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Everyone knows that feeling of tension at the thought of speaking in front of a group. But for some, it’s even paralyzing, clearly triggering the so-called fight, flight, or freeze mechanism. Why does this happen? And what can you do about it?
When you have a fear of public speaking, the stress hormone adrenaline is released. This hormone makes your heart beat faster, your muscles tense, and your breathing speed up. This is our natural system for fighting, fleeing, or freezing.
This automatic stress response dates back to when we needed to avoid threats like predators. Although it’s hard to imagine now, our body still reacts to stress as if danger is near.
Three Responses
There are different ways we, as humans, deal with this: fighting, fleeing, or freezing. In the fight response, some people try to “overcome” their fear of public speaking by pushing through it quickly and assertively. This may lead to talking faster or hearing tension in your voice, making it difficult to effectively communicate what you want to say.
The flight response often shows up as avoidance behavior. Perhaps you decide last-minute to shorten your presentation or feel the urge to escape the moment, fearing mistakes or judgment. Although fleeing can relieve stress in the short term, it often only strengthens the fear in the long run.
When you freeze, it’s as if your brain stops functioning. You might get a blackout, forget what you wanted to say, or keep repeating the same phrase. This response can be extra frustrating, as it feels like you’ve lost complete control.
Acknowledgment
So, how can you deal with this? Recognizing these stress responses can help you gain more control over your fear of public speaking.
If you tend to fight, try incorporating pauses during your presentation: take a deep breath, and take a few seconds to organize your thoughts. These moments of calm prevent you from rushing and help you maintain control over your story.
If you’re more of a “flee-er,” start small: practice your story in a safe, familiar environment, for example, by telling it to yourself or in front of a mirror. Gradually build up by practicing with a small group, such as friends or family. This helps you get used to speaking without feeling immediately overwhelmed, teaching your brain that it’s safe.
If you freeze during a presentation, breathing exercises are a powerful technique to calm yourself down. Try the four-count breath: breathe in deeply for four counts, hold for four counts, breathe out slowly for four counts, and wait four counts before breathing in again. This calms your heart rate and breathing, sending your brain the signal that there’s no immediate danger.
Relaxing
Positive visualization can help reduce the fight, flight, or freeze response in all three cases. Imagine yourself standing relaxed in front of an audience, calmly sharing your message. By repeating this image regularly, your brain gets used to the idea that speaking isn’t threatening, and the automatic stress response will weaken over time.
These techniques are simple but can help you gain more control over your fear of public speaking. By applying them, you teach your body and mind that speaking is not a threat, and you can build confidence step by step.
Would you like some help with this? Feel free to reach out.
