As the seasoned veteran advised the nervous beginner, “It’s fine for you to have butterflies—as long as they fly in formation” Nervousness, speech anxiety, stage fright, platform panic—known by many names, it’s a problem every speaker must confront. Actually, feeling nervous before a speech is healthy: it shows that your speech is important to you and that you care about doing well. But unless you learn to manage and control nervousness, it can prevent you from feeling at ease as a speaker. Here are a number of suggestions for aiding you in feeling more comfortable as you address your audience: