Let me describe what happens in performance anxiety, fear of speaking in public and in stage fright. Perhaps you will recognize some of this from your own experience. As human beings, we have a very sensitive central nervous system, especially along the spinal column where we have several energy centers where nerves bundle together to create nerve ganglia. When we become the center of attention, powerful sensations and feelings get stirred in the Central Nervous System. The body is flooded with feelings, sensation and emotional intensity that can feel uncomfortable, maybe even out of control. We who have stage fright do not know how to contain and express that much emotional energy or passion. It often overwhelms us. It seems so out of control that we turn it against ourselves and shut ourselves down. To shut down the intensity, we shift energy and attention into our heads so we can avoid the bodily-felt sensations that are so uncomfortable. We literally “go into our heads”. From the neck down, we tighten the body in order to freeze the flow of feelings. If the body gets tight enough, it will start to shake to try to re-establish flow of life force into the body parts that are too tense. When this “going into the head” happens, there is an inner split of attention. The inner split is caused because the mind is judging the body and feelings as bad and wrong. The mind wants to stay in control and look perfect, so the mental part of our human nature withdraws from the physical and emotional aspects. We feel split off from ourselves. In the split, we are no longer whole and integrated. This creates a kind of out of body experience. We sort of leave the body - in the sense that our attention can’t stay present in the body below the neck. We feel spacey, ungrounded, not present. In this dis-integrated state, we can’t think clearly. We can’t be effective. There is so much static inside our bodies that it distracts us from thinking clearly and from delivering the message, singing the song or sharing our ideas. That is it. That is what happens in stage fright, fear of public speaking and performance anxiety. In an upcoming post, I will discuss the antidote to stage fright.
Here’s a personal story that will give comfort to anyone who experiences stage fright or fear of public speaking.
Some years ago, I was asked to be master of ceremonies at a dinner in which legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry was to give the keynote address. It was a fairly small gathering of about 300 people at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.
Landry is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he played and coached in some of the biggest games in the history of the NFL. Not only that, but as a 20-year-old bomber pilot during World War II, but he flew missions over Germany. He had been shot at. Now that can scare you!
As he delivered his speech, I was privileged to sit directly next to the podium.
What I saw really surprised me.
Tom Landry was speaking to an audience that admired and probably even idolized him. There was no reason to be nervous in the least. In their eyes, he could do no wrong.
Yet, from my seat less than three feet away, I could see Tom Landry palms sweating and his hands trembling as he read from a stack of index cards containing his notes. He was literally shaking.
Like millions of other people, it seems Tom Landry was not immune to stage fright, or halophobia.
After the dinner ended, I got up some courage and approached him. “Coach,” I said, “would you mind if I asked you a question about your speech?”
“That’s fine,” he replied.
“Do you get nervous when you have to make a speech.”
Landry smiled. “Almost every time,” he replied
“How do you overcome it” I asked.
His response was memorable.
“I remind myself of what I often told my players,” he said. “Walk through your fear with faith. And you never let the fear of failure become the cause of failure.”
That’s certainly great advice from a great man for anyone who has to deal with a fear of public speaking.
And by the way, next time you get a little nervous because you have to make a speech, remind yourself that if someone like Tom Landry can get stage fright, or halophobia, the rest of us certainly shouldn’t be ashamed if we do too.
Thank you George for your story about Tom Landry! It is a great example to illustrate that stage fright is not about lack of excellence. Most people who experience stage fright are highly sensitive and full of passion they just don’t know how to express in front of others. Barbra Streisand is another example of a brilliant person who has had difficulty expressing in front of groups. It is helpful to learn that stage fright is not a symptom of something wrong with you, but a sign of something very right with you - you are sensitive and have deep emotions that can be used to give your gifts to the world. Your task is to learn to feel in front of others so you can share your gifts to make a difference.
Thank you Sandra for your informative article. It’s good to know that even famous people can get stage fright. I love Tom Landry’s comment “Walk through your fear with faith. And you never let the fear of failure become the cause of failure.” and your comment about the task is for each of us to learn to feel in front of others so you can share your gifts to make a difference. I thank you again, I will use these in my future speaking.
Hi Sandra, I got the link to your site from Ter Scott at http://instantpublicspeaker.blogspot.com/
Your article is very informative. I think nearly everyone, at one point or another in their life has had a time where they were afraid to speak in public. When reading this, I found myself nodding and remembering having these feelings when speaking in public. Your article really did capture what happens when we have a fear of public speaking. Thank you for your this very helpful article. I will use it in the future.
This article was really helpful. I always wondered why when I speak publicly my knee starts to jump around. It always shakes uncontrollably. I always thought there was something wrong with me, because I would get so nervous. I also have problems with pronouncing my words correctly. I know what I want to say in my head, but when I speak I feel like I am stuttering. My face always turns beat red, and my facial expressions show I’m not comfortable. I see what you mean about the outter body experience. It explains it perfectly. I am so glad to hear it’s the way your body reacts. How can you overcome those sensations through the body?
Hi Sandra, I found your article very informative. It’s interesting to read about how stage fright actually develops in our bodies through the central nervous system.
Hi Sandra,
Ter sent me to your blog site. I can understand your article on stage fright, I think I have felt almost all of those feelings myself, sweaty palms, knees, shaking and a very shaky voice. It is nice to know that I’m not the only one that feels that way, and I continue to work on overcoming those feelings. Diane B.from Ter’s Oral Communications Summer Class
i can understand those feelings, i felt them every time i was going to say something in public or just something to un-known people…but what is the antidote?…i think this specific fear, of talking in front of others, has to do with self-confidence, meaning that if you are not slef-confident enough and thinking about the other’s judjements, you cannot speak..and the worst thing is to feel so complicated and to hate yourself afterwards….what is your opinion about the fact that because of anxiety someone cannot speak?..words are stucked to throat, if you understant what i’m saying.. thank you for this informative article!!