SOS - Speech anxiety.

Congratulations on your new job.

I think all of us have experienced it. I have heard that fear of speaking in public is one of the most common, and strongest fears.

I have two suggestions.

First, the trick is to not take it so seriously. If you don't mind looking foolish, you wont be afraid. This is, of course, difficult, but it is a good thing to think about. I have noticed that many comfortable speakers have a clownish side.

Second, f you want to feel comfortable speaking in public, do it every chance you get. Speak out in church, make toasts at family events, have a point to make at meetings. Every chance you get to speak in front of people-- grab it... especially when it doesn't matter that much. If you practice when it doesn't matter, you will be ready when it does.

I have done this for many years. The best thing is that I sometimes make a fool of myself and I have learned that it isn't that bad (I have always gotten over it.) Also, as I go I have gotten better at it. I can now think on my feat pretty well and I think I have given some pretty good public presentations.

The best way to handle it is to develop a self-deprecating sense of humor. That way, when you make a verbal gaffe, you can blush and say, "Too bad I spent so much time studying French...I should have learned English first!" People will think you're charming.

Wonderful tips ebrown... Thanks! I do think that my biggest problem though is the actual uncomfortable physical feeling rush that I get while in these situations, not so much what I say or do. It's so hard to retain control and stay focused when all I'm thinking about is "Oh my God.. STOP SHAKING!"

Eva, english is my second language... lol But I see what you're saying.

I wonder if taking something would help.. Like a calming effect tea or something. I've heard that chocolate has a substance in it that causes you to relax. hehe Great excuse...

My mom belonged to a large woman's organization. She often had to make speeches in front of big audiences. She told me her secret of not becoming nervous. She would look at the sea of faces, and imagine that they were all sitting in their underwear.

LOL

Psychologists use exposure therapy to address phobias. (Although I don't think that this quite rises to the level of a phobia.)

As ebrown_p suggested, practice when there is less pressure. Then when it does matter you can use the habits you developed to bring you through the high-stress time.

Yes, congratulations superjuly!

Everyone's suggestions are right on. Seek opportunities to speak in public and eventually it won't be as much of a problem. If you have a speech to give, practice giving it - out loud and in front of someone if at all possible - over and over again.

And your physical responses, the shaking, the breathlessness, etc. are caused by an abundance of adrenaline. It happens to all performers. The experienced ones just know how to manage it. Actors about to walk onstage are backstage pacing and flailing their arms trying to release some of that adrenaline so their hands and knees won't be trembling when they get onstage.

Even better! Just blush and say, "I'm sorry...English is my second language, and I skipped a few classes!"

I've heard that, too, Phoenix! My favorite advice came from a friend who is a public speaker who told me, "Everybody's looking in your direction, but hardly anybody's paying attention to what you're saying, so it doesn't really matter what you say." I try to remember that, and it does help.

My first experience with public speaking involved giving a class to about 150 of my peers in the Army. I crammed the night before in a place called the Old Port Club till 4:00 in the morning, and made the hour long presentation semi-drunk and more than semi comatose. I was told it was one of the best training sessions they had ever attended. I take their word for it; I was in no condition to remember.

The company was way behind on the training schedule, so I was giving a class a week, and for my final class, a week before I rotated back to the States, I stood up there and read the TO&E of chemical warfare units in Germany. I was choking on laughter and the troops were on the edge of their seats. TO&E is table of organization and equipment, by the way. Deadly dull stuff, so I guess Eva is right. Nobody is really paying attention, anyway.

Finally, if you get roped into that type of situation, offer to take questions as they occur. It helps, and sounds kind of friendly, too.

I gave my first speech in high school, and had the same kind of adrenalin reaction going on as you did. Then the fire bell rang... and I got out of it! After the class filed back in the room after the drill, I just gave the speech and it was ok.

When I studied landscape architecture, we had to do presentations of our work as a matter of course to our fellow students and the teacher and sometimes visiting experts. These were responded to critically immediately following the presentations; hardly anyone got of those years without receiving scathing comments, though the comments were usually useful for our learning. Somehow I wasn't bothered by doing those presentations. Perhaps it was my advancing age, or maybe I was just too tired, since I worked full time as well as going to school.

However, I got a revisit of the adrenalin routine one sunny day when I gave a speech on Italian piazzas to a Decorative Arts society - the content of which I had spoken about before to a roomful of students for hours, without any particular speaking qualms. But this time, as I sat next to the podium waiting for the speaker to introduce me to the audience of about 150 in the plush room in the elegant library... I couldn't remember my well studied opening lines, or what might I say right after them. My hands were like ice sculptures. That reaction seemed to come on very fast - I wasn't particularly frightened earlier in the hours before the talk.

Well, I took a deep breath as got up from my seat, stood at the podium looking at the faces and said I was glad to be there today (straightfaced lie) and said more words, I don't remember what, something off the cuff about Italy, and asked how many people in the room had been there. Perhaps twenty people raised their hands. And then I burbled some more and the general idea of my talk came back to me. It turned out well. Somehow that first acknowledgement of the audience and theirs of me broke those ice crystals, and the talk flowed. I showed slides, and added some asides to my prepared remarks that got people smiling and laughing, with me. The chuckles helped. I did become glad to be there that morning.

Brilliant advice.

Sadly Im doing a job I cant stand.I would apply for other jobs but the idea of an interview fills me with a crippling dread.

I went to see someone in London a few years back,just to talk about career possibilities(I like costumes, so it was someone on an Arts Council)I went with my mum, I was nervous but just before I went in I couldnt make myself do it.I walked towards the corner of a shop front and tried to hide myself so I didnt have to go in,cried as well.
Last interview I had was for here a couple of years ago.It was with a friends fathers company and I had basically got the job coz its easy and they needed someone.But it was alot easier, I decided to let them talk,we ended up having a laugh.I got out and my friend in the other room said she had never heard people laughing so much in an interview.

I will talk whenever I can now,thats good advice.

Superjuly
Superjuly, you may find this information on panic attacks helpful.

http://www.panic-anxiety.com/panic_attack_symptoms/panic-attack-symptoms.htm

BBB