Managing vs. Masking Anxiety
Some of us may be tempted to take a beta blocker, a shot of booze, or a gummy to help with public speaking anxiety. Before we do, please consider the audience and the right they have to a great talk. The drug may dampen our own anxiety, but it may also dampen our performance. There are certainly other ways to manage our anxiety that do not hurt our delivery.
I work from the premise that when a reaction is caused by a thought, it can be managed by an action.
I worked for several months with a brave soul who had taken a strong stand against the unethical practices of the company for which he had worked. His talk preparation progressed beautifully until a few days before when he showed up to rehearse. His words seemed labored and leaden; his speech was strangely soporific, with unexplained pauses between words. I thought that he was just struggling to remember his text. Or that he was really stoned.
At the end of this odd session, he told me how happy he was with the results. Even as he conversed with me, the sensation of plodding time remained. He smiled a sleepy smile and admitted that the key to his sudden “ease of speaking” was the beta blockers his doctor had prescribed.
Unfortunately, I could not convince him to forego the medication and risk being truly present. His talk, which in my mind should have received a standing ovation, was so slow that we had to edit out the pauses in the video.
What can we do to manage our anxiety instead of masking our anxiety?
The more we prepare, the less anxious we are. Full stop. That’s why I like the term, “Extreme Preparation.”
Preparation includes everything from what to say, what to wear, who is the audience, what kind of mic, walking the space, practicing again and again and again…
A client with Tourette’s Syndrome found that anxiety exacerbated her physical symptoms and came to me for help in preparation for a public speaking engagement—something she dreaded. Having a powerful intention calmed her symptoms and gave her courage. That clarity of purpose overrode any anxiety and her body was calm.
As a therapist I have worked with people with panic disorder who were able to stop taking anti-anxiety medications simply through the practice of mindful breathing. Panic shows up in many physical and psychological realms: shallow breathing, fast heart-rate, tight muscles, and terrifying thoughts. Mindful breathing addresses all of these realms: our breathing deepens into the belly, our heartrate slows as we extend the exhale, the muscles relax as oxygen flows into them, and our mind focuses on the breath rather than on our rising panic. It takes a short daily practice to create the habit of mindful breathing so that when we get the first signs of panic, we naturally deepen the breath. The biggest hurdle is trying this the first time and seeing that it works. After that, we remember the relief and have trust in the process.
I implore you to be courageous, to prepare, breathe, and remember your purpose! Your message is too precious to dampen.