Why do I shake when I speak in public?
Shaking when you speak is your body's fight-or-flight response — not a character flaw. When you're anxious about presenting, your body behaves as if it's facing a physical threat. Adrenaline releases, heart rate spikes, blood pressure rises, and all that excess energy has to go somewhere. It shows up as shaking hands, restless feet, or a racing pulse.
The good news: it means you care. As Art Linkletter said, "It's okay to have butterflies in your stomach — you just have to get them flying in formation." Even seasoned professional speakers feel this before they take the stage. The goal isn't to eliminate the nerves; it's to channel that energy productively.
Another reason for nerves is psychological: public speaking puts your need for group acceptance on trial (Maslow's hierarchy). We all want people to like us, and the fear that they won't is what sends the butterflies into a frenzy.
Why It Matters
Audiences can tell when a speaker is consumed by nervousness — and it makes them uncomfortable. Here's the flip side: audiences genuinely want you to win. Nobody sits in a presentation hoping you'll struggle. When you learn to harness nervous energy rather than fight it, it actually fuels a more dynamic, engaging delivery.
Practical Tips:
- Walk it out before you speak. Physical movement transfers excess energy out of your stomach and through your legs, so it doesn't leak out as visible shaking. Take a lap around the hallway before you take the floor.
- Take three deep, cleansing breaths. Inhale through the nose, hold for two seconds, exhale through the mouth. Repeat three times. This calms your heart rate and has an immediate effect on nervous energy — professional speakers use this before every performance.
- Remind yourself: the audience is on your side. No one wants to watch a painful presentation. They came to hear something useful and they're rooting for you to deliver it. That awareness alone lowers anxiety.
Practice Exercise:
Before your next presentation or high-stakes meeting, take a 5-minute walk to burn off excess energy, then practice your opening standing completely still with deliberately grounded feet. You can also use our iSpeak AI Coach to practice. Notice whether visible tension decreases when you've physically released the nervous energy beforehand.
Related Resources:
Corporate Ovations: Your Roadmap to More Effective Presentations
This is iSpeak's comprehensive guide to presentation and communication skills. Each chapter focuses on a critical aspect of preparing, developing, and delivering messages that inform, influence, and inspire.
Chapter 1 of Corporate Ovations ("Overcoming Fear and Anxiety") helps you overcome presentation anxiety by providing practical techniques to build confidence, manage nerves, and deliver your message with greater poise and impact.
Blog Post: One Crazy Solution for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
Read this expert blog post from Russ Peterson Jr. and discover practical strategies to communicate with confidence, engage your audience, and deliver presentations that get results.
Communication Insight
Timeless advice to help you communicate with confidence and impact.
"Nothing improves until something changes."
Russ Peterson, Jr.
"Everyone communicates, few connect."
John Maxwell
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
Albert Einstein
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