Grounding for public speaking fear: 7 minutes, when nothing went right

About this practice

7 minutes to meet public speaking fear with less of a fight. A grounding practice, when nothing went right. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: public speaking fear

Speaking to a group triggers the same response as physical threat: shallow breathing, a dry mouth, and a voice that rises and speeds up.

It tends to show up as:

• Voice wobbling on the first sentence
• Speaking too fast to get it over with
• Shallow breathing high in the chest

Lengthening the exhale slows speech and steadies the voice. Physically, this is a breath practice before it is a confidence practice.

Doing this after a bad day

• Do not review the day during it — that is what tomorrow is for
• Something physical first, then this
• Keep it short and end it deliberately

A bad day does not need a verdict. Closing it without a post-mortem is allowed.

How grounding works

Grounding brings attention to physical contact and the immediate environment. It works on the principle that the body cannot be somewhere else, so contact with the surface you are on is always available as an anchor.

• Feel the contact points — feet, seat, back — and let them take your weight
• Use the senses deliberately: what you can see, hear, touch
• Return to solidity whenever attention drifts

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Let your forehead smooth out. Most of us hold a small frown there all day.
2. 0:14There's no need to try harder than this.
3. 0:25Notice whether your breathing is high in your chest or low in your belly. Just notice. No fixing.
4. 0:41Let the last hour go on its own. You can pick it up again afterwards.
5. 0:55Let your breathing find the rhythm it uses when you're almost asleep.
6. 1:08Notice the small gap after each exhale. Rest there for half a second.
7. 1:21Notice your jaw again. Let your back teeth part slightly.
8. 1:33Notice your ribs on both sides. Wide, not squeezed.
9. 1:44Notice the space between your shoulder blades.
10. 1:54Let the wobble in your voice be exactly as big as it is, and let your breath be exactly as slow as it is. They can coexist.
11. 2:14Remind yourself, slowly: I am safe in this moment, even while the room full of faces is here. Safety and difficulty can share a room.
12. 2:33Feel the front of your chest. Notice it rise and fall once.
13. 2:46Let your body keep settling.
14. 2:55Count down from ten, one number per exhale.
15. 3:06Notice your fingers, one by one, starting with the little finger.
16. 3:18If you only manage half of it, that's half more than nothing.
17. 3:31If you're irritated, that's allowed. Irritation is just weather.
18. 3:42A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
19. 3:53Small efforts are the whole method.
20. 4:03If nothing much is happening, that's not a problem. Nothing much is often the point.
21. 4:17Count four breaths silently. Then stop counting and just follow.
22. 4:29Quiet now. The next part will wait for you.
23. 4:40You do not have to like the urge to rush off the stage to breathe through it. Liking was never the requirement.
24. 4:58You are allowed to be unimpressed by the wobble in your voice. Indifference is a legitimate response.
25. 5:13Notice the breath you're taking right now. That's the only one that exists.
26. 5:26Notice the difference between a thought and the space around it.
27. 5:38If a worry shows up, name it quietly and let it sit beside you.
28. 5:52Let's pause. Just the breathing for a while.
29. 6:03Nothing here needs to be efficient.
30. 6:13Come back to the room through your senses, one at a time.
31. 6:26Stretch whatever feels stiff, then carry on.
32. 6:36No need to open your eyes yet.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.