Don't Panic!

Here’s why we freeze when we’re in the spotlight— and how to stop it from happening again.

- Ginny Graves

WHEN MY journalism career was just reaching cruising altitude, I was invited to appear on a local TV talk show. I despised public speaking but told myself this wasn’t a speech, it was a cozy chat. Unfortunately, that’s not how it felt at the studio. By the time I was seated under the bright lights on a dais that looked suspiciously like a stage, my brain was fogged with fear. When I did manage to utter a sentence, my voice quivered uncontrollably. For weeks, I woke up replaying those ten minutes, certain they had revealed who I truly was: a fraud.

My choking problem dates back to high school, when I could smack the ball in softball practice but reliably whiffed when facing competition. It’s mildly comforting to know that even those used to the limelight can falter this way (see “Famous Flubs,” right), but still I have to wonder: Why do my brain and body, which function well in everyday situations, routinely fail me in the clutch? Turns out, choking has piqued scientists’ curiosity, too, and a number of recent studies help explain not only why it happens, but also—take heart, fellow chokers!—how to prevent it.