comm 395 lecture anxiety

Anxiety &
Apprehension
Week, Lecture 2
Zahra Jiwani

Do I have all the surveys?

“The

brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up and speak in public.”
Anonymous

What Is Speaking Anxiety?
Definition
• is a speaker’s individual level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication to a group of people or an audience.
• Based on Virginia P. Richmond and James C.
McCroskey, Communication: Apprehension,
Avoidance, and Effectiveness

Class Activity
 Write

down your biggest worries about making presentations, if any.
 For each fear, what would you do if it happened?  Let’s

Discuss some of them

Class Activity
 Write

down three specific skills or strengths you have that will contribute to your ability as a speaker (i.e., I’ve done my research, I have a good attention getter, I’m excited about the topic, etc.).

Why do we get anxiety?
 The

reason most people get anxious when required to speak to a group is that they are afraid of looking foolish in front of many of their peers and important people. confidence; set tone and reaction for audience
 They are afraid that their mind will go blank or that their lack of speaking skills will lower the opinion others have of them.


http://www.hawaii.edu/mauispeech/html/speechanxiety.html

The Fear of Public Speaking








People try to protect themselves by avoiding public speaking
They choose courses in such a way as to avoid public speaking, rather than taking the classes they want.
At work, they pass up promotions and assignments which would require speaking.
The fear of public speaking may even lead people to choose a career that doesn't call for public speaking, rather than one they want http://www.anxietycoach.com/fear-of-public-speaking.html

Class Exercise – knee to knee
 Turn

towards the person beside you
(facing each other)
 Knees should touch
 Look at each other in the eyes for 1 minute without talking

Let’s Discuss
 How

did you react and feel?

What happens when we are nervous? Let’s Do This One more time
 Turn

to your same partner
 Knee to knee
 Stare at each other for 1 minute no talking

Let’s Discuss
 How

did you feel this time?
 Was it different? Why?

Conclusion
 When

we know what it feels like to be in an anxious situation, and when we know what to expect, the next time gets easier, and the time after that even easier so go to video room first and feel it

Sources of Communication
Apprehension
Fear of unknown Fear of breaking the rules Fear of others Fear of failure Sources

Fear of the spotlight Symptoms of anxiety











♣ Pounding heart
♣ Trembling hands don't use cue cards- more obvious; use gestures- less obvious
♣ Shaky knees
♣ Labored breathing
♣ Dry, constricted throat
♣ Quivering voice
♣ Flushed face
♣ sweating http://www1.dcsdk12.org/secondary/cvhs/tv/hardin/video/oral_comm/ strategies_to_build_public_speaking.pdf

Steps to Reduce Fear
 In

most cases the fear or nervousness is just extra energy.
 This "extra energy" can be incorporated in the speech if it is controlled, however, you first must attempt to reduce the fear.

Reducing Fear






talk to yourself- attitude affects performance

Be aware of internal dialogue: what you say to yourself about yourself. How many of these thoughts are positive, how many negative?
We can consciously choose to change the nature of these internal messages, to enhance rather than reduce our selfconfidence. http://www1.dcsdk12.org/secondary/cvhs/tv/hardin/video/oral_comm/strategies_t o_build_public_speaking.pdf

Reducing Fear
 Be

timing doesn't start until you start talking, doesn't need to start right away after they push recording button (take a breath)

well-prepared
 It is easy to feel nervous when you only start the night before the big day!
 Begin preparing yourself as soon as you find out you will be speaking before the class.  It may seem like a pain at the time, but the effort you make will be well worth it once you get in front of the class

Reducing Fear
 Have

a backup, in case you forget what you want to say
 Realize that the audience is on your team -- they want you to succeed
 Stay Calm before and on the big day
(breathing exercises)
 Pause

a few moments before starting your speech. 

http://www.hawaii.edu/mauispeech/html/speechanxiety.html

Reducing Fear
 Practicing








and Rehearsing

Practicing is not the same as rehearsing.
When you practice, you are making mistakes and finishing up your final product.
Rehearsing is presenting your performance just as it will be for you real audience.
Think of someone who will listen to your speech and give you constructive criticisms. Build from their advice, and do at least one more presentation, this time for a least four people. http://www.wikihow.com/Get-the-Confidence-to-Speak-in-Front-ofa-Class

Reducing Fear
 Allow

yourself to see the situation as positive. Not “I have to give this speech,” but “I’m talking about something I care about and want the class to know about.” 

http://www1.dcsdk12.org/secondary/cvhs/tv/hardin/video/oral_comm/strate gies_to_build_public_speaking.pdf Reducing Fear
 Do



your best and have fun with it

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-the-Confidence-to-Speak-in-Front-of-aClass

Don’t

forget to use the tools in your communications toolbox After the Presentation
 Don't

be over critical of yourself. You will always be harder on yourself than anyone be constructive - what is about your presentation you liked; write down the things you else will. didn't do well from watching your video (write in reflective diary)
 Do, however, ask yourself what you could do better for next time. Focus on the present and future, not the past.

Let’s Practice Building
Confidence
 Let’s

Get 4 people up here.
 Line up so that you can walk in parallel without hitting each other.
 The following exercise is useful to put yourself into a positive frame of mind.
 You can use it when you are about to meet an important person or face the public when giving a presentation, talk or an interview.

•Relax your body and distribute your weight equally on both your feet.
•“I am cool”
•“I am calm”
•“I am hot”
•“I am the best”

•Think of the above and repeat them to yourself in your mind for the duration of the exercise:



Shrug your shoulders back and walk confidently saying:.

•“I am cool”
•“I am calm”
•“I am hot”
•“I am the best”


Once you reach the other side of the room, turn back and walk several times back and forwards in the area while walking firmly with your head held high, shoulders held back, arms relaxed on your side and not in front of you and constantly repeating the above statements to yourself.

Mundane Passages
 Let’s

hear 10!!

Prizes!
 Let’s

vote for the best ones!

For Next Class
 Pick

a song that you feels tells a story.
 Come prepared to discuss in the next class