This can make the voice sound crackly or vibratory which can be a strong sign of nervousness and anxiety. 

Quiet Voice: People who experience anxiety, especially related to social situations, can often struggle to speak at an appropriate volume. While a quiet speaking voice is not specifically a speech pattern, it can alter the way your speaking voice is heard and understood by others. While volume can be affected, the ability to project the voice or face the audience can also be difficult for someone with anxiety. 

Dry Throat/Loss of Voice: For many people with anxiety, a dry mouth or throat, or the feeling that they are losing their voice, can be a common symptom. While the exact cause of this symptom is widely understood, some experts believe it can be a result of increased acid reflux symptoms. Anxiety can also increase the activity within the nervous system, activating the fight or flight response. This response can result in the mouth naturally producing less saliva. 

Trouble Putting Thoughts to Words: One of the mental effects of anxiety is that it can cause difficulty thinking and planning the words you want to say before you begin speaking, or as you are in the process of speaking. This can result in forgetting words, the incorrect use of words, and long pauses between words. When speaking, generally the process should be clear and natural. When we overthink, the opposite effect can occur with speech. 

Stuttering: In some cases, anxiety can result in the development of a stutter. Stuttering itself is a distinct speech disorder, which can be worsened by anxiety. When overthinking occurs, sentences and word choices may become unclear and a significant stutter can be present. This in turn can result in increased feelings of embarrassment or shame. 

How Can Speech Therapy Help with Speech Anxiety?

Our experienced speech and language pathologists work with people experiencing speech problems related to anxiety to establish improved communication skills that can help to reduce feelings of anxiety in public or social situations. Speech therapists will use a variety of methods and approaches to identify and treat speech problems related to anxiety while establishing appropriate goals. Because anxiety can affect speech in so many different ways, the specific treatment plan will vary between individuals. Contact us today for your free introductory call and get connected with a registered speech pathologist to start on your path to better communication.

How to Combat Public Speaking Anxiety

Strategies to help you prepare to speak confidently in front of an audience..

Posted February 2, 2023 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

• What Is Stress?
• Take our Burnout Test
• Find a therapist to overcome stress
• Feelings of excitement will give you the energy necessary to project the slightly bigger-than-life persona you need.
• The mental exercise required to recall an emotion has the added benefit of making you forget your nerves.
• Use deep breathing to various forms of meditation to maintain your calm.

Is stress bad for humans? The popular view is that stress is bad, but neurological research shows a more nuanced view. Low to moderate levels of stress are good for improving memory , attention , task-switching abilities, and psychological health overall. High levels of stress are bad for us in all the ways we hear about, in general.

What about public speakers? Here’s the key for anyone who has to work with an audience: Stress is contagious . We leak our emotions to each other. What sort of stress do we leak to our audiences? Once again, we want medium to low levels of stress, not high levels.

Speakers need to be aware of their emotional states before and during their speeches. A highly stressed-out speaker will induce the wrong kind of stress in the audience. Imagine what that does for communication. If the stress levels are high, we don’t attend as well, we don’t concentrate as well, and we don’t remember as well.

You need to get your stress levels under control as a speaker, not just for you, but for your audience.

But what about the typical speaker’s nerves – that inevitable state of adrenaline-induced jitters? What can a speaker do about those?

Three strategies:

• Redefine the jitters as (positive) excitement and convey that positive energy to the audience
• Work on creating an alternative emotional state
• Calm yourself down

I’ve worked on all three over the years with many clients. Combinations of 1 and 2 are of course possible. The first approach is the easiest to take, for most people. The second is harder and takes longer to become proficient in; the third is perhaps the most appealing and, surprisingly, the least effective. Let’s look at them in a little more detail.

Redefine the jitters. If you can convert your pounding pulse from a scary feeling to a positive one by telling yourself I’m excited! I’m going to do a great job! I’m full of energy! Then you should do so. Those feelings of excitement will give you the energy necessary to project the slightly bigger-than-life persona you need on a big stage.

Create an alternative emotional state. A more sophisticated response to the problem of speaker’s nerves is to create an alternative emotional state in your mind, one that relates to the opening of your speech. If you are telling a touching story, then use a method actor’s technique: remember a time when you felt emotional in that way, using all five senses, and get yourself into that state. If you are all fired up with anger at some injustice, then work that up. And so on. The mental exercise required to recall and install the emotion has the added benefit (if you do it thoroughly enough) of making you forget your nerves as you work yourself into the new state.

This is the best method because it means you, your message, and your audience all meet emotionally, creating the conditions for a most memorable speech. But it is the most difficult method for many people to pull off. It takes time and imaginative work.

Calm yourself down. There are several techniques, from deep breathing to various forms of meditation , which will enable you to maintain calm in the face of pressure.

It’s appealing, at least in the abstract, to think that you could be the speaker who faces that audience of 1500 with a normal pulse, a relaxed manner, and an easy smile on your face.

But don’t be deceived . Your goal should not be to have a normal pulse. The advantage of being in adrenaline mode is that your racing heart and zippy mental state, if not completely out of control, will enable you to think and move a little faster than the audience. You’ll be able to think on your feet better, and that’s a good thing, by and large. You can handle sudden issues that come up with aplomb, and answer questions that the audience has with impressive mental dexterity.

A little adrenaline is a good thing. Calm is overrated in front of an audience. But stressing out the audience is not the goal. When you’re getting ready to speak, prepare your emotional state, and leak good, relevant, appropriate emotions to the crowd.

Nick Morgan, Ph.D. , is president of Public Words Inc., a communications consulting company, and the author of books including Can You Hear Me?: How to Connect with People in a Virtual World.

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University Counseling Service

30 ways to manage speaking anxiety, initial considerations.

Glossophobia – the fear of public speaking

It is the single most common phobia (fear)

Approximately 75% of people experience this

You are not alone in your fear

You cannot eliminate your fear–but you CAN manage and reduce it. 

Thirty ways to manage public speaking anxiety

Getting ready .

Select a topic of interest to you

Prepare carefully–know your material

Practice–rehearse your talk with a friend

Know your audience

Challenge negative thinking–make 3 x 5 cards of positive thoughts or have friends write out inspirational thoughts for you.

Expect positive reactions–expect success!

Know the room–if unfamiliar, visit your speaking space before you talk.

Employ aerobic exercise strategies–daily aerobic exercise can cut anxiety by 50%.

Eat for success–foods containing tryptophan (dairy products, turkey, salmon) and complex carbohydrates tend to calm the body. Eliminate caffeine, sweets, and empty calories.

Sleep for success–know and get the number of hours of sleep you need for optimal performance. 

The Day of the Presentation 

11.   Eat several hours before the talk–not immediately before 

12.  Dress for success–your success! Dress comfortably and appropriately for the situation. Look your best

13.  Challenge negative thinking–Continue positive thinking

14.  If you need to, express your fears to a friend 

15.  Review 3 x 5 cards of inspirational thoughts

16.  Practice your talk one last time

17.  Go to the room early to ready equipment and your podium.

18.  Exercise immediately before the talk to reduce adrenalin levels. 

• Employ anxiety reduction techniques
• Aerobic exercise
• Deep muscle relaxation
• Visualization strategies
• Deep, rhythmic breathing (4 hold 7) 

19.  Use the restroom immediately before the talk 

20. Take a glass of water to the talk 

The Presentation: A positive experience stemming from careful preparation! 

21.  Interpret anxiety symptoms as excitement

22. Use the podium to practice grounding strategies. Touch the podium to steady yourself and to remind yourself that you are safely connected to the ground which is firm and steady beneath your feet.

23. Take a security blanket with you–a complete typed version of your talk to only be used as a backup strategy.

24. Use tools to reduce audience attention on you.

• PowerPoint presentation 
• Video film clips
• “Show and tell” objects to pass

25.  Get out of yourself–engage the audience

26.  Look at friendly faces in your audience

27.  Use humor as needed

28.  Use the room’s physical space to your advantage–walk around as appropriate.

29.  Appropriately regulate your voice

• Speak clearly–enunciate
• Open your mouth–do not mumble
• Slow down if necessary
• Lower your voice–speak from your diaphragm
• Project your voice–use energy when you speak
• Use appropriate animation 

Additional Considerations 

Seek out public speaking opportunities to desensitize (reduce) your fear of communication apprehension.

Consider use of anti-anxiety medication

Join Toastmasters International to have a supportive and safe way to practice

public speaking

Gain experience–practice makes perfect. 

• academic skills

Current enrolled students can call University Counseling Service at 319-335-7294 to schedule an appointment. Initial Consultation appointments can also be scheduled online. Students must be in the state of Iowa to attend virtual/Zoom appointments.

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To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, Stop Thinking About Yourself

• Sarah Gershman

Tips for before and during your presentation.

Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s how our brains are programmed, so how can we overcome it? Human generosity. The key to calming the amygdala and disarming our panic button is to turn the focus away from ourselves — away from whether we will mess up or whether the audience will like us — and toward helping the audience. Showing kindness and generosity to others has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which has the power to calm the fight-or-flight response. When we are kind to others, we tend to feel calmer and less stressed. The same principle applies in speaking. When we approach speaking with a spirit of generosity, we counteract the sensation of being under attack and we feel less nervous.

Most of us — even those at the top — struggle with public-speaking anxiety. When I ask my clients what makes them nervous, invariably they respond with the same answers:

• Sarah Gershman is an executive speech coach and CEO of Green Room Speakers. She is a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where she teaches public speaking to leaders from around the globe.

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How to Manage Public Speaking Anxiety

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Speech Anxiety and SAD

How to prepare for a speech.

Public speaking anxiety, also known as glossophobia , is one of the most commonly reported social fears.

While some people may feel nervous about giving a speech or presentation if you have social anxiety disorder (SAD) , public speaking anxiety may take over your life.

Public speaking anxiety may also be called speech anxiety or performance anxiety and is a type of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Social anxiety disorder, also sometimes referred to as social phobia, is one of the most common types of mental health conditions.

Public Speaking Anxiety Symptoms

Symptoms of public speaking anxiety are the same as those that occur for social anxiety disorder, but they only happen in the context of speaking in public.

If you live with public speaking anxiety, you may worry weeks or months in advance of a speech or presentation, and you probably have severe physical symptoms of anxiety during a speech, such as:

• Pounding heart
• Quivering voice
• Shortness of breath
• Upset stomach

Causes of Public Speaking Anxiety

These symptoms are a result of the fight or flight response —a rush of adrenaline that prepares you for danger. When there is no real physical threat, it can feel as though you have lost control of your body. This makes it very hard to do well during public speaking and may cause you to avoid situations in which you may have to speak in public.

How Is Public Speaking Anxiety Is Diagnosed

Public speaking anxiety may be diagnosed as SAD if it significantly interferes with your life. This fear of public speaking anxiety can cause problems such as:

• Changing courses at college to avoid a required oral presentation
• Changing jobs or careers
• Turning down promotions because of public speaking obligations
• Failing to give a speech when it would be appropriate (e.g., best man at a wedding)

If you have intense anxiety symptoms while speaking in public and your ability to live your life the way that you would like is affected by it, you may have SAD.

Public Speaking Anxiety Treatment

Fortunately, effective treatments for public speaking anxiety are avaible. Such treatment may involve medication, therapy, or a combination of the two.

Short-term therapy such as systematic desensitization and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be helpful to learn how to manage anxiety symptoms and anxious thoughts that trigger them.

Ask your doctor for a referral to a therapist who can offer this type of therapy; in particular, it will be helpful if the therapist has experience in treating social anxiety and/or public speaking anxiety.

Research has also found that virtual reality (VR) therapy can also be an effective way to treat public speaking anxiety. One analysis found that students treated with VR therapy were able to experience positive benefits in as little as a week with between one and 12 sessions of VR therapy. The research also found that VR sessions were effective while being less invasive than in-person treatment sessions.

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If you live with public speaking anxiety that is causing you significant distress, ask your doctor about medication that can help. Short-term medications known as beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol) can be taken prior to a speech or presentation to block the symptoms of anxiety.

Other medications may also be prescribed for longer-term treatment of SAD, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). When used in conjunction with therapy, you may find the medication helps to reduce your phobia of public speaking.

In addition to traditional treatment, there are several strategies that you can use to cope with speech anxiety and become better at public speaking in general . Public speaking is like any activity—better preparation equals better performance. Being better prepared will boost your confidence and make it easier to concentrate on delivering your message.

Even if you have SAD, with proper treatment and time invested in preparation, you can deliver a successful speech or presentation.

Pre-Performance Planning

Taking some steps to plan before you give a speech can help you better control feelings of anxiety. Before you give a speech or public performance:

• Choose a topic that interests you . If you are able, choose a topic that you are excited about. If you are not able to choose the topic, try using an approach to the topic that you find interesting. For example, you could tell a personal story that relates to the topic as a way to introduce your speech. This will ensure that you are engaged in your topic and motivated to research and prepare. When you present, others will feel your enthusiasm and be interested in what you have to say.
• Become familiar with the venue . Ideally, visit the conference room, classroom, auditorium, or banquet hall where you will be presenting before you give your speech. If possible, try practicing at least once in the environment that you will be speaking in. Being familiar with the venue and knowing where needed audio-visual components are ahead of time will mean one less thing to worry about at the time of your speech.
• Ask for accommodations . Accommodations are changes to your work environment that help you to manage your anxiety. This might mean asking for a podium, having a pitcher of ice water handy, bringing in audiovisual equipment, or even choosing to stay seated if appropriate. If you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder such as social anxiety disorder (SAD), you may be eligible for these through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Don’t script it . Have you ever sat through a speech where someone read from a prepared script word for word? You probably don’t recall much of what was said. Instead, prepare a list of key points on paper or notecards that you can refer to.
• Develop a routine . Put together a routine for managing anxiety on the day of a speech or presentation. This routine should help to put you in the proper frame of mind and allow you to maintain a relaxed state. An example might be exercising or practicing meditation on the morning of a speech.

Practice and Visualization

Even people who are comfortable speaking in public rehearse their speeches many times to get them right. Practicing your speech 10, 20, or even 30 times will give you confidence in your ability to deliver.

If your talk has a time limit, time yourself during practice runs and adjust your content as needed to fit within the time that you have. Lots of practice will help boost your self-confidence .

• Prepare for difficult questions . Before your presentation, try to anticipate hard questions and critical comments that might arise, and prepare responses ahead of time. Deal with a difficult audience member by paying them a compliment or finding something that you can agree on. Say something like, “Thanks for that important question” or “I really appreciate your comment.” Convey that you are open-minded and relaxed. If you don’t know how to answer the question, say you will look into it.
• Get some perspective . During a practice run, speak in front of a mirror or record yourself on a smartphone. Make note of how you appear and identify any nervous habits to avoid. This step is best done after you have received therapy or medication to manage your anxiety.
• Imagine yourself succeeding . Did you know your brain can’t tell the difference between an imagined activity and a real one? That is why elite athletes use visualization to improve athletic performance. As you practice your speech (remember 10, 20, or even 30 times!), imagine yourself wowing the audience with your amazing oratorical skills. Over time, what you imagine will be translated into what you are capable of.
• Learn to accept some anxiety . Even professional performers experience a bit of nervous excitement before a performance—in fact, most believe that a little anxiety actually makes you a better speaker. Learn to accept that you will always be a little anxious about giving a speech, but that it is normal and common to feel this way.

Setting Goals

Instead of trying to just scrape by, make it a personal goal to become an excellent public speaker. With proper treatment and lots of practice, you can become good at speaking in public. You might even end up enjoying it!

Put things into perspective. If you find that public speaking isn’t one of your strengths, remember that it is only one aspect of your life. We all have strengths in different areas. Instead, make it a goal simply to be more comfortable in front of an audience, so that public speaking anxiety doesn’t prevent you from achieving other goals in life.

A Word From Verywell

In the end, preparing well for a speech or presentation gives you confidence that you have done everything possible to succeed. Give yourself the tools and the ability to succeed, and be sure to include strategies for managing anxiety. These public-speaking tips should be used to complement traditional treatment methods for SAD, such as therapy and medication.

Crome E, Baillie A. Mild to severe social fears: Ranking types of feared social situations using item response theory . J Anxiety Disord . 2014;28(5):471-479. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.05.002

Pull CB. Current status of knowledge on public-speaking anxiety . Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2012;25(1):32-8. doi:10.1097/YCO.0b013e32834e06dc

Goldstein DS. Adrenal responses to stress . Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2010;30(8):1433-40. doi:10.1007/s10571-010-9606-9

Anderson PL, Zimand E, Hodges LF, Rothbaum BO. Cognitive behavioral therapy for public-speaking anxiety using virtual reality for exposure . Depress Anxiety. 2005;22(3):156-8. doi:10.1002/da.20090

Hinojo-Lucena FJ, Aznar-Díaz I, Cáceres-Reche MP, Trujillo-Torres JM, Romero-Rodríguez JM. Virtual reality treatment for public speaking anxiety in students. advancements and results in personalized medicine .  J Pers Med . 2020;10(1):14. doi:10.3390/jpm10010014

Steenen SA, van Wijk AJ, van der Heijden GJ, van Westrhenen R, de Lange J, de Jongh A. Propranolol for the treatment of anxiety disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis . J Psychopharmacol (Oxford). 2016;30(2):128-39. doi:10.1177/0269881115612236

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

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Overcome your public speaking anxiety with these 10 tips

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What’s public speaking anxiety?

10 symptoms of public speaking anxiety, 10 common public speaking stressors, how to overcome public speaking anxiety: 10 tips, diagnosing and treating public speaking anxiety, speak with confidence.

Your opinion and expertise matter, so it can be frustrating when public speaking nerves leave you speechless. Maybe your heart races and you trip over your words, or you spend most of your presentation hoping no one asks questions. Fear not. Public speaking anxiety is a common experience that impacts even the most confident people — and it’s manageable.

The intense nerves associated with public speaking aren’t reserved for being on stage in front of a large audience. Discomfort might occur during small team presentations , a sales pitch with a client, or group brainstorming sessions . The stress may be so potent that you avoid important opportunities to showcase your expertise and advance your career. 

But identifying triggers and understanding your physiological response will help you overcome your anxiety. With practice and support, you’ll fearlessly share your important thoughts and opinions with others. 

Public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, is the most common subset of social anxiety, affecting about 3–5% of the general population and 80% of people with social phobias . Those with glossophobia feel anxiety symptoms , like a racing heartbeat and stressful thoughts, when sharing ideas or asking questions in front of others. And those who experience public speaking anxiety often feel more general performance anxiety during activities like striking up a conversation with a stranger or eating in public.

But why does public speaking cause anxiety? According to an article by the Harvard Business Review, our ancestors perceived being watched as a predatory threat , so our brains evolved to have a fight-or-flight response . This is the body’s physiological response to danger, activating the nervous system to encourage us to return to safety.

While public speaking doesn’t present real physical dangers, social anxiety can trigger your stress response . Worrying about people judging you, making a mistake , or messing up an important professional opportunity are visceral fears that send messages to the brain to seek protection. 

In some cases, an acute fear can be motivating . Worrying about underperforming during a client presentation or making the right first impression at a face-to-face networking event could compel you to practice and perfect your speech. 

But a chronic and debilitating fear of public speaking can disrupt your career. You may become avoidant and miss important opportunities to show off your expertise, establish your personal brand , and achieve professional development goals . 

Publi c speaking anxiety is so all-encompassing you may not be conscientious of all the ways this type of stress affects the body. Acute anxiety symptoms are widespread and vary between people , but here are 10 common signs to be aware of:

Increased heart rate

Lack of concentration 

Avoidant behaviors like social isolation

Shortness of breath

Panic attacks

Intrusive thoughts

Shaky hands and legs

While you might associate public speaking anxiety with delivering a Ted Talk or corporate event presentation, plenty of everyday situations can trigger your fear of performing. Here are 10 common stressors of public speaking anxiety: 

Meeting new colleagues or coworkers

Job interviews

Sharing ideas in a brainstorming session

Giving a small presentation

Training new coworkers

Debriefing your team or managers on an ongoing project

Offering your opinion during a virtual meeting

Delivering an elevator pitch

Participating in a board meeting

Offering someone constructive criticism

Like any other challenge, thoughtful practice, care, and patience will help you approach public speaking confidently. Here are 10 tips for public speaking anxiety sufferers looking to improve.

1. Don’t expect perfection

Perfection is an unrealistic expectation that distracts from your good work and amplifies your anxiety. Instead of aiming for perfection , celebrate your improvements and seek out continuous learning opportunities . Every chance to speak in front of others is a chance to learn and grow — even if it means a few awkward pauses or stumbling over your words occasionally. 

2. Be yourself

While keeping your body language and humor professional, be your most authentic self and stick with what feels comfortable. Imitating others’ speaking styles could make you overthink each gesture or appear unnatural and insincere. And the more you step into your authenticity at work , the more comfortable you’ll feel being yourself in every area of your life. 

3. Remember your purpose

Whether delivering a presentation or making a sale, you’re speaking in public for a reason. Think about why you’re there — be it to share your experience or teach others — and focus on this core purpose. Doing so might get you out of your head and into the situation at hand so you can concentrate less on your anxiety symptoms and more on accomplishing your task.

4. Prepare and practice

The best way to feel comfortable speaking in front of others is to practice. Speech anxiety often focuses on the unknown, like audience questions or complex presentation materials. But subject-matter-familiarity quiets some of these questions and offers answers. 

You can jot down and prepare for questions you expect or memorize your materials so they feel less overwhelming. And p racticing your delivery and body language can take away the shock of talking to a group because you have less to worry about. 

5. Let your coworkers know

Consider informing coworkers and managers about your stage fright so they know to support you. They might make adjustments like offering you additional notice regarding presentations they’d like you to make or taking your questions last in a meeting so you have more time to calm your nerves. And you can also ask team members for feedback and encouragement on your public speaking skills . 

6. Visualize success

Use visualization , positive self-talk , and other manifestation methods to picture yourself confidently speaking in public. These positive projections can become a self-fulfilling prophecy as you do what’s necessary to make your vision a reality. You could also try anxiety journaling to shake negative automatic thoughts and track your positive thinking progress. 

7. Make eye contact

If you fear public speaking, you may instinctively avoid eye contact because it feels intimate or intimidating. But chances are everyone wants to encourage you, and you can feed off the room’s energy by looking your audience in the eye. If you see heads nodding and people paying attention, you may gain the confidence boost you need to continue nerves-free. 

8. Pose for success

Standing i n power poses (body postures expressing strength and assertiveness ) signals to audience members that you’re confident and comfortable. And embracing these postures can make you feel that way, too. For in-person speaking, try keeping your feet hip-distance and your shoulders back. And if you’re on a virtual call and have the option to stand, you can still carry yourself confidently to boost your own self-esteem. If you must sit, you can still hold your head high and posture straight. 

9. Create a plan

Feel in charge of your public speaking journey by creating an improvement plan. Start by outlining small objectives, like starting two conversations with colleagues each week or contributing an idea at a team meeting. Then, define larger goals further down your improvement timeline, like leading a brainstorming session or training a new coworker. You could also work with a career coach t o build the right plan for you and track your success.

10. Take a class

Structured learning might be the best way to reduce your public speaking anxiety and gain practice. Try asking your employer whether they subsidize professional development opportunities like a public speaking course or mentorship programs . Or invest in yourself by signing up for an after-hours class with a friend so you can hold each other accountable . 

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, public speaking anxiety is classified as a social anxiety disorder that causes symptoms like intense distress and panic attacks. While it’s common to feel nervous in social situations, a mental health professional might diagnose someone with public speaking anxiety if that person experiences symptoms that affect their day-to-day health, like missing out on job opportunities or having to leave a meeting due to nerves.

While social anxiety may feel overwhelming, the good news is that it’s treatable. The first step is finding a diagnosis. Treatment generally begins by identifying the root cause and any related medical conditions to ensure a larger issue isn’t causing your symptoms . Then, you’ll work with your mental health professional to determine the best treatment plan. Common remedies include psychotherapy, medication, or both. In some circumstances, you may also seek the help of a support group or work with a life coach to build an action plan . 

What you have to say matters, and you deserve to feel confident and comfortable when expressing yourself. While public speaking anxiety might quiet your voice, it doesn’t have to define your professional future. 

Now that you have some public speaking tips for anxiety, it’s time to start working toward easing your symptoms. Depending on the severity of your nerves, consider consulting with a mental health professional, career coach, or support group. From there, you can build an appropriate plan and begin speaking — one small speech at a time — with newfound confidence.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Self-advocacy: improve your life by speaking up, speaking up for yourself is important — 11 steps to get it right, the 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, 8 tips to improve your public speaking skills, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, 7 strategies for how to stop yourself from spiraling, character references: 4 tips for a successful recommendation letter, 60 questions to ask to get to know someone, be brave even if you aren't yet (9 ways to conquer your fears), fear of public speaking overcome it with these 7 tips, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), wondering what you're good at here are 10 ways to figure it out, 50 affirmations for anxiety to find inner peace, how the spotlight effect influences your experience of the world, power poses: how to feel more confident with body language, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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10.1 Managing Public Speaking Anxiety

Learning objectives.

• Discuss common sources of public speaking anxiety.
• Identify strategies for addressing public speaking anxiety.
• Employ strategies for addressing public speaking anxiety.

If you feel fear, anxiety, or discomfort when confronted with the task of speaking in front of an audience, you are not alone. National polls consistently show that public speaking is among Americans’ top fears (Bodie, 2010). Yet, since we all have to engage in some form of public speaking, this is a fear that many people must face regularly. Effectively managing speaking anxiety has many positive effects on your speech. One major area that can improve with less anxiety is delivery. Although speaking anxiety is natural and normal, it can interfere with verbal and nonverbal delivery, which makes a speech less effective. In this chapter, we will explore causes of speaking anxiety, ways to address it, and best practices of vocal and physical delivery.

Sources of Speaking Anxiety

Aside from the self-reported data in national surveys that rank the fear of public speaking high for Americans, decades of research conducted by communication scholars shows that communication apprehension is common among college students (Priem & Solomon, 2009). Communication apprehension (CA) is fear or anxiety experienced by a person due to real or perceived communication with another person or persons. CA is a more general term that includes multiple forms of communication, not just public speaking. CA can be further broken down into two categories. Trait CA refers to a general tendency to experience anxiety related to communication, in essence incorporating it into a person’s personality. State CA refers to anxiety related to communication that occurs in a particular situation and time (Bodie, 2010). Of college students, 15 to 20 percent experience high trait CA, meaning they are generally anxious about communication. Seventy percent of college students experience some trait CA, which means that addressing communication anxiety in a class like the one you’re taking now stands to benefit the majority of students (Priem & Solomon, 2009). Whether CA is a personal trait or not, we all occasionally experience state CA. Think about the jitters you get before a first date, a job interview, or the first day of school. The novelty or uncertainty of some situations is a common trigger for communication anxiety, and public speaking is a situation that is novel and uncertain for many.

Public speaking anxiety is a type of CA that produces physiological, cognitive, and behavioral reactions in people when faced with a real or imagined presentation (Bodie, 2010). Physiological responses to public speaking anxiety include increased heart rate, flushing of the skin or face, and sweaty palms, among other things. These reactions are the result of natural chemical processes in the human body. The fight or flight instinct helped early humans survive threatening situations. When faced with a ferocious saber-toothed tiger, for example, the body released adrenaline, cortisol, and other hormones that increased heart rate and blood pressure to get more energy to the brain, organs, and muscles in order to respond to the threat. We can be thankful for this evolutionary advantage, but our physiology hasn’t caught up with our new ways of life. Our body doesn’t distinguish between the causes of stressful situations, so facing down an audience releases the same hormones as facing down a wild beast.

The root of public speaking anxiety is the fight or flight instinct that is triggered when we face a fear. While we can’t completely eliminate anxiety, we can change how we cognitively process it.

Practical Cures – Anxiety – CC BY 2.0.

Cognitive reactions to public speaking anxiety often include intrusive thoughts that can increase anxiety: “People are judging me,” “I’m not going to do well,” and “I’m going to forget what to say.” These thoughts are reactions to the physiological changes in the body but also bring in the social/public aspect of public speaking in which speakers fear being negatively judged or evaluated because of their anxiety. The physiological and cognitive responses to anxiety lead to behavioral changes. All these thoughts may lead someone to stop their speech and return to their seat or leave the classroom. Anticipating these reactions can also lead to avoidance behavior where people intentionally avoid situations where they will have to speak in public.

Addressing Public Speaking Anxiety

While we can’t stop the innate physiological reactions related to anxiety from occurring, we do have some control over how we cognitively process them and the behaviors that result. Research on public speaking anxiety has focused on three key ways to address this common issue: systematic desensitization, cognitive restructuring, and skills training (Bodie, 2010). In addition, it is important to address the physical manifestations of speaking anxiety.

Systematic Desensitization

Although systematic desensitization may sound like something that would be done to you while strapped down in the basement of a scary hospital, it actually refers to the fact that we become less anxious about something when we are exposed to it more often (Bodie, 2010). As was mentioned earlier, the novelty and uncertainty of public speaking is a source for many people’s anxiety. So becoming more familiar with public speaking by doing it more often can logically reduce the novelty and uncertainty of it.

Systematic desensitization can result from imagined or real exposure to anxiety-inducing scenarios. In some cases, an instructor leads a person through a series of relaxation techniques. Once relaxed, the person is asked to imagine a series of scenarios including speech preparation and speech delivery. This is something you could also try to do on your own before giving a speech. Imagine yourself going through the process of preparing and practicing a speech, then delivering the speech, then returning to your seat, which concludes the scenario. Aside from this imagined exposure to speaking situations, taking a communication course like this one is a great way to directly engage in systematic desensitization. Almost all my students report that they have less speaking anxiety at the end of a semester than when they started, which is at least partially due to the fact they were forced to engage with speaking more than they would have done if they weren’t taking the class.

Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring entails changing the way we think about something. A first step in restructuring how we deal with public speaking anxiety is to cognitively process through our fears to realize that many of the thoughts associated with public speaking anxiety are irrational (Allen, Hunter & Donohue, 2009). For example, people report a fear of public speaking over a fear of snakes, heights, financial ruin, or even death. It’s irrational to think that the consequences of giving a speech in public are more dire than getting bit by a rattlesnake, falling off a building, or dying. People also fear being embarrassed because they mess up or are evaluated negatively. Well, you can’t literally die from embarrassment, and in reality, audiences are very forgiving and overlook or don’t even notice many errors that we, as speakers, may dwell on. Once we realize that the potential negative consequences of giving a speech are not as dire as we think they are, we can move on to other cognitive restructuring strategies.

Communication-orientation modification therapy (COM therapy) is a type of cognitive restructuring that encourages people to think of public speaking as a conversation rather than a performance (Motley, 2009). Many people have a performance-based view of public speaking. This can easily be seen in the language that some students use to discuss public speaking. They say that they “rehearse” their speech, deal with “stage fright,” then “perform” their speech on a “stage.” I like to remind my students that there is no stage at the front of our classroom; it is a normal floor. To get away from a performance orientation, we can reword the previous statements to say that they “practice” their speech, deal with “public speaking anxiety,” then “deliver” their speech from the front of the room. Viewing public speaking as a conversation also helps with confidence. After all, you obviously have some conversation skills, or you wouldn’t have made it to college. We engage in conversations every day. We don’t have to write everything we’re going to say out on a note card, we don’t usually get nervous or anxious in regular conversations, and we’re usually successful when we try. Even though we don’t engage in public speaking as much, we speak to others in public all the time. Thinking of public speaking as a type of conversation helps you realize that you already have accumulated experiences and skills that you can draw from, so you aren’t starting from scratch.

Thinking of public speaking as a conversation with an audience rather than a performance for an audience can help reduce speaking anxiety.

The Open University – Speech – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Last, positive visualization is another way to engage in cognitive restructuring. Speaking anxiety often leads people to view public speaking negatively. They are more likely to judge a speech they gave negatively, even if it was good. They’re also likely to set up negative self-fulfilling prophecies that will hinder their performance in future speeches. To effectively use positive visualization, it’s best to engage first in some relaxation exercises such as deep breathing or stretching, which we will discuss more later, and then play through vivid images in your mind of giving a successful speech. This should be done a few times before giving the actual speech. Students sometimes question the power of positive visualization, thinking that it sounds corny. Ask an Olympic diver what his or her coach says to do before jumping off the diving board and the answer will probably be “Coach says to image completing a perfect 10 dive.” Likewise a Marine sharpshooter would likely say his commanding officer says to imagine hitting the target before pulling the trigger. In both instances, positive visualization is being used in high-stakes situations. If it’s good enough for Olympic athletes and snipers, it’s good enough for public speakers.

Skills Training

Skills training is a strategy for managing public speaking anxiety that focuses on learning skills that will improve specific speaking behaviors. These skills may relate to any part of the speech-making process, including topic selection, research and organization, delivery, and self-evaluation. Skills training, like systematic desensitization, makes the public speaking process more familiar for a speaker, which lessens uncertainty. In addition, targeting specific areas and then improving on them builds more confidence, which can in turn lead to more improvement. Feedback is important to initiate and maintain this positive cycle of improvement. You can use the constructive criticism that you get from your instructor and peers in this class to target specific areas of improvement. Self-evaluation is also an important part of skills training. Make sure to evaluate yourself within the context of your assignment or job and the expectations for the speech. Don’t get sidetracked by a small delivery error if the expectations for content far outweigh the expectations for delivery. Combine your self-evaluation with the feedback from your instructor, boss, and/or peers to set specific and measurable goals and then assess whether or not you meet them in subsequent speeches. Once you achieve a goal, mark it off your list and use it as a confidence booster. If you don’t achieve a goal, figure out why and adjust your strategies to try to meet it in the future.

Physical Relaxation Exercises

Suggestions for managing speaking anxiety typically address its cognitive and behavioral components, while the physical components are left unattended. As we learned earlier, we can’t block these natural and instinctual responses. We can, however, engage in physical relaxation exercises to counteract the general physical signs of anxiety caused by cortisol and adrenaline release, which include increased heart rate, trembling, flushing, high blood pressure, and speech disfluency.

I liken confronting the physical aspects of public speaking anxiety to chemical warfare. Some breathing and stretching exercises release endorphins, which are your body’s natural antidote to stress hormones. Deep breathing is a proven way to release endorphins. It also provides a general sense of relaxation and can be done discretely, even while waiting to speak. In order to get the benefits of deep breathing, you must breathe into your diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle below your lungs that helps you breathe and stand up straight, which makes it a good muscle for a speaker to exercise. To start, breathe in slowly through your nose, filling the bottom parts of your lungs up with air. While doing this, your belly should pooch out. Hold the breath for three to five full seconds and then let it out slowly through your mouth. After doing this only a few times, many students report that they can actually feel a flooding of endorphins, which creates a brief “light-headed” feeling. I lead my class in breathing exercises before the first few days of speeches. Once you have practiced and are comfortable with the technique, you can do this before you start your speech, and no one sitting around you will even notice. You might also want to try this technique during other stressful situations. Deep breathing before dealing with an angry customer or loved one, or before taking a test, can help you relax and focus.

Discretely stretching your wrists and calf muscles is a good way to relieve anxiety and get your energy flowing while waiting to speak.

Public Domain Pictures – public domain.

Stretching is another way to quickly and effectively release endorphins. Very old exercise traditions like yoga, tai chi, and Pilates teach the idea that stretching is a key component of having a healthy mind and spirit. Exercise in general is a good stress reliever, but many of us don’t have the time or willpower to do it. We can, however, all take time to do some stretching. Obviously, it would be distracting for the surrounding audience if a speaker broke into some planking or Pilates just before his or her speech. Simple and discrete stretches can help get the body’s energy moving around, which can make a speaker feel more balanced and relaxed. Our blood and our energy/stress have a tendency to pool in our legs, especially when we’re sitting. The following stretch can help manage the physical manifestations of anxiety while waiting to speak. Start with both feet flat on the floor. Raise your back heels off the floor and flex and release your calf muscles. You can flex and release your calves once before putting your heels back down and repeating, or you can flex a few times on each repetition. Doing this three to five times should sufficiently get your blood and energy moving around. Stretching your wrists can also help move energy around in your upper body, since our huge amounts of typing and using other electronic controllers put a lot of stress on this intersection of muscles, tendons, and bones. Point one hand up at the wrist joint, like you’re waving at someone. Then use your other hand to pull, gently, the hand that’s pointing up back toward your elbow. Stop pulling once you feel some tension. Hold the hand there for a few seconds and release. Then point the hand down at the wrist joint like you’re pointing at something on the floor, and use the other hand to push the hand back toward your elbow. Again, stop pushing when you feel the tension, hold the stretch for a few seconds, and release. You can often do this stretch discretely as well while waiting to speak.

Vocal Warm-Up Exercises

Vocal warm-up exercises are a good way to warm up your face and mouth muscles, which can help prevent some of the fluency issues that occur when speaking. Newscasters, singers, and other professional speakers use vocal warm-ups. I lead my students in vocal exercises before speeches, which also helps lighten the mood. We all stand in a circle and look at each other while we go through our warm-up list. For the first warm-up, we all make a motorboat sound, which makes everybody laugh. The full list of warm-ups follows and contains specific words and exercises designed to warm up different muscles and different aspects of your voice. After going through just a few, you should be able to feel the blood circulating in your face muscles more. It’s a surprisingly good workout!

Sample Vocal Warm-Ups

• Purse your lips together and make a motorboat sound. Hold it for ten seconds and repeat. “BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB.”
• Clench your teeth and say, “N, N, N, N,” to stretch your cheek muscles.
• Say “Mum” five times, and open your mouth and eyes wide each time you say it.
• Say “Puh” five times, making sure to use your diaphragm to enunciate the h .
• Say “Red Rover” ten times, overenunciating each r .
• Say “Wilbur” ten times, overenunciating the w and r .
• Say “Bumblebee” ten times, enunciating each b .
• Say “Red letter, yellow letter” five times, making sure to distinctly pronounce each word.
• Say “Selfish shellfish” five times, making sure to distinctly pronounce each word.
• Say “Unique New York” five times, enunciating the q and k .

Top Ten Ways to Reduce Speaking Anxiety

As you can see in this section, there are many factors that contribute to speaking anxiety, and there are many ways to address it. The following is a list of the top ten ways to reduce speaking anxiety that I developed with my colleagues, which helps review what we’ve learned.

• Remember, you are not alone. Public speaking anxiety is common, so don’t ignore it—confront it.
• Remember, you can’t literally “die of embarrassment.” Audiences are forgiving and understanding.
• Remember, it always feels worse than it looks.
• Take deep breaths. It releases endorphins, which naturally fight the adrenaline that causes anxiety.
• Look the part. Dress professionally to enhance confidence.
• Channel your nervousness into positive energy and motivation.
• Start your outline and research early. Better information = higher confidence.
• Practice and get feedback from a trusted source. (Don’t just practice for your cat.)
• Visualize success through positive thinking.
• Prepare, prepare, prepare! Practice is a speaker’s best friend.

“Getting Critical”

How Much Emphasis Should We Place on Delivery?

Before you read the rest of the chapter, take some time to think about the balance between the value of content and delivery in a speech. We know it’s important to have solid content and to have an engaging and smooth delivery to convey that content, but how should each category be weighted and evaluated? Most people who have made it to college can put the time and effort into following assignment guidelines to put together a well-researched and well-organized speech. But some people are naturally better at delivering speeches than others. Some people are more extroverted, experience less public speaking anxiety, and are naturally more charismatic than others. Sometimes a person’s delivery and charisma might distract an audience away from critically evaluating the content of their speech. Charismatic and well-liked celebrities and athletes, for example, are used to endorse products and sell things to the public. We may follow their advice because we like them, instead of basing our choice on their facts or content. Aristotle, Cicero, and other notable orators instructed that delivery should be good enough to present the material effectively but not so good or so bad that it draws attention to itself. But in today’s celebrity culture, the bling or packaging is sometimes more valued than the contents. This leads us to some questions that might help us unpack the sometimes tricky relationship between content and delivery.

• Do you think worries about content or delivery contribute more to speaking anxiety? Explain your choice.
• How should someone be evaluated who works hard to research, organize, and write a speech, but doesn’t take the time to practice so they have a good delivery? What if they practice, but still don’t deliver the speech well on speech day?
• How should we evaluate a speaker who delivers an engaging speech that gets the audience laughing and earns a big round of applause but doesn’t verbally cite sources or present well-organized ideas?
• Is it ethical for someone to use their natural charisma or speaking abilities to win over an audience rather than relying on the merit and strength of their speech content? In what speaking situations would this be more acceptable? Less acceptable?

Key Takeaways

• Getting integrated: Public speaking anxiety is a form of communication apprehension (CA) that is commonly experienced by many people and can be effectively managed using a variety of strategies. While we most often think of public speaking anxiety as an issue in the classroom and workplace, it can affect communication in personal and civic contexts as well.
• Systematic desensitization helps lessen public speaking anxiety through repeated exposure to real or imagined public speaking scenarios.
• Cognitive restructuring addresses public speaking by replacing negative thoughts with more positive thoughts, and COM therapy can help you view public speaking as a conversation rather than a performance.
• Skills training allows you to focus on improving specific skills related to public speaking, which can increase confidence and lead to further skill development.
• Physical relaxation exercises like deep breathing and stretching allow us to voluntarily use our bodies to address involuntary bodily reactions to anxiety.
• Test your speaking anxiety using McCroskey’s “Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety” (PRPSA). You can access the scale here: http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/prpsa.htm . Follow the directions to determine your score. Do you agree with the result? Why or why not?
• Of the strategies for managing public speaking anxiety listed in the chapter (systematic desensitization, cognitive restructuring, skills training, physical relaxation exercises), which do you think would be most useful for you and why?
• When you take a communication course like this one, you are automatically engaging in some skills training. What are some public speaking skills that you are already good at? What are some skills that you should work on? Write out three goals you would like to accomplish for your next speech that focus on improving your public speaking skills.

Allen, M., John E. Hunter, and William A. Donohue, “Meta-analysis of Self-Report Data on the Effectiveness of Public Speaking Anxiety Treatment Techniques,” Communication Education 38, no. 1 (2009): 54–76.

Bodie, G. D., “A Racing Heart, Rattling Knees, and Ruminative Thoughts: Defining, Explaining, and Treating Public Speaking Anxiety,” Communication Education 59, no. 1 (2010): 70.

Motley, M. T., “COM Therapy,” in Avoiding Communication: Shyness, Reticence, and Communication Apprehension , eds. John A. Daly, James C. McCroskey, Joe Ayres, Tim Hopf, and Debbie M. Ayers Sonandre (Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2009), 379–400.

Communication in the Real World Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY

The fear of public speaking is the most common phobia ahead of death, spiders, or heights. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, affects about 40%* of the population. The underlying fear is judgment or negative evaluation by others. Public speaking anxiety is considered a social anxiety disorder. * Gallup News Service, Geoffrey Brewer, March 19, 2001.

The fear of public speaking is worse than the fear of death

Evolution psychologists believe there are primordial roots. Our prehistoric ancestors were vulnerable to large animals and harsh elements. Living in a tribe was a basic survival skill. Rejection from the group led to death. Speaking to an audience makes us vulnerable to rejection, much like our ancestors’ fear.

A common fear in public speaking is the brain freeze. The prospect of having an audience’s attention while standing in silence feels like judgment and rejection.

Why the brain freezes

The pre-frontal lobes of our brain sort our memories and is sensitive to anxiety. Dr. Michael DeGeorgia of Case Western University Hospitals, says: “If your brain starts to freeze up, you get more stressed and the stress hormones go even higher. That shuts down the frontal lobe and disconnects it from the rest of the brain. It makes it even harder to retrieve those memories.”

The fight or flight response activates complex bodily changes to protect us. A threat to our safety requires immediate action. We need to respond without debating whether to jump out of the way of on oncoming car while in an intersection. Speaking to a crowd isn’t life threatening. The threat area of the brain can’t distinguish between these threats.

Help for public speaking anxiety

We want our brains to be alert to danger. The worry of having a brain freeze increases our anxiety. Ironically, it increases the likelihood of our mind’s going blank as Dr. DeGeorgia described. We need to recognize that the fear of brain freezing isn’t a life-or-death threat like a car barreling towards us while in a crosswalk.

Change how we think about our mind going blank.

De-catastrophize brain freezes . It might feel horrible if it happens in the moment. The audience will usually forget about it quickly. Most people are focused on themselves. We’ve handled more difficult and challenging situations before. The long-term consequence of this incident is minimal.

Leave it there . Don’t dwell on the negative aspects of the incidents. Focus on what we can learn from it. Worry that it will happen again will become self-fulfilling. Don’t avoid opportunities to create a more positive memory.

Perfectionism won’t help . Setting unachievable standards of delivering an unblemished speech increases anxiety. A perfect speech isn’t possible. We should aim to do our best instead of perfect.

Silence is gold . Get comfortable with silence by practicing it in conversations. What feels like an eternity to us may not feel that way to the audience. Silence is not bad. Let’s practice tolerating the discomfort that comes with elongated pauses.

Avoidance reinforces . Avoiding what frightens us makes it bigger in our mind. We miss out on the opportunity to obtain disconfirming information about the trigger.

Rehearse to increase confidence

Practice but don’t memorize . There’s no disputing that preparation will build confidence. Memorizing speeches will mislead us into thinking there is only one way to deliver an idea. Forgetting a phrase or sentence throw us off and hastens the brain freeze. Memorizing provides a false sense of security.

Practice with written notes. Writing out the speech may help formulate ideas. Practice speaking extemporaneously using bullet points to keep us on track.

Practice the flow of the presentation . Practice focusing on the message that’s delivered instead of the precise words to use. We want to internalize the flow of the speech and remember the key points.

Practice recovering from a brain freeze . Practice recovery strategies by purposely stopping the talk and shifting attention to elsewhere. Then, refer to notes to find where we left off. Look ahead to the next point and decide what we’d like to say next. Finally, we’ll find someone in the audience to start talking to and begin speaking.

Be prepared for the worst . If we know what to do in the worst-case scenario (and practice it), we’ll have confidence in our ability to handle it. We do that by preparing what to say to the audience if our mind goes blank. Visualizing successful recovery of the worst will help us figure out what needs to be done to get back on track.

Learn to relax

Remember to breathe . We can reduce anxiety by breathing differently. Take slow inhalations and even slower exhalations with brief pauses in between. We’ll be more likely to use this technique if practiced in times of low stress.

Speak slowly . It’s natural to speed up our speech when we are anxious. Practice slowing speech while rehearsing. When we talk quickly, our brain sees it is a threat. Speaking slowly and calmly gives the opposite message to our brain.

Make eye contact with the audience . Our nerves might tell us to avoid eye contact. Making deliberate eye contact with a friendly face will build confidence and slow our speaking.

Join a group . Practice builds confident in public speaking. Groups like Toastmasters International provide peer support to hone our public speaking skill. Repeated exposure allows us to develop new beliefs about our fear and ability to speak in public.

The fear of our mind going blank during a speech is common. Job advancement or college degree completion may be hampered by not addressing this fear.

Get additional practical suggestions on overcoming public speaking anxiety in this CNBC article by the director of NSAC Brooklyn, Chamin Ajjan, LCSW, A-CBT, CST.

How to Get Help for Social Anxiety

The National Social Anxiety Center (NSAC) is an association of independent Regional Clinics and Associates throughout the United States with certified cognitive-behavioral therapists (CBT) specializing in social anxiety and other anxiety-related problems.

Find an NSAC Regional Clinic or Associate which is licensed to help people in the state where you are located.

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Dysarthria happens when the muscles used for speech are weak or are hard to control. Dysarthria often causes slurred or slow speech that can be difficult to understand.

Common causes of dysarthria include conditions that affect the nervous system or that cause facial paralysis. These conditions may cause tongue or throat muscle weakness. Certain medicines also can cause dysarthria.

Treating the underlying cause of dysarthria may improve your speech. You also may need speech therapy. For dysarthria caused by prescription medicines, changing or stopping the medicines may help.

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Symptoms of dysarthria depend on the underlying cause and the type of dysarthria.

Symptoms may include:

• Slurred speech.
• Slow speech.
• Not being able to speak louder than a whisper or speaking too loudly.
• Rapid speech that is difficult to understand.
• Nasal, raspy or strained voice.
• Uneven speech rhythm.
• Uneven speech volume.
• Monotone speech.
• Trouble moving your tongue or facial muscles.

When to see a doctor

Dysarthria can be a sign of a serious condition. See a healthcare professional right away if you have sudden or unexplained changes in your ability to speak.

Dysarthria can be caused by conditions that make it hard to move the muscles in the mouth, face or upper respiratory system. These muscles control speech.

Conditions that may lead to dysarthria include:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.
• Brain injury.
• Brain tumor.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Guillain-Barre syndrome.
• Head injury.
• Huntington's disease.
• Lyme disease.
• Multiple sclerosis.
• Muscular dystrophy.
• Myasthenia gravis.
• Parkinson's disease.
• Wilson's disease.

Some medicines also can cause dysarthria. These may include certain sedatives and seizure medicines.

Risk factors

Dysarthria risk factors include having a neurological condition that affects the muscles that control speech.

Complications

Complications of dysarthria may come from having trouble with communication. Complications may include:

• Trouble socializing. Communication problems may affect your relationships with family and friends. These problems also may make social situations challenging.
• Depression. In some people, dysarthria may lead to social isolation and depression.
• Jankovic J, et al., eds. Dysarthria and apraxia of speech. In: Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 27, 2024.
• Dysarthria. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/dysarthria/. Accessed April 6, 2020.
• Maitin IB, et al., eds. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. McGraw-Hill Education; 2020. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed April 10, 2020.
• Dysarthria in adults. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/dysarthria-in-adults/. Accessed March 27, 2024.
• Drugs possibly associated with dysarthria. IBM Micromedex. https://www.micromedexsolutions.com. Accessed April 4, 2024.
• Lirani-Silva C, et al. Dysarthria and quality of life in neurologically healthy elderly and patients with Parkinson's disease. CoDAS. 2015; doi:10.1590/2317-1782/20152014083.
• Signs and symptoms of untreated Lyme disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html. Accessed March 27, 2024.
• Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://catalog.ninds.nih.gov/publications/neurological-diagnostic-tests-and-procedures. Accessed March 27, 2024.

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Pinpoint the Onset of Public Speaking Anxiety

Different people become anxious at different times during the speechmaking process. Some people start to feel anxious as soon as they learn that they will have to give a speech. Others don’t really get nervous until they approach the podium. Even the kind of speech assigned (e.g., being called on to deliver off-the-cuff remarks versus reading from a prepared speech) may be a factor in when and how much a speaker feels anxious. 4 By pinpointing the onset of speech anxiety, you can manage it promptly with specific anxiety-reducing techniques (see Figure 3.1 ).

RECOGNIZING AND OVERCOMING YOUR UNDERLYING FEARS ABOUT PUBLIC SPEAKING

Pre-Preparation Anxiety

Some people feel anxious the minute they know they will be giving a speech. Pre-preparation anxiety can be a problem when the speaker delays planning for the speech, or when it so preoccupies the speaker that he or she misses vital information needed to fulfill the speech assignment. If you are particularly affected by anxiety at this stage, start immediately to use the stress-reducing techniques described later in this chapter.

Preparation Anxiety

For a few people, anxiety arises only when they actually begin to prepare for the speech. They might feel overwhelmed at the amount of time and planning required or hit a roadblock that puts them behind schedule. Preparation pressures produce a cycle of stress, procrastination, and outright avoidance, all of which contribute to preparation anxiety . Research has shown, however, that for most speakers, anxiety is lowest during the preparation phase, 5 suggesting that the best way to gain a sense of control and confidence is to immerse yourself in the speech’s preparation.

Pre-Performance Anxiety

Some people experience anxiety as they rehearse their speech. This is when the reality of the situation sets in: They anticipate an audience that will be watching and listening only to them; or they feel that their ideas aren’t as focused or as interesting as they should be, and they sense that time is short. If this pre-performance anxiety is strong enough, they may even decide to stop rehearsing. If you experience heightened anxiety at this point, consider using anxiety stop-time : Allow your anxiety to present itself for up to a few minutes until you declare time for confidence to step in so you can proceed to complete your practice. 6

I experience anxiety before, during, and after the speech. My “before speech” anxiety begins the night before my speech, but then I begin to look over my notecards, and I start to realize that I am ready for this speech. I practice one more time and I tell myself I am going to be fine.

— Paige Mease, student

Performance Anxiety

For most people, anxiety is highest just as a speech begins. 7 Performance anxiety is probably most pronounced during the introduction portion of the speech when we are most aware of the audience’s attention. Not surprisingly, audiences we perceive to be hostile or negative usually cause us to feel more anxious than those we sense are positive or neutral. 8 However, experienced speakers agree that by controlling their nervousness during the introduction, the rest of the speech goes quite smoothly.

Each of us will experience more or less speech anxiety at these four different points in the process depending mainly on our level of trait anxiety . People with high trait anxiety are naturally anxious much of the time, whereas people with low trait anxiety experience nervousness usually only in unusual situations. Public speaking situations tend to make people nervous regardless of their level of trait anxiety, for the reasons outlined earlier (lack of experience, feeling different, being the center of attention). But it can be more challenging for high trait-anxious individuals than low trait-anxious persons. For instance, researchers have shown that low trait-anxious people get nervous when starting a speech but gain confidence throughout the speech. Regardless of your level of trait anxiety, and when anxiety about a speech strikes, the important thing to remember is that you can manage the anxiety and control the time and effort you put into planning, rehearsing, and delivering a successful speech.

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Managing Speech Anxiety: The Fear of Public Speaking

Fear of public speaking, known scientifically as glossophobia, is a type of social anxiety that is quite common. It is characterized by a deep sense of dread and distress when one is faced with the prospect of speaking in front of a crowd or presenting in front of peers. The purpose of this article is to explore the complex nature of speech anxiety, dissect its origins, and suggest effective strategies for overcoming it.

What is Speech Anxiety?

Speech anxiety is the intense fear and apprehension associated with public speaking or performing in front of an audience. It is not just limited to large crowds, but can also manifest in small group settings or even in one-on-one interactions.

The anxiety can manifest in many different ways, from physical symptoms like shaking, sweating, and a racing heart, to cognitive and emotional reactions like worry, fear, or panic. The severity of these symptoms varies from person to person, and can range from mild discomfort to severe anxiety that can interfere with normal functioning.

Causes of Speech Anxiety

Genetics and brain chemistry.

Research indicates that genetic factors may play a part in determining who develops anxiety disorders, including speech anxiety. Certain changes in the brain and its chemical messengers, neurotransmitters, are also associated with heightened anxiety responses.

Past Negative Experiences

Previous negative or traumatic experiences related to public speaking can also cause an individual to develop speech anxiety. This could include experiences of embarrassment, criticism, or failure associated with past speaking events.

Overcoming Speech Anxiety

Preparing and practicing.

One of the key strategies in reducing speech anxiety is preparation and practice. This involves understanding your audience, researching your topic thoroughly, and rehearsing your speech multiple times. The more familiar you are with your content, the lower your level of anxiety will be.

Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques

Cognitive-behavioral techniques have been found to be very effective in managing anxiety disorders, including speech anxiety. These techniques aim to identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns that contribute to anxiety, and replace them with more realistic and positive thoughts.

Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques can also help manage the physical symptoms of speech anxiety. Techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation can help reduce physical tension and promote a sense of calm.

While speech anxiety can be a significant obstacle for many individuals, it is possible to manage and even overcome this fear. Through understanding, preparation, and effective anxiety-management strategies, individuals can become more comfortable with public speaking and reduce their level of speech anxiety.

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