Scared Before a Speech? Go Bungee-Jumping!
It's been said we're more afraid of it than death. People don't sleep for nights before it. It may even have broken up some marriages. What is it? Public speaking. But now a new study is saying that, instead of calming down -- taking deep breaths, imagining a beach with cooling breezes and gently lapping waves, a margarita beside us -- we should, instead, before a speech -- ride a roller coaster, see a scary movie, find a crowd and start the Harlem Shake. Get excited, is the new mantra. People who tell themselves to get excited rather than trying to relax can improve their performance during anxiety-inducing activities such as public speaking and math tests, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association, newswise.com reports. "Anxiety is incredibly pervasive. People have a very strong intuition that trying to calm down is the best way to cope with their anxiety, but that can be very difficult and ineffective," the Web site q...