“Calming Down” Doesn’t Always Work
Why “Calming Down” Doesn’t Always Work: A Biological Truth About Public Speaking Anxiety
You’re backstage before an important talk. You’ve prepared. You’ve practiced.
And yet—your heart races, your chest tightens, your mind goes blank.
You tell yourself: Just breathe.
But nothing changes.
This is not a mindset issue. It’s a nervous system response.
When fear or anxiety peaks, your body is flooded with powerful survival chemicals:
Adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, endorphins.
This is not a sign that something is wrong with you—
It’s your body trying to protect you.
The problem?
That protection mode—also known as the fight-or-flight response—is built to help you run or fight, not speak calmly and confidently in front of a group.
So when you try to slow your breath or “think positive” right in the middle of a stress spike, it can actually make things worse.
Your body doesn’t buy it. And when your calming tricks don’t work, your panic increases.
More anxiety. More symptoms. More pressure.
Here’s the Reframe:
You’re not failing to calm down.
You’re trying to meditate in the middle of a fire drill.
Instead of resisting your body’s response, complete the loop:
• Shake out the tension.
• Run in place or stomp your feet.
• Consciously tense and release your muscles.
• Intensify your breath on purpose.
Give your nervous system what it’s asking for: movement.
Let it believe you’ve escaped. Then—and only then—can calm settle in, naturally.
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This Is the Core of Executive Talk Rewire™
In my 1:1 program, Executive Talk Rewire™, we don’t just throw tips and tricks at your fear.
We go straight to the root.
Through a blend of neuroscience, nervous system education, and deep subconscious reprogramming, we dismantle the fear of public speaking where it actually lives—in your biology and belief systems.
We use tools like:
• Paradoxical intention techniques to defuse fear through exaggeration
• Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) to rewire subconscious blocks
• Somatic strategies to restore nervous system safety
• And executive-level performance coaching to bring your voice back under your control
This is not about faking confidence.
It’s about becoming someone who no longer needs to.
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Ready to Rewire Your Fear—From the Root?
If you’re a professional or executive tired of dreading meetings, freezing on stage, or second-guessing your voice…
Let’s talk.
The fear doesn’t have to stay.
Your voice is not broken.
Your nervous system just needs a new message. Let’s send it—together.
Book your free consultation call:
