The Secret to Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety (That No One Talks About)
Anxiety Isn’t the Problem - Your Story About It Is
When most people feel anxious about public speaking, they think the problem is the anxiety itself: the racing heart, the tight chest, the shaky hands. These physical sensations feel uncomfortable, but they aren’t the real issue. The real problem lies in the story your mind builds around those sensations:
“This is going to go badly.”
“I can’t handle this.”
“Everyone will see that I’m nervous.”
“I shouldn’t be feeling anxious.”
It’s the story that transforms a natural burst of energy into overwhelming panic. The key to handling anxiety isn’t trying to eliminate it—it’s dropping the story and simply focusing on the body.
Can You Accept Whatever Is Happening in Your Body Right Now?
Instead of trying to stop the anxiety, ask yourself:
“Can I unconditionally accept whatever is going on in my body right now?”
Your mind will resist. It’ll want to fix the feeling and make it go away. It might even tell you, “I shouldn’t be feeling anxious,” or “I need to calm down now!” But what if you didn’t try to change anything? What if you simply let yourself feel the sensations in your body without judgment?
It’s in this moment of acceptance that you’ll realise something powerful:
You can handle it.
The Feelings Just Want to Complete Their Cycle
The physical sensations of anxiety are not a threat - they’re a natural response that your body uses to prepare you for action. The issue comes when we try to stop those sensations or label them as something negative. Anxiety is simply a wave of feeling that needs to be allowed to rise, peak, and fall naturally.
If you allow the feeling to complete its cycle, anxiety will pass faster. If you resist it, that energy gets stuck, and it intensifies.
How to Let Anxiety Move Through You
Notice the Raw Sensations – Pay attention to your body without attaching any thoughts to the feeling. Your heart is racing, your hands are trembling—just feel.
Let the Energy Flow – Don’t try to stop it. If your hands are shaking, let them. If your chest feels tight, notice it. You don’t need to change it.
Drop the Resistance – Instead of thinking, “I need this feeling to go away” or “I shouldn’t be feeling anxious,” try saying, “I can handle this. This is just energy moving through me.”
Watch It Shift – When you stop fighting anxiety, it will peak and naturally start to dissipate. The more you allow it, the quicker it passes.
Shifting from Fear to Readiness
The truth is, the physical sensations of fear and excitement are the same - it’s just your mind that labels one as bad and the other as good. By letting go of the negative story, what’s left is the energy you need to perform.
Great speakers don’t stop feeling nervous. What they’ve learned is that anxiety is just energy waiting to be used - energy that can fuel focus, presence, and engagement.
The Takeaway
You don’t have to fight anxiety, fix it, or make it go away. You just have to:
✅ Accept it.
✅ Let it move through you.
✅ Drop the mental story.
✅ Trust that you can handle it.
The next time you feel anxious before speaking, try this: Instead of resisting it, allow it. Feel the energy. Trust that you can handle whatever is happening in your body right now.
When you do this, anxiety isn’t your enemy - it’s just raw energy that can transform into presence and impact.
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