Page 28 - The EDGE Summer 2024

PUBLIC SPEAKING

BY LARI STAPLES
Presenting When You Are Too Nervous to Present

Lari Staples

Many of us are called upon to share information Where does this fear come from? Psychologists
through public speaking. Whether it is training believe it stems from the fear of failure or being
co-workers on processes or presenting information judged. Many people with glossophobia are
to the Governing Board, public speaking can cause perfectionists and feel like they’ve failed if a
an uncomfortable anxiety called “glossophobia.” presentation doesn’t go perfectly. Some may have
traumatic past experiences tied to speaking in front
Glossophobia is the medical term for the fear of a crowd. And there’s a widely accepted theory
of public speaking and affects an estimated called the Caveman Theory that helps to explain
75% of the population. Although this phobia why a seemingly innocent crowd is transformed
is widespread, it is rarely talked about in the by your brain into a bunch of hungry predators.
workplace. A successful employee is expected to In pre-history, any time you were found standing
rise to the challenge and master the complex art alone, with no place to hide, without a weapon, in
of public speaking with very little to no training. front of a large crowd of creatures staring at you,
And unfortunately, nervousness can be seen as a odds were you were about to be attacked and eaten
sign of weakness, of low self-confidence, or of alive. That sounds exactly like the situation you
ineptness. Let’s shed some light on this topic and find yourself in for a speech!
reduce the stigma.
Our brains adapted to avoid this type of situation
Glossophobia is an intense and irrational phobia with a survival mechanism called the Amygdala
that causes strong fears that are out of proportion Hi-Jack. When sensory information enters your
to the experience. People with glossophobia can brain, it is routed by the thalamus to the appropriate
have a range of fear responses – from butterflies, part of the brain for processing. Usually, it routes to
to extreme self-consciousness, to full-blown panic the prefrontal cortex, your learning and reasoning
attacks. The physical responses can include a shaky center. But in a situation where your brain perceives
voice, dry mouth, trembling, sweating, brain fog, danger, the information is routed to the amygdala,
light-headedness, pounding heart, breathlessness, which is responsible for recognizing threats. The
nausea, and an overwhelming urge to leave the amygdala alerts the hypothalamus to signal for
situation. the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline gives you
a sudden burst of energy. It increases your blood
"Did you know that your body pressure and causes your heart to pound. It causes

has the same physical response to your body temperature to rise which signals your
body to begin sweating. You breathe faster to bring
rollercoasters as it does to public in more oxygen, but breathing too fast can make
speaking?" you lightheaded. Your muscles tighten, which

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28 THE EDGE SUMMER 2024