I think I need to sort of lean into some of my body’s natural habits. He said how he recognized that when he was nervous his voice was higher than usual, but instead of being embarassed he just adjusted the song accordingly. I thought that was pretty cool. I know that sometimes when I am nervous my voice will cut out randomly and it is usually pretty awkward for me, but he made me realize that I could just accept that it happens and adjust to when it does. I could treat the silence from my voice cutting out as a second to pause or get a sip of water.
I like how you discussed your body language and natural habits. I too think this is something to get more comfortable with. We need to be more accepting of how our bodies react when we get nervous, and how to maybe control some of those nerves. Some can be good nerves, some can be bad, but at the end of the day it is completely normal for everyone to experience these things.
Totally! Both of you are right on the money. It’s so easy to get caught up in the little things we do when we’re nervous, but we forget everyone else does them, too. It’s like whenever I’m laying in bed at night thinking about every embarrassing thing I have ever done, chronologically and in detail, I try to think about embarrassing things I’ve seen other people do, and quite frankly, I only ever think of 1-2 in the very recent past. It’s so easy to get caught up in the self and think everyone is criticizing you with the same lens you criticize yourself, but it’s just so not true. Everyone is far more focused on themself, just like I’m more focused on myself.
I agree! I think he really leaned into what he was feeling. He turned his stress into humor. This in return made him more comfortable and the audience more comfortable.
Hi Reese,
Great observation! Along those lines, I noticed when recording that I was using my hands to “talk” excessively. I was able to note that and try to inhibit them moving around for my final take-however, I never considered trying to take those natural inclinations and morphing them into something that would be more stylistic than nervous habits. I also agree with Beanie in that individually, we are so more focused on our perceived “faults” than others are, so we should not be so anxious about them.
When presenting or giving a speech, I often find my nerves getting the best of me at times. My heart starts beating faster and faster, and my hands begin to get really clammy or hot. Sometimes this takes away from my presentation and distracts me from what I am saying. I try to keep my cool, by taking a deep breath and slowing my words down. This helps me keep that focus and be sure to deliver my speech properly and finish strong. I liked how in the TED talk he addressed that he too gets nervous, but makes it seem so normal to everyone including his audience. He said, “the audience didn’t have to feel bad for me because I was nervous, they could experience that with me”, and I think that was a really good statement to help others know that it is okay to be nervous.
I also liked how he said that he didn’t want the audience to feel bad for him over something normal like being nervous. Also you said how sometimes your hands will get hot when you’re nervous, and my ears get red and how when I am nervous. But someone told me that I should embrace when my ears get hot because it means I am doing something that scares me, so I should be proud of it.
The same thing happens to me, my heart races, my hands sweat and my whole body gets really hot. I’ve always found this really annoying and I felt as though I was the only one this happened to since everyone else seemed fine. Even though they were probably just trying to convince themselves and everyone else that they were fine and not freaking out on the inside. I like how you take a deep breath and slow your words down. When I present, I have an issue with speaking really fast because the faster I speak the faster its over! I could use that advice for future presentations as well.
I usually feel the same way before presenting. I start feeling panicked which just ends up making my performance worse. Instead of trying to come off super confident, I think its a great idea to address what you’re honestly feeling before presenting, like Joe explained.
Joe Kowan did not get over his stage fright and stress until he expressed it through song. He was able to say what he felt aloud and that made him more comfortable. To reduce my stress and anxiety, maybe I should admit to myself that that’s what I feel and it’s okay. It is hard to pretend that something comes naturally when it really does not. I can tell myself it’s okay to feel like this and turn that stress into being excited.
I love how he used something he is comfortable with to help him get over a fear. That is a really good idea to try and trick yourself into thinking everything is okay. For my example, I said it helps when I laugh or make a joke before to help release some tension in myself and in the room. I agree that this isn’t something that comes natural at all. Like you said, you can turn it into excitement instead of nervousness to help relax.
I liked your point about having some openness around the anxiety and stress-inducing nature of public speaking. I think rerouting those feelings of discomfort into being energized is a great perspective. Along with this, it allows one to rationalize their internal states and drop the façade, allowing for more genuine expression.
Hi Fiona,
I absolutely agree with you! Although it is a constant mantra that “everyone” has stage fright, I think to overcome one’s personal fear, they need to admit it to themselves in order to move forward. I will say that stating my fears in my first speech for Week 1 was quite freeing. I am hoping it will help me gain momentum to let go of those anxious thoughts and improve!
I think I need to admit this to myself too. Joe showed us how difficult this process might be, but was clearly able to overcome some of his anxiety after lots of practice. I think telling yourself that it is okay to feel anxious is very beneficial, but you need to take steps to overcome the anxiety if you want to see improvements. Joe took these steps by creating a song to help him, I wonder what other ways there are to help overcome this.
I completely agree with this! I feel like it would be harder to pretend that you’re not nervous and try to hide it when you could easily use the fact that you are nervous to you’re advantage. This especially works with class presentations because you know everyone else is just as stressed. I also agree that it is very important to remind yourself that it is completely okay to be anxious. I’ve found that sometimes it is easy to forget that public speaking is one of the most commonly shared fears and that it is completely normal to be a little scared.
The same thing he described happens to me whenever I am about to get up in front of the class. I am totally fine and prepared until about 15 mins before and then my body starts up on it’s own, my heart races, my hands start sweating and my body shakes. I feel totally fine and relaxed but my body just responds on its own which I have always found very annoying and unnecessary. Like he said, my body can’t tell the difference between 20 people and a tiger, really? I still remember when I gave my first speech freshman year of high school and I was shaking so bad that my paper was shaking as well. Before I started I said, “I’m sorry, I’m really nervous” as I laughed and the class laughed as well since they were nervous too because they were up next. Laughing really helped my body calm down and loosen up. So, what I can do to help ease my body and mind when I am giving a speech is make a joke or just laugh before I start so that my body gets out of the flight or flight mode and calms down naturally.
I think being honest about being stressed really lightens the mood/energy. I agree! Also it is helpful to think what’s the worst that can happen. It can not be that bad because you know you are going into the situation prepared.
Well said, I too remember a time I had a rough start with a presentation, just thinking about it is making me wince. I should have just embraced the situation, like you said, and just told an honest ‘sorry, I’m nervous’, while having a laugh about it! A bit of comedy, or a joke, can totally take the pressure off being in front of an audience –unless you’re delivering a eulogy or something, wouldn’t recommend that. But anyhow, a shared laugh can totally cleanse the nerves.
I can relate to always feeling frustrated when my body over reacts to public speaking. Even when I feel confident in my speech, I start to panic a few minutes before. When presenting in class, I also noticed I feel a bit more relaxed if I mention my anxiety and make light of it.
I have also shared this experience when presenting many times! A lot of the times when I have to speak in front of big crowds I don’t get nervous until I am actually up there trying to spit the words out. I’ve also found that my voice tends to shake a lot even when I’m confident going into it that it won’t. Glad to hear that you’ve found a way to sort of calm your nerves by cracking a joke though!
Like Joe Kowan, I also find myself strapping on me ole’ geetar, and mellowing out with a quick jam sesh (kidding). More seriously, I totally understand his point about developing a sort of self-awareness when in front of the crowd. For Joe, this medium was song, which brought out more humility in his performance. This also allowed him to be more affable and good-humored, by just putting himself out there and saying ‘hey, I’m only human too’. To me, that’s powerful.
Being able to joke about fear and the tension in the room is a great way to get past it, and connect with the audience. Like Kowan does all throughout his TED-Talk, connecting with those watching and interacting with them reestablishes the person to person connection of a small group or individual setting. I think he does a great job of showing how to move through the fear rather than sit in it.
I agree, very powerful. Admitting to your audience that you are nervous is one of the easiest ways to make a connection with them. I also totally understand joe’s anxiety and admire him for overcoming his fear. His energy and humor helped us connect with him as a person, allowing us to ignore any nervous energy he might’ve had while singing.
Although it can be uncomfortable to experience the physiological signs of stage fright as Joe described, I agree that accepting them and moving forward is the best way to deal with it. I always feel frustrated when my body responds to public speaking like its a life or death situation, but acknowledging that feeling could contribute to a more successful performance. Making light of the common anxiety of public speaking can help ease those feelings, like Joe did through his song.
My biggest takeaway was that finding a medium in which you grow and are able to push yourself is the best way to build confidence and push yourself. I know in my personal life, writing poetry has done a lot to make me more confident in myself and having a better way to focus my emotions. I totally understand the fear piece though- when I first ever came on stage (finally old enough to have self-consciousness at age 12 as Oberon in a Midsummer Night’s Dream) I was absolutely terrified. But pushing through that fear, and understanding my fear of being looked at and generally perceived by the world, I was able to gain more control over how I continued. That self-control has been essential to my sharing poetry and putting myself out there as I have done so many times. Learning how to work with your fear and not let it consume you is so important and I’m glad it’s addressed so plainly.
I think that one of the most important things that Joe Kowan stated in his talk was to admit that he has stage fright and then identified that if he wanted to perform and grow professionally, he needed to do something about it. In the past, I have tried to avoid any type of public speaking/attention, so I think my evasion tactics perpetuated and gave my fears power. I did not watch this clip before I constructed my speech, but I believe that I adopted this method to make it clear that I am terrified of public speaking yet I want to improve to find my voice. Kowan’s words are a confirmation and a booster for me as I continue this course.
I personally liked how Joe Kowan realized he was always going to have some form of nervousness when it came to being on stage so instead he decided to embrace it. He makes a point to show that there is nothing wrong with acknowledging your anxiety. For Kowan, by what he calls “exploiting his stage fright”, he was able to connect further with the audience as it allowed them to experience it with him. I noticed that this connected back to DBQ 2 where it was mentioned how cracking a joke, such as Kowan did many times when addressing his stage fright, is always a good way to ease the tension that comes with public speaking.
I think the biggest part of overcoming fear is simply admitting you have that fear. But not just to yourself, but to your audience also. Joe Kowen was aware of his fear, and he used it to his advantage- he let the audience know he was uncomfortable, and let them have their feelings without letting them affect him. I feel like bonding over your own embarrassment is an easy way to connect with your audience, and show them that you are just like any other human who has feelings.
29 thoughts on “CLOSED-DBQ 3”
I think I need to sort of lean into some of my body’s natural habits. He said how he recognized that when he was nervous his voice was higher than usual, but instead of being embarassed he just adjusted the song accordingly. I thought that was pretty cool. I know that sometimes when I am nervous my voice will cut out randomly and it is usually pretty awkward for me, but he made me realize that I could just accept that it happens and adjust to when it does. I could treat the silence from my voice cutting out as a second to pause or get a sip of water.
I like how you discussed your body language and natural habits. I too think this is something to get more comfortable with. We need to be more accepting of how our bodies react when we get nervous, and how to maybe control some of those nerves. Some can be good nerves, some can be bad, but at the end of the day it is completely normal for everyone to experience these things.
Totally! Both of you are right on the money. It’s so easy to get caught up in the little things we do when we’re nervous, but we forget everyone else does them, too. It’s like whenever I’m laying in bed at night thinking about every embarrassing thing I have ever done, chronologically and in detail, I try to think about embarrassing things I’ve seen other people do, and quite frankly, I only ever think of 1-2 in the very recent past. It’s so easy to get caught up in the self and think everyone is criticizing you with the same lens you criticize yourself, but it’s just so not true. Everyone is far more focused on themself, just like I’m more focused on myself.
I agree! I think he really leaned into what he was feeling. He turned his stress into humor. This in return made him more comfortable and the audience more comfortable.
Hi Reese,
Great observation! Along those lines, I noticed when recording that I was using my hands to “talk” excessively. I was able to note that and try to inhibit them moving around for my final take-however, I never considered trying to take those natural inclinations and morphing them into something that would be more stylistic than nervous habits. I also agree with Beanie in that individually, we are so more focused on our perceived “faults” than others are, so we should not be so anxious about them.
When presenting or giving a speech, I often find my nerves getting the best of me at times. My heart starts beating faster and faster, and my hands begin to get really clammy or hot. Sometimes this takes away from my presentation and distracts me from what I am saying. I try to keep my cool, by taking a deep breath and slowing my words down. This helps me keep that focus and be sure to deliver my speech properly and finish strong. I liked how in the TED talk he addressed that he too gets nervous, but makes it seem so normal to everyone including his audience. He said, “the audience didn’t have to feel bad for me because I was nervous, they could experience that with me”, and I think that was a really good statement to help others know that it is okay to be nervous.
I also liked how he said that he didn’t want the audience to feel bad for him over something normal like being nervous. Also you said how sometimes your hands will get hot when you’re nervous, and my ears get red and how when I am nervous. But someone told me that I should embrace when my ears get hot because it means I am doing something that scares me, so I should be proud of it.
The same thing happens to me, my heart races, my hands sweat and my whole body gets really hot. I’ve always found this really annoying and I felt as though I was the only one this happened to since everyone else seemed fine. Even though they were probably just trying to convince themselves and everyone else that they were fine and not freaking out on the inside. I like how you take a deep breath and slow your words down. When I present, I have an issue with speaking really fast because the faster I speak the faster its over! I could use that advice for future presentations as well.
I usually feel the same way before presenting. I start feeling panicked which just ends up making my performance worse. Instead of trying to come off super confident, I think its a great idea to address what you’re honestly feeling before presenting, like Joe explained.
Joe Kowan did not get over his stage fright and stress until he expressed it through song. He was able to say what he felt aloud and that made him more comfortable. To reduce my stress and anxiety, maybe I should admit to myself that that’s what I feel and it’s okay. It is hard to pretend that something comes naturally when it really does not. I can tell myself it’s okay to feel like this and turn that stress into being excited.
I love how he used something he is comfortable with to help him get over a fear. That is a really good idea to try and trick yourself into thinking everything is okay. For my example, I said it helps when I laugh or make a joke before to help release some tension in myself and in the room. I agree that this isn’t something that comes natural at all. Like you said, you can turn it into excitement instead of nervousness to help relax.
Hi Fiona,
I liked your point about having some openness around the anxiety and stress-inducing nature of public speaking. I think rerouting those feelings of discomfort into being energized is a great perspective. Along with this, it allows one to rationalize their internal states and drop the façade, allowing for more genuine expression.
Hi Fiona,
I absolutely agree with you! Although it is a constant mantra that “everyone” has stage fright, I think to overcome one’s personal fear, they need to admit it to themselves in order to move forward. I will say that stating my fears in my first speech for Week 1 was quite freeing. I am hoping it will help me gain momentum to let go of those anxious thoughts and improve!
I think I need to admit this to myself too. Joe showed us how difficult this process might be, but was clearly able to overcome some of his anxiety after lots of practice. I think telling yourself that it is okay to feel anxious is very beneficial, but you need to take steps to overcome the anxiety if you want to see improvements. Joe took these steps by creating a song to help him, I wonder what other ways there are to help overcome this.
I completely agree with this! I feel like it would be harder to pretend that you’re not nervous and try to hide it when you could easily use the fact that you are nervous to you’re advantage. This especially works with class presentations because you know everyone else is just as stressed. I also agree that it is very important to remind yourself that it is completely okay to be anxious. I’ve found that sometimes it is easy to forget that public speaking is one of the most commonly shared fears and that it is completely normal to be a little scared.
The same thing he described happens to me whenever I am about to get up in front of the class. I am totally fine and prepared until about 15 mins before and then my body starts up on it’s own, my heart races, my hands start sweating and my body shakes. I feel totally fine and relaxed but my body just responds on its own which I have always found very annoying and unnecessary. Like he said, my body can’t tell the difference between 20 people and a tiger, really? I still remember when I gave my first speech freshman year of high school and I was shaking so bad that my paper was shaking as well. Before I started I said, “I’m sorry, I’m really nervous” as I laughed and the class laughed as well since they were nervous too because they were up next. Laughing really helped my body calm down and loosen up. So, what I can do to help ease my body and mind when I am giving a speech is make a joke or just laugh before I start so that my body gets out of the flight or flight mode and calms down naturally.
I think making a joke first is a good idea! It calms you down, it calms the audience down, and it gets their attention.
I think being honest about being stressed really lightens the mood/energy. I agree! Also it is helpful to think what’s the worst that can happen. It can not be that bad because you know you are going into the situation prepared.
Hi Wylie,
Well said, I too remember a time I had a rough start with a presentation, just thinking about it is making me wince. I should have just embraced the situation, like you said, and just told an honest ‘sorry, I’m nervous’, while having a laugh about it! A bit of comedy, or a joke, can totally take the pressure off being in front of an audience –unless you’re delivering a eulogy or something, wouldn’t recommend that. But anyhow, a shared laugh can totally cleanse the nerves.
I can relate to always feeling frustrated when my body over reacts to public speaking. Even when I feel confident in my speech, I start to panic a few minutes before. When presenting in class, I also noticed I feel a bit more relaxed if I mention my anxiety and make light of it.
I have also shared this experience when presenting many times! A lot of the times when I have to speak in front of big crowds I don’t get nervous until I am actually up there trying to spit the words out. I’ve also found that my voice tends to shake a lot even when I’m confident going into it that it won’t. Glad to hear that you’ve found a way to sort of calm your nerves by cracking a joke though!
Like Joe Kowan, I also find myself strapping on me ole’ geetar, and mellowing out with a quick jam sesh (kidding). More seriously, I totally understand his point about developing a sort of self-awareness when in front of the crowd. For Joe, this medium was song, which brought out more humility in his performance. This also allowed him to be more affable and good-humored, by just putting himself out there and saying ‘hey, I’m only human too’. To me, that’s powerful.
Being able to joke about fear and the tension in the room is a great way to get past it, and connect with the audience. Like Kowan does all throughout his TED-Talk, connecting with those watching and interacting with them reestablishes the person to person connection of a small group or individual setting. I think he does a great job of showing how to move through the fear rather than sit in it.
I agree, very powerful. Admitting to your audience that you are nervous is one of the easiest ways to make a connection with them. I also totally understand joe’s anxiety and admire him for overcoming his fear. His energy and humor helped us connect with him as a person, allowing us to ignore any nervous energy he might’ve had while singing.
Although it can be uncomfortable to experience the physiological signs of stage fright as Joe described, I agree that accepting them and moving forward is the best way to deal with it. I always feel frustrated when my body responds to public speaking like its a life or death situation, but acknowledging that feeling could contribute to a more successful performance. Making light of the common anxiety of public speaking can help ease those feelings, like Joe did through his song.
My biggest takeaway was that finding a medium in which you grow and are able to push yourself is the best way to build confidence and push yourself. I know in my personal life, writing poetry has done a lot to make me more confident in myself and having a better way to focus my emotions. I totally understand the fear piece though- when I first ever came on stage (finally old enough to have self-consciousness at age 12 as Oberon in a Midsummer Night’s Dream) I was absolutely terrified. But pushing through that fear, and understanding my fear of being looked at and generally perceived by the world, I was able to gain more control over how I continued. That self-control has been essential to my sharing poetry and putting myself out there as I have done so many times. Learning how to work with your fear and not let it consume you is so important and I’m glad it’s addressed so plainly.
I think that one of the most important things that Joe Kowan stated in his talk was to admit that he has stage fright and then identified that if he wanted to perform and grow professionally, he needed to do something about it. In the past, I have tried to avoid any type of public speaking/attention, so I think my evasion tactics perpetuated and gave my fears power. I did not watch this clip before I constructed my speech, but I believe that I adopted this method to make it clear that I am terrified of public speaking yet I want to improve to find my voice. Kowan’s words are a confirmation and a booster for me as I continue this course.
I personally liked how Joe Kowan realized he was always going to have some form of nervousness when it came to being on stage so instead he decided to embrace it. He makes a point to show that there is nothing wrong with acknowledging your anxiety. For Kowan, by what he calls “exploiting his stage fright”, he was able to connect further with the audience as it allowed them to experience it with him. I noticed that this connected back to DBQ 2 where it was mentioned how cracking a joke, such as Kowan did many times when addressing his stage fright, is always a good way to ease the tension that comes with public speaking.
I think the biggest part of overcoming fear is simply admitting you have that fear. But not just to yourself, but to your audience also. Joe Kowen was aware of his fear, and he used it to his advantage- he let the audience know he was uncomfortable, and let them have their feelings without letting them affect him. I feel like bonding over your own embarrassment is an easy way to connect with your audience, and show them that you are just like any other human who has feelings.