Visualization, relabeling, and relaxation are all very effective methods in helping to manage speech anxiety, gain confidence, and deliver an effective speech.
Visualization is when you imagine a successful presentation through thinking out your speech in a concrete, step-by-step manner, and seeing things going positively. This approach focuses on thinking about what will go RIGHT, as opposed to what will go WRONG. Often times, your attitude plays a major role in determining the success of your speech, as well as the amount of anxiety you feel. If you tell yourself the speech will go well, and you visualize positive steps leading to a positive outcome, your speech is likely to go swimmingly. You will be less stressed and more confident, because you have already accepted that the speech will turn out positively. Likewise, if you do not plan out the steps in your presentation, and you are plagued by terrible thoughts of failure and humiliation, your speech will be negatively impacted.
Relabeling is another technique which focuses on attitude and positive thinking. " Relabeling involves assigning positive words or phrases to the physical reactions and feelings associated with speech anxiety" (Coopman 29). This is a simple approach in which you substitute negative words or phrases for positive ones. This technique is helpful because it gives you a more positive outlook on public speaking. When you have a positive outlook, you are more likely to feel confident or at least be able to manage your anxiety more efficiently.
Relaxation can help calm the body and reduce physical tension. Good breathing habits have been known to help reduce stress and nervousness (it sure helped me when I was in labor with my daughter *random*). There are three types of breathing exercises that are helpful in calming anxiety. The first is Diaphragmatic, which involves smoothe even breathing using your diaphragm (see page 29 of text for further explanation of breathing exercises). The second is Meditation breathing, which involves breathing with your diaphragm and focusing on every aspect of the breathing and how it feels. The third type of breathing exercise is Tension-Release breathing, which combines diaphragmatic breathing with the relaxing of specific parts of your body.
I really found your blog helpful and you pointed out some great tips! I always imagine my speech going terribly! I imagine myself turning bright red, because that’s what I tend to do when attention is focused on me, and when I say bright red I mean its RED! I wish there was a technique to hide that!
ReplyDeleteAlso, meditation breathing is another great relaxation idea you mentioned! Normally I try to focus on my breathing and coach it, but I’m usually too unprepared for it to help. I plan on using most of these techniques for next Thursday, good luck to you!
Good luck to you as well! I'm glad you found my blog useful!
DeleteI agree, all of these techniques are usual. I will really try and integrate breathing relaxation into my speech next week. Its so different when you get out in front of people. Its like a button in your mind has been hit, and it puts you in alert mode! Elise, which one of these relaxation techniques do you think is the most useful for yourself? If you can incorporate them all, that's pretty amazing. I feel like a lot of the time its "mind over matter". I actually get worked up when I get ready for a speech, so I kinda over-psych myself out. lol
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't really use relabeling too much, because if you use proper visualization techniques, relabeling can become obsolete. If you are confident and in a positive frame of mind, there may not be negative words or feelings that need to be relabeled. I find the visualization and relaxation techniques the most helpful. Breathing exercises are like a miracle cure-all drug for stress, anxiety, and even pain! And you are definitely correct, it is all "mind over matter". For example, when I was having my first daughter I used breathing exercises in combination with telling myself that it wasn't really pain that I was feeling, but just my baby getting closer and closer to my arms. With every contraction I turned the agony in to excitement because I was one step closer. So essentially I really psyched myself out!! Trust me, it works!!! If I can do it in labor, you can do it in your speech ;) I believe in you (imagine me saying this in that cornball way that you see in dramatic movies).
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