Is there a term for physical quirks when public speaking and is it something deeper. (psychologist, anxiety)
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I’ve recorded myself giving presentations and I do much better sitting down at a conference room table around the attendees rather than standing up.
I do not have any vocal quirks when speaking such as “um” or “you know” or any other verbal fillers. People have actually complimented me on my silent pauses when I’m thinking between thoughts all my life.
But I have “physical quirks”. Without thinking I engage in odd, very dynamic movements that I’ve never seen anyone else perform when speaking. Examples include in order of frequency:
- Wildly swinging my right arm like a pendulum on an old clock back and forth when talking
- Flexing my right hamstring, in other words doing a hamstring curl exercise where I curl my ankle to my buttocks in a quick snapping motion
- Gazing all over the room and fixating on the wall another object to the right of me or above thinking between points
- Performing an aggressive foot tap with my right foot as if I were about to lunge
What does this mean?
Sometimes when I’m all alone and I daydream about the ideal future I catch myself doing these things and other motions like quickly doing ab crunches back in forth, jumping, or swinging my torso around. A few years ago in my mid twenties my younger brother caught me doing this and was like “WTF are you doing” and because I still ran track my excuse was that I was stretching dynamically before heading to the gym.
When sitting down I can control myself better, but still get the ocasional urge to swing or rock the office chair back and forth or slam my hands on the table.
With the “pendulum swing” arm motion as well I most recently saw myself doing this on video in a completely different situation and environment. I locked myself out of my place and in the Apple iPhone doorbell as I paced around thinking of what to do I was doing the same pendulum swing motion. I had a spare key in my car.
Last edited by Mighty_Pelican; 09-03-2018 at 06:35 AM..
have you talked to a health care professional about these issues? You might also consider some counseling with a psychologist. Sounds like some pretty strange body movements.
Sometimes when I’m all alone and I daydream about the ideal future I catch myself doing these things and other motions like quickly doing ab crunches back in forth, jumping, or swinging my torso around. A few years ago in my mid twenties my younger brother caught me doing this and was like “WTF are you doing” and because I still ran track my excuse was that I was stretching dynamically before heading to the gym.
When sitting down I can control myself better, but still get the ocasional urge to swing or rock the office chair back and forth or slam my hands on the table.
With the “pendulum swing” arm motion as well I most recently saw myself doing this on video in a completely different situation and environment. I locked myself out of my place and in the Apple iPhone doorbell as I paced around thinking of what to do I was doing the same pendulum swing motion. I had a spare key in my car.
... is a little different and probably is your body's response to an anxiety spike.
... is a little different and probably is your body's response to an anxiety spike.
Agree with birdie...just high anxiety. Consider a public speaking course where they can help you with speaking issues. Sitting down is no way to give a speech....
In acting, we were trained to have some aspect of ourselves that brought us into our character world. At first, I didn't have one until my Prof observed that I would wave my hands,thump myself with one hand, in front of my chest, an aspect, if misunderstood, of my upbringing. That became my activation sequence.
Misunderstood? I heard it in growing up as "Pump up your puny breast in pride."
WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAID was, "Pump up your Punic breast in pride.".
Im sure I would be dismayed to watch myself on video as well; as I’m aware I have some unusual body language & mechanics.
Some of it comes from feeling awkward & clumsy all the time, which is, I think because I grew so tall during childhood, versus adolescence. I was 5’6” in the 4th grade & was wearing a woman’s size 6 shoe in the 3rd; that does not lend itself to graceful movements at all! I was 5’10” at 13 & just stopped growing at that time, basically when my peers were just getting started.
I also have a posturing that I am unaware of assuming but will try to correct when I notice it & it bothers me because it’s very similar to something called Decorticate Posturing; commonly seen in people who have sustained a bran injury or birth trauma:
Arms are bent in toward the body and the wrists and fingers are bent and held on the chest. Frequently I will wake up to find both my upper limbs like that but while awake it’s usually just one side that does it. I actually am on the spectrum but it’s not a typical posture for ASD.
So interesting how the majority jumps to pathologize whatever.
Body movements are unconscious responses to internal "stuff."
They have meaning.
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