Use This Surprisingly Simple Technique to Reduce the Stress of Public Speaking

An old saying has it that a ‘problem shared is a problem halved’. It’s a nice thought — unload your burdens on someone else, and your load will be lighter. But is it true, in any scientific sense? And what about the other person? Do they go away more stressed than before — is your gain their loss? I recently ran across a study from a few years back that beautifully tests the truth of this sentiment — and discovered something important for public speakers, or indeed anyone finding themselves in stressful situations.

The study found that if you held the hand of someone you were emotionally close to — or even were simply close to them in space, though the effect was weaker (and your relationship had to be stronger) — your stress was lessened. Real evidence, it turns out, that humans were made to be connected to one another. The theory behind this phenomenon is known as Social Baseline theory, and it postulates that human evolved to be physically close to other humans.

Imagine, then, how difficult the pandemic has been for so many of us. During its height, my mother passed away, and I was not allowed to be with her during her final hours. Not until she had actually passed was I allowed to sit and mourn with the body. I understand why the hospital had to limit my access to her, but, as the…