Tackling Zoom Anxiety — Public Speaking in a Virtual Environment
Public speaking has always terrified me. My heart feels like it’s going to explode out of my chest, my hands get all shaky and often, I devolve into a bout of rambling that I’m sure throws my intelligence level into question. I admire people who can stand in front of huge crowds and express themselves perfectly without succumbing to major foot-in-mouth syndrome. I’m just not one of those people.
With the advent of online learning and working, I’ve found myself spending more and more time on Zoom calls. Threatened by a looming participation grade, I’m often compelled to speak in front of my classmates and left hoping that what I’m saying doesn’t sound as crazy to them as it feels to me. Surprisingly, the fact that everything is now online has worsened and not improved my anxiety. At least when it was in-person, I could usually take comfort in the fact that I simply had to raise my hand and speak from the relative safety of my desk. I was just another face in a sea of students. Forgettable. Unremarkable.
Now that it’s online, when I volunteer, it feels like there’s a spotlight on me and every word, every mistake is in full view for everyone to see. Worse if it’s recorded and I have to revisit it. I’m writing this while currently in a Zoom class to help alleviate a bit of my worry around the topic so I suppose…
