What Happens in Stage Fright and Fear of Public Speaking

Posted on February 24, 2008March 6, 2015 by Sandra Zimmer

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.

What Causes Stage Fright and Fear of Public Speaking?

Posted on February 23, 2008March 6, 2015 by Sandra Zimmer

Stage fright and fear of speaking in public are triggered by two things – expectation of perfection and fear of judgment. We are expecting ourselves to be perfect (and we know we can’t be) so we think we are not good because we aren’t perfect. We are also afraid that otfers will judge us harshly as not good enough. Either way there is an element of not good enough involved in stage fright and fear of public speaking.

In reality, fear of speaking in front of others is simply high intensity emotion or passion-energy that is trying to flow through the body when we become the center of attention. It is not a sign that you are a bad speaker or presenter. Rather it is a sign that you have a ton of creative emotional energy you just don’t know how to express yet. When you can get the blocked energy to flow through your body and out towards others, then you can transform the tension and anxiety into a presence that is palpable and into passionate expression.

In my next post, I will explain what happens inside your body when you are gripped in stage fright or fear of speaking. You may find it helpful to understand the inner dynamics of this issue. Once you understand what is happening inside, you can start to release the physical sensations and unlock the emotional energy, allowing yourself to melt into a flow state that both feels good and compels others to pay attention.

A New Understanding about Stage Fright & Fear of Public Speaking

Posted on February 22, 2008March 6, 2015 by Sandra Zimmer

Those of us who have the most stage fright and fear of speaking in public have the potential to be among the most compelling and impacting speakers, communicators and performers of all! That is because we have the feelings. Our feelings are up to the surface where they can be used to create a genuine emotional connection with listeners.
— Sandra Zimmer

Hello World! I am Sandra Zimmer. I want to introduce myself and my blog “Speaking Freely” to you.

The focus of this blog is something that effects millions of smart, sensitive and talented people – that is fear of public speaking, stage fright, performance anxiety and withholding of ideas in groups.

If you are one of these people, my message to you is that there is nothing wrong with you! The fact that you feel such intensity in front of others is a sign that there is something very right with you! You are sensitive. You have a great degree of emotional intensity and spiritual juice that can be tapped and used to create genuine emotional and spiritual connection with others. Stage fright or fear of speaking in public is a signal that you have gifts, insights, awareness and talents that you are not yet giving fully to the world. It is a call from your soul to open more fully to sharing yourself with the world. It offers a doorway to transformation.

You already know this about yourself! You know you have much more to give than you have been allowing yourself to share. You may be afraid you don’t have much to give, but the opposite is true. You are often the one who knows more, senses more, has more awareness and more depth. Right?

What I intend to do with this blog is to introduce some new thinking and a new approach to transforming stage fright and fear of public speaking. If you are a person who is “suffering” from this issue, a leader who is sidestepping speaking opportunities to impact your company, a business communicator who is bumping up against a glass ceiling because you have to speak and can’t, a performer with talents you are holding back, a coach who is supporting speakers and presenters or a therapist who is counseling those with social anxiety, then I invite you to check my posts. Ask me questions, challenge me and dialogue with me to help heal this issue and to free us all to express who we are so we can share our own ideas, insights and expertise to make a difference in the world.

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