Fight or flight response in public speaking

Fight or flight?

When you step up to give a speech your body is prepping you for action  - a flight or fight response.

I consult with sporting teams and defence institutions on how to best manage the body's response to stressful situations.

There are three main chemical reactions going on.  The chemicals involved with nerves are

• testosterone
• cortisol
• oxytocin

Under stress, the balance of these chemicals in the body change. Four practical and specific things you can do as a speaker to make your speaking nerves work for you are:

1. First, the vagus nerve controls important functions such as heart rate, gastrointestinal peristalsis (central to butterflies), and vocal cord control.  You can stimulate the vagus nerve by holding your breath, washing your face with cold water, deliberately tensing stomach muscles, or a hearty fistpump to the breastbone ('three whacks to the chest').
2. Second, although cortisol decreases testosterone, increasing testosterone will decrease cortisol and so increase your flight or fight response and your nerves. Power poses are useful here - for example, stand like Wonder Woman as discussed by Amy Cuddy of Harvard Business School in her Ted Talk.
   
    
3. Third, 'there's an app for that'. You can use breathing and relaxation apps such as MyCalmBeat to help you with 'resonant breathing'. There's even a 'Spire' (http://spire.io) available at the Apple shop - a Fitbit-like device that will give you bio-feedback - it vibrates if your breathing is shallow.
4. Releasing oxytocin into your system will help reduce your nerves. Oxytocin is released as you feel part of a group, or are bonding with friends or loved ones, and is released as a result of skin contact. Oytocin makes you more alert and empathetic to your audience's reactions and emotions, and so your speech will be that much better. 

Enjoy your speaking.

PhD candidate Jemma King of the University of Queensland