Public Speaking Without the Panic

Despite being a former theater kid and doing dozens of presentations in high school and college, I’m still susceptible to stage fright. I get butterflies in my stomach, heart palpitations, a face that blushes tomato-red if I trip over a word, and, in the worst instances, a mind that goes completely blank.

That makes me the rule and not the exception. As Matt Abrahams, a strategic communications professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, puts it: “85% of people report being nervous about speaking in public, and I believe the other 15% are lying.”

A survey published in Forbes reveals that despite 70% of workers agreeing that presentation skills are crucial for career success, 20% admit to going to extreme lengths, like calling in sick, just to avoid speaking in public.

But overcoming this anxiety is important for professional development: Data from the Graduate Management Admission Council’s 2025 Corporate Recruiters Survey shows that 61% of employers rank communication and public speaking among the top five most sought-after candidate skills.

When I was invited to speak at The Queen’s Health Systems’ Heritage Day event in July to share my experience donating a kidney at their transplant center, I was honored, terrified and determined not to pass up an opportunity to advocate for living organ donation.

So, when I felt relaxed and “in the zone” while delivering that speech in front of nearly 200 people, I knew I had stumbled onto something worth sharing.

Finding the Right Words

As a writer, my first inclination was to draft my speech on a Word doc, like I do my articles. Speechwriting turned out to be more time consuming than I anticipated, and I quickly realized how different writing that’s meant to be read is from writing that’s meant to be spoken.

After multiple failed attempts at speechwriting, my sister advised me to instead try talking to myself to figure out how I want to communicate my story. I’m glad I pivoted, finding the right words came easier when I verbalized my thoughts.

Although I found speaking aloud in front of a mirror to be a much better method for me, speechwriting may work better for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to public speaking, so I encourage experimenting until you figure out which strategy is best for you.

Once I had a general idea of what I wanted to say, I practiced my speech in front of loved ones, who then gave me valuable feedback. Having a few trusted people who served as sounding boards helped refine the flow of my speech, and they also asked questions that made me realize what sections needed clarification or elaboration.

Managing the clock was another hurdle. I timed every practice run to make sure I stayed within my 7- to 10-minute window. Keeping my speech under that 10-minute mark while talking at a comfortable, easy-to-understand pace forced me to focus on the most impactful points.

Practice, Practice, Practice

It’s not groundbreaking advice, but its impact cannot be overstated: rehearsal is everything. The more familiar you are with your message, the more confident you will feel on stage.

Practice in front of the mirror. Practice in front of your pet. Practice in front of your friends. Practice in the shower. Practice on the treadmill while your heart rate is elevated to simulate that sudden rush of adrenaline.

However, try not to get attached to a memorized word-for-word script. Experimenting with synonyms and different phrases during practice trains your brain to be flexible, so you aren’t thrown off balance if you miss a specific word on stage. And if you do stumble during a practice run, force yourself to keep going rather than restarting. Learning to roll with the hiccups in private is the best way to handle them gracefully in public.

Columnist Ryann Noelani Coules poses with The Queen’s Health Systems President and CEO Jason Chang.

The Value of an Outline

I didn’t want to read from a script, but I still wanted a safety net in case my mind went blank, so I prepared an outline.

I divided the speech into six segments, color-coded from red to purple, and with short, bullet points for each segment. The colors were meant to help me navigate the page at a glance, but I thankfully didn’t end up looking at my outline at all.

I’m still glad I took it with me. Just knowing it was there eased my worries. As a bonus, holding onto my outline took away some of that “what do I do with my hands?” awkwardness on stage.

Beta-Blockers

Even with plenty of practice and an outline, it’s natural to still feel anxious when speaking in front of an audience. Ideally, repeated exposure to public speaking would eventually desensitize us to the fear. But for those of us who rarely speak in public, and experience intense anxiety every time, beta-blockers can be a helpful tool.

Beta-blockers are non-addictive prescription medications commonly used to quiet the physical symptoms of performance and social anxiety, such as rapid heart rate, trembling hands or a shaky voice.

While they don’t treat generalized anxiety disorders or solve the psychological root causes of stress, they work quickly by blocking the effects of adrenaline. This dampens your body’s fight-or-flight reaction, usually without dulling your mental sharpness (though a small percentage of people do report dizziness or fatigue. It’s important to consult with your doctor before taking medications).

Curious if it might help, I scheduled an appointment with a doctor, explained my upcoming speech, and asked if beta-blockers were worth trying. After reviewing my medical history to make sure I was a safe candidate, she prescribed me propranolol.

My doctor advised me to test the medication at home before the event. Doing a trial run gave me peace of mind that my body reacted well to it.

About 45 minutes before my speech, I took 20 mg of propranolol. As I walked up to the mic, I was shocked that my heart wasn’t beating out of my chest. From the beginning to the end of my speech, I felt calm and in control.

In Retrospect

The beta-blockers quelled my physical symptoms of anxiety, but the hours I spent practicing, especially in front of friends and family, mattered far more.

I don’t plan to rely on propranolol every time I step onto a stage. Proving to myself that I could deliver my story to a crowd, and actually enjoy it, led to a lasting takeaway: I am capable of being a great public speaker, and my voice is worth hearing.