Page 96 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 3 Managing Speech Anxiety 63

evidence at all, we say negative things about ourselves, including that we’re stu-
pid and hopeless when it comes to speaking.
Not only students but people in all walks of life tell themselves they are poor
speakers. Many of them do so despite the fact that they have never received any
training in public speaking and have had few if any opportunities to speak in
public. Their lack of skill doesn’t justify their self-criticism.

Self-Pressuring
We also bring undue and added pressure on ourselves through our self-talk,
never once thinking about whether such added pressure will help us to perform
better. We tell ourselves, for example, that we must be “the best speaker in the
class” without fi rst considering why. As it is, all students invariably experience
moderate pressure and arousal when speaking publicly. Moderate pressure can
help them reach the optimal level of arousal needed to deliver their speeches ef-
fectively. If they feel no pressure at all, they will lack the motivation to properly
prepare and practice. However, telling themselves that they must be the best
speaker in class, or that their speech has to be perfect, can add unnecessary and
harmful pressure with which they will be unable to cope. Such added pressure,
in fact, is like throwing fuel on a raging fi re!

Catastrophizing
We often blow things out of proportion when talking to ourselves. We project
that the consequences of our actions are likely to be far more drastic than is real-
istic. Anxious public speakers can be guilty of the same thing. For example, they
may tell themselves that an upcoming speech is the worst assignment they have
ever had. Or they may convince themselves that the low grade they are bound
to receive will keep them out of graduate school.
As is the case with unrealistic goals, this kind of self-talk increases arousal
and speech anxiety. The more negative our self-talk about the ultimate outcome
of our speeches, the more probable it is that we will exceed our optimal levels of
arousal.

Focusing on Grades

Public speaking is both a process and an outcome. The process involves prepa-
ration and practice. Both are essential to a successful outcome such as a good
grade. You cannot have one without the other.
Many students, however, worry excessively about the grade they will receive
for their speech. Instead of focusing on the process, they obsess on the outcome
and make themselves anxious. As a result, they neither prepare nor practice
to the extent that they should, become even more anxious as the date of their
speech approaches, and receive a poor grade.
We’re not so naïve to believe that you can avoid thinking about the grade
you will receive on a speech. We just want to make sure that you do not think
about your grade so much that it gets in the way of the preparation and practice
necessary for a good grade. As legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers Vince
Lombardi once said, “the team that blocks and tackles the best wins.”