Speaking Up Without Freaking Out Informative Speech
Good morning, everyone. Have you ever known exactly what you wanted to say, but the moment
you had to say it in front of other people, your heart started racing and your mind suddenly went
blank? Maybe you were answering a question in class, speaking in a meeting, giving a presentation,
or introducing yourself to a group. The words were there a moment ago, and then anxiety seemed to
take them away.
Speaking anxiety is common, and it can affect people who are otherwise knowledgeable, prepared,
and comfortable in everyday conversations. Communication educator Matt Abrahams explores this
problem in his TEDxPaloAlto talk, “Speaking Up Without Freaking Out.” His central idea is not that
we must eliminate nervousness before we speak. Instead, we can learn to manage that
nervousness so it does not prevent us from communicating our ideas.
When we become anxious about speaking, the body can react as though we are facing a threat. Our
heart rate may increase, our breathing may change, our muscles may tense, and our attention can
become focused on ourselves. We may start thinking about how we look, whether people are
judging us, or whether we will make a mistake. These reactions can make speaking feel much
harder than it actually is.
One reason communication anxiety can be so powerful is that speaking in front of others combines
several kinds of pressure. We are expected to organize our thoughts, choose words quickly, use an
appropriate voice, read the audience, and remember what we intended to say. At the same time, we
may be evaluating our own performance. The result can be a cycle in which worrying about speaking
makes speaking more difficult, which creates even more worry.
The good news is that confidence does not have to mean feeling completely calm. A speaker can
feel nervous and still communicate effectively. In fact, trying desperately to eliminate every sign of
anxiety can sometimes make us pay even more attention to our nervousness. A more useful goal is
to recognize the feeling, accept that some anxiety is normal, and continue with the task of
communicating.
Preparation is one important part of that process, but preparation does not mean memorizing every
sentence. Memorizing a speech word for word can create another problem: if one sentence is
forgotten, the speaker may feel lost. Instead, it can be more useful to understand the main message,
organize a few key points, and practice the ideas in a natural sequence. This gives the speaker
structure without making every word dependent on memory.
Another helpful approach is to shift attention away from ourselves and toward the audience. Anxiety
often encourages questions such as, “Do I look nervous?” or “What if they think I am boring?” A
speaker can replace those questions with a more useful one: “What does this audience need from
me?” That change turns communication from a performance that must be judged into a message
