Speech Anxiety - Coping with Talking in Front of Large Groups

Let's face it, at some point in your life I am sure you are going to have to talk in front of a group. Whether it be for school or work, you may have to talk in front of a large group whether you like it or not. Talking in front of large groups is the top fear among people. But for some, it is not a fear at all.

When we experience the anxiety of having to give a speech, one may get sweaty, shaky hands, dry mouth, or even blush. Some people may get really fidgety. Personally, I think I am the type that just has a racing heart and probably wiggle my feet a bit.

There are ways to help you cope with the fear of talking in front of people. One way is to take a speech class or join speech at school. It may sound terrible, but it could really help you overcome your own fear.

One thing to remember is overall, people are more supportive of each other than you think. You might be so nervous because you feel as if every one is judging you. Chances are, if you screw up people will not notice at all or hardly notice. If you are giving a speech in class, and every one has to do it, a lot of your classmates are probably just as nervous and are mainly thinking about the speech they are above to give.

Sometimes people like to volunteer to give their speech first. This is so they don't have to sit through speech after speech being completely nervous and drive themselves insane. Not only can this be good to help your stress, but also you have no one to top. You are the first and you can set the standard for the class whether that be low or high.

Here are a few methods to cope:

Practice Your Speech:
One reason why people are so nervous is because they didn't practice enough. They don't feel prepared. They are worried that they are going to miss a line or stumble over their words. Some teachers give a time bracket you have to give your speech in, If you don't practice your speech could be too long or too short. Practice will help give you more confidence.

Look Good - Feel Good
If you have to stand in front of a large group you should look and feel your best. Don't wear your dirty shirt you've worn three days in a row, or has a grease stain across it. If you show up and realize you just don't feel good about yourself in general, you're going to be more nervous about your speech. Giving a speech doesn't always require you to dress up, but at least be clean, well rested, and wear something you like. Keep in mind to not wear clothes that will offend other people since everyone's attention should be on you.

Physical Relaxation
Sometimes to help get out all the extra anxiety energy is to exercise a little bit before a speech. This does not mean a full work out. But maybe take a little walk before hand. It could help you shake a few jitters.
There are also some muscle relaxation methods you can use too.

Have Something For the Audience To Look At
If you have a Powerpoint Presentation or some posters, this could really help. People will be looking at the visuals more than you. It can help make your speech not only more interesting, but also help the stress.

Most important, think positively. If you think positive not only will the delivery of your speech be better, but you will be more confident. If you mess up, don't stop and say, "Oops." Just keep on going, because many times people will not even notice. It will look even worse if you point out your mistake to everyone.

Also, if it is possible try to pick a topic that interests you. That way you will have fun doing it. And then if you mess up and forget your lines, you can still keep on talking because you know about the topic.

Don't worry about the audience reaction while you give a speech. You never really know what they're really thinking, and chances are you probably gave a pretty blank and bored look at a teacher or a boss as they stood up in front of the group too. Just be yourself and have as much fun as possible.

I was in speech for several years in both middle school and high school. Competition was stressful because there, people wanted you to fail. It could be a very scary thing, but it's something anyone can overcome if they work at it long enough.

Practice makes perfect, with both your speech delivery and overcoming anxiety.