Stage Anxiety & Presence Index

A

Grounding breathwork, centering my core purpose, and focusing on giving value to the audience.

B

Rapidly re-reading my opening lines and checking my appearance.

C

Distracting myself on my phone to avoid thinking about the talk.

D

Pacing restlessly and worrying about forgetting key points.

A

Smile warmly, take a calm breath, acknowledge the moment with grace, and pick up naturally.

B

Refer down to my cue cards or phone notes to find my place.

C

Apologize repeatedly to the audience and rush ahead.

D

Freeze up awkwardly and lose momentum.

A

I make warm 3-5 second personal eye contact with individual human faces across all sections.

B

I scan generally across the audience without focusing on any single person.

C

I focus primarily on the friendly faces or organizers in the front row.

D

I tend to look at the back wall or my slides to reduce anxiety.