So I was speaking to a commitee at the university about my exam results. It was an informal sort of chat, there was no shit hitting the fan and I was in no way nervous. Even so I did what I always do speaking to a large group of people, my neck muscles went all funny and refused to support my head properly. I sat speaking to everyone with my neck shaking away, head threatening to drop straight down onto my chest. No matter what it is, where I am or who I’m talking to, no matter how well rehearsed the speech or how calm I am I always do this.
So anyone else got any odd mannerisms that only emerge when giving a speech, presentation etc?
I don’t want to sound odd or gross, but I think that is an age old mating instinct creeping up on you. IMHO there is nothing you can do to constrain it. I think once you come to terms with it you will be just fine.
Maybe that is only when you are standing still, like at a podium(which I suspect you were, being an amature speaker, I would not be surprised if you did “hug” the podium.) I find that the more a speaker feels comfortable, the more in their “feet” they will feel, they will walk around the room, gesticulate, and even show their teeth once in a while.
Public speaking classes are awesome. Most of the tv evangelists you see have been to at least one.
Nearly the same thing happened to me just the other day. In math class, I was the only one who got the right answer to a particular long division problem, so the instructor had me put it on the board. I took my sheet of paper to the front, grasped firmly in my left hand, and began chalking the problem on the board with my right hand. Suddenly my eyes wouldn’t focus. The page was swimming with numbers and variables. I couldn’t tell a + from a -, so my signs went all squirrely. I could no longer multiply in my head. Hell, I couldn’t even subtract in my head. By the time I got to the answer, I was a wreck - sweating, shaking slightly, heart pounding. I had nearly driven my fingers completely through the paper, I was clutching it so tightly.
Whence the stress? Who knows - and all for one bonus point.
I’d say it’s pretty standard performance anxiety, which is alleviated by 1) advance notice, and 2) practice, practice, practice. As you become more used to talking to groups of people, your head will become more firmly attached to your neck most times. Know and believe what you’re saying, be confident, learn the tricks of engaging the audience, and it’s all good. And don’t forget to practice ahead of time.
I start to lisp. I don’t know why but whenever I speak to a group of people or just someone in authority (like during a review at work) I start doing it.
When I get *really * nervous, I develop a serious southern drawl. We’re talking backwoods Georgia here, and I’m a California boy. Apparantly it’s fooled more than a few good 'ol boys. I’ve no idea where it comes from.
I used to get shakes in my leg. Big time.
And my stomach would growl even if I’d just eaten.
I’m a lot more relaxed now, although I only ever do speeches in front of groups of people I know well.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
I used to be a volunteer tour guide at my city’s living history museum. I would have to give tours to 20+ groups a day. Tours would consist of any amount of people - from two to thirty. No matter how many people, though, I would always get very hot and my head would start to hurt. I would mess up the easiest of words, and all of the inflection (is that the right word?) would go out of my voice.
The only reason I gave tours there was to improve my public speaking skills. I must say that it has.
I become breathless and flushed. I sound like I’ve just jogged around the neighborhood or done that other thing that makes one all breathless and flushed.
Abby
Yep, been there. It’s something that feeds on itself. You feel a little nervous and your voice sounds funny. You start worrying that the audience has noticed, so you get a little more nervous, and your hand starts to shake. Now you’re wondering if the audience has noticed that, and on and on…
I finally got so fed up with my public speaking nervousness that I asked my doctor for a prescription for beta-blockers (Propranolol). This drug doesn’t keep you from being nervous, it just keeps the symptoms under control.
For me, once I got through a few public speaking episodes without my nervousness showing, I got my confidence back, and I don’t really need the Propranolol that much anymore.
Bill Norton
Austin, TX
I get really flushed and hot. Whichj other people notice and tease me about so it just gets worse. And even though I’m a native Californian, been here my entire life, if doing any type of formal presentation I end up with a slightly Britsh accent, drives my friends up the wall but I can’t help it.
Kitty
I spend all of every working day speaking to groups of people. During the day, 10 and 11 year olds (I teach 5th grade), and one evening a week and in the summer adults ranging from 18-60 (childrens lit at the local university). Except the first day of class, I never get nervous before class.
But put me before a group of my peers to give a presentation and it’s death grip on the lectern time. I was so nervous when I defended my doctoral thesis, which I knew by heart and had no doubt would pass, that I literally had to go use the restroom in the middle of my defense or risk peeing my pants.