Performance anxiety
As I’ve progressed in my career I’ve found I’ve become more acutely anxious around public speaking, despite the practice and having tried toastmasters etc, I still find it a fairly stressful process. Just as it doesn’t replicate the real life situation with those same peers. I tried propranolol before a best man speech, worked well but I’m really reluctant to use it too often. Working class turned Henry so I don’t think I had the same exposure in school, but come across well (Imo) to the point people think I enjoy it - but I don’t! At the moment exercise before, no caffeine before, knowing material but not reading off line by line does help - but still racing heart and sweaty palms. Pre-Covid for whatever reason I was fine stepping in front of 100+ people but not so much now. Please let me know if anything has worked for you!
Posted Mar 6, 2026, 3:48 PM UTC