That lump in your throat. The tightness in your chest. Your pounding heart. And those sweaty palms.
No, not waiting for your results at the free clinic -- having to speak in public.
We've all experienced it. Yes, even morning televsion show hosts who've previously spent 10 years as stand-up comedians and actors. (I'm not sure I needed to make that plural.) For me, it's whenever I'm called on to speak in an environment that's out of my comfort zone. If I'm on the set of the Buzz, or on stage at a packed comedy, I'm cool as cucumber. But whenever I'm occasionally asked to speak at an event and be engaging without talking about the day's news or employing adult humor, my cool cucumber gets a bit sticky.
Performance Anxiety
But whether you're giving the keynote address at the National Funeral Directors Association's annual convention, or you just need to stand up at the next work meeting, The Juggle cites the advice of Psychologist Sian Beilock on alleviating the stress of having to speak up in front of your peers:
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Don’t over-think it: Beilock’s research shows that if you have a well-practiced presentation, when it is go-time, it is best if it runs on autopilot. When we have practiced a speech to perfection, or taken hundreds of golf shots for example, performing well involves paying less attention rather than more.
