FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT. MY PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTION TO FEAR

 Regardless of its reason, our Stage Fright symptoms are caused by reactions of our body on stress, which is similar to its response on life-threatening situations. This is why this Stage Fright syndrome is vital for our physiological survival.

Each of us (to a greater or lesser extent) feels stressed before an important speech to be given in public. However, the Stage Fright symptoms may differ from one to another person.

In this post I’m going to share my physiological reactions to Fear of Public Speaking.

Just before speaking up to the public I feel how my muscles contract throughout my body, they begin to tremble. I have a pulling feeling in my neck and my body feels like stone.

My blood vessels in the extremities constrict, I have a sensation of cold hands and feet. But inside of me everything is burning, also because my blood pressure elevates. Heat builds up in my chest, back and head. My palms are sweat and sticky, so that when I take a paper with the text it turns wet, the printer’s tint melts. I have a feeling of numbness, but push myself to speak or whisper some parts of the speech.

I get shortened of breath. It becomes rapid. The circulation of large volume of air in and out makes it hard for me to speak normally.

The most annoying is the sensation of “lump” or “butterflies” in my stomach which results from the digestive system’s shutting down.

In the situation of stress or life threat or body needs the complete information about the environment, sacrificing short distant focus for a clear view of the horizon. I experienced that feeling at my every speech given in public. I would always look somewhere far, not even focusing at a specific point in the distance. But at the same time, when I am confident enough I manage to establish eye-contact and monitor the listeners’ emotions.

And as my brain frequency increases, I realize I speak much faster than I thought and was supposed to.

So now I have a clear understanding of the processes that occur when I face the Fear of Public Speaking.

I believe that it is only experience that can help ease those symptoms and overcome the Stage Fright.