Understanding the Problem

• Lori Halverson-Wente, a speech professor, says that anxiety about public speaking is normal, and that it can give you both physical and mental symptoms. Sweating, dizziness, stammering and shaking are physical signs of anxiety; forgetfulness and lack of confidence are examples of mental symptoms. A better understanding of your own set of symptoms is necessary to manage the speech.
  
  Once you are aware of your own speech anxieties, you can begin to manage them, says Halverson-Wente. She suggests making a list of your personal speaking fears, then eliminating ones that are unlikely to occur. Recognizing the remaining anxieties and how you could overcome them--a microphone that doesn't work, for instance--will help you to prepare for your speech in a more confident manner.
  
  John Robert Columbo, who helps business executives prepare for speeches, says to remember that the mind and body have a natural inclination toward shyness, which can be a defense mechanism. Columbo stresses that even the most successful speakers have anxieties--they have just learned to manage them better. As an example, Columbo cites the great actor, Sir Laurence Olivier, who learned to deal with his considerable stage fright.
  
  

Preparation Techniques

• Once you acknowledge your own symptoms and fears about public speaking, you can move to preparation. Preparing your speech with note cards, knowing well your topic and your audience, and practicing your speech so that you are confident with the material and all techniques that will make you a more polished speaker. That confidence will in turn naturally relieve your stress--and therefore ease your anxiety symptoms.
  
  Halverson-Wente also suggest physical preparation as well. You should practice breathing easily and calmly, and remember not to ball your fists or clench your jaw. Staying slightly bent at the knees can also help to relieve physical stress.
  
  

Other Strategies

• Once you are giving your speech, stay focused on the topic, not yourself. The University of Tennessee Knoxville advises speakers to think of their speech as a way of sharing an idea, not a performance to be judged. UTK also suggests that you can channel your anxieties, especially nervous energy, into enthusiasm for your topic. Warming up your voice, taking a walk before the speech, and avoiding too much caffeine are all strategies that Halverson-Wente says can help you to relax.