Your Brain Isn’t Broken - It’s Doing Its Job ... maybe a bit too well
You stand up to speak. You’re ready. You’ve rehearsed. But your mouth goes dry, your heart pounds, and your mind starts chanting “don’t mess it up” on a loop. You open your mouth to speak and your brain empties of all thought.
This is way more common than you think.
Welcome to public speaking anxiety. It's the most common fear on the planet, statistically even higher than fear of death. Yes, apparently we’d rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.
But what’s really going on when your body reacts like you’re facing a sabre-toothed tiger rather than a group of friendly colleagues or party guests?
Let’s find out why this happens.
The Fight-or-Flight Hijack
Your brain is wired to protect you. When it senses danger—physical or emotional—it activates the sympathetic nervous system. That’s the bit responsible for the “fight, flight, or freeze” response. In public speaking situations, it gets activated the same way it would if you were under threat.
The issue? Your brain can’t always tell the difference between:
- Real threat - Wild animal charging at you
- Perceived threat - A room full of people watching you speak.
Whether it's a real or perceived threat, your body floods with adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones. This causes:
- Racing heart - preparing to run or fight
- Dry mouth - digestion pauses to prioritise survival
- Sweaty palms - cooling you down for action
- Shaky voice - muscle tension from stress
- Blank mind - brain redirecting focus to survival, not memory recall
This reaction is really helpful in the jungle, but not so much in a boardroom.
Why it feels worse than it is
What feels like disaster - your hands shaking, weak knees, voice wobbling, or forgetting a word or even your name - often looks far less dramatic to your audience. But in that moment, your brain magnifies the danger and suppresses memory retrieval. That’s because under stress, the prefrontal cortex (your “thinking brain”) becomes less effective.
We think it’s a huge deal, but most of the time, the audience won’t even notice.
But when you’re in that moment, your brain magnifies every little thing. And that’s why public speaking makes us feel so vulnerable. It’s not just about the words—it’s about being seen, judged, exposed.
That’s why you can suddenly forget everything—even if you’ve practised many times and for many hours.
And that’s exactly why practice matters. It's almost like muscle memory, but that's another topic for another blog.
How toastmasters helps calm the brain (and build new pathways)
The good news is that it can all be managed. Here’s where the science meets the solution:
- Desensitisation through exposure
The more you do something, the less your brain perceives it as a threat. Toastmasters offers a controlled, supportive space where you can gently face the fear and rewire your response.
Every speech you give tells your brain: “See? We didn’t die. That wasn’t so bad.”
Do that enough times, and your brain learns: “This is familiar. I can handle this.” - Safe environment = calmer nervous system
At Miranda Toastmasters, no one is judging you. Everyone is there to learn and to support each other. This sense of psychological safety reduces cortisol levels and helps your brain stay in ‘rest and digest’ mode instead of panic.
Your parasympathetic nervous system (the calming one) finally gets to do its job. - Structured feedback = real improvement
Each speech comes with positive and supportive evaluations.
You’re not guessing what worked—you’re told, kindly and constructively. This helps reduce uncertainty and boosts confidence.
As a bonus, you don't only learn from your evaluations. There are often key takeaways from the evaluations of others that you can apply to your future speeches.
Tricks to manage the fear physically
Even with loads of practice, nerves still happen, and that's OK. Even the professionals experience nerves, and that's good because it keeps you on your toes.
Here are a few science-backed tools to use in the moment:
- Box Breathing (4-4-4-4)
Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat.
This regulates your nervous system and slows your heart rate. (Mind Jump Monthly). - Power Posing
Stand tall with your feet firmly planted on the ground shoulder-width apart, and shoulders back, for two minutes before you speak. - Hydrate and Breathe
Dry mouth? Sip water slowly. Shallow breath? Breathe from your diaphragm (belly, not chest) to ground yourself. - Anchor With Eye Contact
Find a friendly face in the audience and talk to them like it’s a conversation. Then switch to another person. This humanises the room and settles your mind. - Be prepared
Be ready to be called to the stage. Collect your thoughts, your notes, whatever else you need to walk onto the speaking area with confidence.
What happens with time
When you start speaking regularly, something remarkable happens:
- You still get nervous—but it’s manageable.
- Your body still reacts—but you don’t freak out about it.
- Your confidence grows—not because you’re fearless, but because you’ve proven to yourself that fear doesn’t control you anymore.
And that’s powerful. Not just for speeches, but for all parts of your life.
Remember everyone starts somewhere
Here’s a secret - the most polished speakers at Toastmasters were once a bundle of nerves. Even professional speakers were nervous at the start - they weren't born great speakers. Shaky hands. Rushed words. Voices that cracked and stumbled over words. Everything we all fear.
What changed?
They kept showing up.
You don’t need to be fearless to speak. You just need to be brave enough to try. Toastmasters gives you a place to practise, get better, and find out that the terrifying beast of public speaking is actually just a kitten in disguise.
Ready to calm the chaos and build real speaking confidence?
Join us at Miranda Toastmasters. We’ll help you turn that fear into focus—and maybe even a little fun.
Guests always welcome - Join us at a meeting
Read our blogs and see the latest news.
Find out more at www.miranda-toastmasters.org.au.
Reference List
Healthline - Fight, Flight, or Freeze: How We Respond to Threats
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/fight-flight-freeze
Speech Fright Solution - Speech Fright Science: What Happens in the Brain?
https://speechfrightsolution.com/stage-fright-science-what-happens-in-the-brain/
Cliff Dumas - What Happens to Your Brain During Public Speaking
https://cliffdumas.com/what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-do-public-speaking-or-presentations
National Social Anxiety Center - Public Speaking and Fear of Brain Freezes
https://nationalsocialanxietycenter.com/2017/02/20/public-speaking-and-fear-of-brain-freezes
Verywell Health - Glossophobia – The Fear of Public Speaking
https://www.verywellhealth.com/glossophobia-the-fear-of-public-speaking-5210101
Mind Jump Monthly - How Neuroscience Helps Calm Speaking Nerves
https://www.mindjumpmonthly.com/how-neuroscience-helps-calm-speaking-nerves-and-build-confidence