This YouTube video by Dr. Aziz argues that the real problem in public speaking is not feeling nervousness itself but the belief that nervousness is unacceptable. Dr. Aziz lists common "tells" (blushing, quivering voice, mind going blank) and reframes them as non-problems, promising to show how changing the story about those reactions can free people up in conversations.
The problem is not being nervous. The problem is your idea that being nervous is not okay. That's so important. If you just get this, it's going to totally free you up in conversations. The problem is not that you're nervous or that you're afraid or that you're anxious. The problem is not that you blush or your voice quivers or any of those other tells. None of those are the problem. Even your mind going blank is not a problem. You might say, zeez, that's a horrible problem. No, I'll show in just a minute how you can. That can be no issue whatsoever. The problem is that any of those things freaks you out because you have a story that says, that's really bad, really unacceptable.
