Chapter 2 Summary

Most people have some degree of anxiety when they speak. It is important to recognize that not only is speech anxiety common, but there are a number of ways it can be managed. It is important to learn how to manage anxiety now because it can negatively affect your academic performance and managing speech anxiety effectively means specific preparation in advance. When you’re anxious, your fight-or-flight response is triggered, causing symptoms from dry mouth to excess sweat to rapid breathing. Sometimes this response leads to functional speech anxiety, where the fight-or-flight response is managed, but sometimes the fight-or-flight response prevents someone from speaking effectively, resulting in dysfunctional speech anxiety.

Dysfunctional speech anxiety is caused by self-defeating thoughts like catastrophic thinking, perfectionist thinking, the illusion of transparency, or the desire for complete approval; or from anxiety-provoking situations like the novelty of the speaking situation, conspicuousness, or the types of speeches. There are a number of strategies to manage your speech anxiety: the first is to prepare and practice so that you remove as much uncertainty as possible from the speaking situation. It is also important to understand the natural stages of speech anxiety, and to reframe a performance orientation with a communication orientation. Additionally, use positive coping statements and positive imaging to visualize your success. If the physiological symptoms of anxiety seem too overwhelming, focus on relaxation techniques and try systematic desensitization.