The physical responses to adrenaline are fairly consistent and predictable
and include sweating, increased heartbeat, shallow rapid breathing, muscle
tension, shaking, upset stomach, tunnel vision, and loss of fine muscle
control.
Adrenaline produces mental changes as well. Your sense of time changes.
Most people experience a “slowing down” of time while some experience
“time speeding up.” Worst of all for speakers, adrenaline causes your higher
brain activities to slow. Brain activity shifts to the more primitive and
emotional sections of the brain. This is why you can speak perfectly well to
one person but struggle terribly when speaking in front of a group. Your
brain is not working as well.
Clearly the great challenge with public speaking is overcoming these fear
reactions.
Psychology Is Eighty Percent Of Success
I could hear the crowd of three thousand in the room next door. Loud rock
music echoed through the venue. A buzz of energy grew as the event
organizer began my introduction.
Backstage, my excitement built. I jumped, shouted and smiled. I yelled to
myself, “I am here to contribute! I will give all my energy and ability to
help this audience today! I’m ready to rock! Yes! Yes! Yes!”
I walked to the door and peeked through it to view the audience. They
were standing on their feet, applauding. And then they began to chant my
name. “A.J. Hoge! A.J. Hoge! A.J. Hoge!” A surge of energy went through
my body. I jumped and then ran onto the stage. The audience continued to
shout my name.
As I stood facing that audience of three thousand people, I felt no fear.
My breathing was deep, my body relaxed. In place of fear, I felt tremendous
enthusiasm. In place of nervousness, I felt eagerness instead.
My experience of public speaking has totally transformed. Before a big
speech, I now feel powerful — an incredible mix of confidence, excitement,
