The one concept in Chapter 10 which stood out to me was speech anxiety. The chapter indicates experiences with speaking too fast. or too slow, stammering, blockage, dry mouth, and rapid heartbeat. Reading this chapter I was relieved to learn speech anxiety is completely normal. As well as speech anxiety can improve over time with practice and more experience. The chapter suggests cognitive restructuring which is a form of taking those negative thoughts into positive, motivational thoughts. Physical relaxation is another element one could use to help the body relax; having the body relaxed can aid in mental relaxation. Systematic desensitization is also a process that may aid in speech anxiety. Systematic desensitization is to learn how to substitute deep relaxation for fear responses, finally those fear reactions can be managed with this specific process.
The concept of speech anxiety is an important concept for me because I do get nerves while speaking and it does have a negative effect on my delivery and the impression i leave with the audience. The most important thing i learned is that speech anxiety can be managed and with practice can be beat.
I think most people understand what it is to feel speech anxiety. I used to absolutely hate public speaking, but I found that practice truly does make perfect. When I have to speak in front of a large audience, I just keep on practicing until I practically have it memorized—and while the memorization helps, I think that more than anything, it’s the confidence that practice bring that makes the difference. Physical relaxation can help right before the speech. There are a few techniques I’ve learned in yoga that are really relevant: deep breathing, muscle relaxation, clearing one’s mind, etc. I completely agree that while speech anxiety is common, it can definitely be managed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about being relieved that speech anxiety is a normal thing. Speech anxiety is something that I suffer through every time I have to speak in front of a group, even sometimes when I'm just asking a question in class. I did learn from one of my previous teachers tips on how to calm myself before a speech. My anxiety is getting better but it still has not completely gone away.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that speech anxiety can harm a speech but if you turn it around and recognize your weaknesses and practice them than you can make them your strengths. Anxiety is a totally normal behavior and it helps to know that most of the people you are talking to go through the exact same thing.