Overcoming Anxiety: Tips for Public Speaking and Classroom Participation (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: When we feel nervous or anxious, often our instinct is to try to suppress or push down that difficult feeling, and this tends to make the feeling more intense. I'm Sam Snowden, and this is Ask a Teacher.

Speaker 2: During the pandemic and online school, my anxiety has really worsened. I find it really difficult to participate in class, and the worst is when the teacher calls on me to read something in front of the class. My voice starts to shake, and I can't breathe. Do you have any tips on how I can overcome this?

Speaker 1: Thank you for bringing up such a great question. And I first want to just acknowledge that you're not alone. So many people struggle with this, and struggle with the anxiety that they feel before speaking publicly. I even struggle with this, even now, after delivering many speeches hundreds of times. Another thing that's really helpful is saying to yourself, I'm nervous because I care. Imagine the opposite. If you didn't care, it would mean that relationships didn't matter much to you, and doing your best and wanting to connect with your classmates didn't matter much either. Our social ties are important to us, and all of this gives meaning to our life. Research has shown that just remembering that sometimes stress happens because we care helps our bodies to use the energy we feel to better focus and respond. It's also helpful to call out our nervousness. This lets everyone know that you know how you're feeling, and that dissolves any awkwardness about it. So next time you're about to read or present in front of the class, just remind yourself that you're not alone, and that everyone gets nervous sometimes. So then you can take a few rounds of slow, deep breathing. So you breathe in for a count of three, you hold at the top of your inhale, and then exhale for a count of six, just pausing at the bottom of the exhale. And this will help you feel more relaxed and ready to present with more ease. When we feel nervous or anxious, often our instinct is to try to suppress or push down that difficult feeling, and this tends to make the feeling more intense. So instead, see if you can notice sensations in your body, like your heartbeat or temperature changes, and then see if you can find a spot in your body where it feels neutral or even comfortable. I like to bring my attention to my feet, shifting my weight side to side as I focus on the support of the ground under me. Slowing down on purpose by walking slowly and noticing sensations in your feet really helps to calm the anxiety. You can also move slowly in other ways by taking a stretch in slow motion or even slowly touching a surface nearby. And this helps to ground you in the present moment, which decreases worries about your presentation. It was great to connect with you over this question. I wish you a healthy and happy day and look forward to seeing you again here soon. Thank you.