---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anxiety Whenever you are tense and…"
description: "\"“Anxiety Whenever you are tense and anxious, your thoughts speed up, triggering you to accelerate your speaking pace, too. The more adrenaline you have..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/bill-mcgowan-19272_anxiety_anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxio_2346052.jpg"
---

#  Anxiety Whenever you are tense and anxious, your thoughts…

![“Anxiety Whenever you are tense and anxious, your thoughts speed up, triggering you to accelerate your speaking pace, too. The more adrenaline you have, the faster you will be tempted to talk, and the more verbal fender benders you’ll have along the way.” quote by Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/bill-mcgowan-19272_anxiety_anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxio_2346052.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/bill-mcgowan-19272_anxiety_anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxio_2346052.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/bill-mcgowan-19272_anxiety_anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxio_2346052.jpg)

> ““Anxiety Whenever you are tense and anxious, your thoughts speed up, triggering you to accelerate your speaking pace, too. The more adrenaline you have, the faster you will be tempted to talk, and the more verbal fender benders you’ll have along the way.””

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When anxious, thoughts race, causing faster speech and more verbal missteps.

**In simple terms:** Anxiety speeds thoughts and speech, leading to errors.

Key Takeaway

Slow down to think before speaking.

Themes

anxiety communication stress physiology

Mood

reflective practical

Type

advice self‑help

When to use this quote

- presentations
- interviews
- high‑pressure meetings
- social gatherings

Key Concepts

neuroscience behavioral psychology public speaking

Questions to Reflect On

- What techniques help you calm your speech?
- How does pacing affect your message?

A Different Perspective

High adrenaline may impair clarity despite intent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Accelerate Speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accelerate-speaking-5695160/) [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Anxiety Tense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety-tense-2500766/) [Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious/) [Anxious thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious-thoughts/) [Tense Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tense-anxious-5478765/)

## Related quotes

> [“People are bound to remain anxious if there is a "should" in life. If there is an ideal that has to be fulfilled, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/people-are-bound-to-remain-anxious-if-there-is-a-should-in-life-if/)

[osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/)

> [Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/have-you-ever-been-at-sea-in-a-dense-fog-when-it-seemed-as-if-a-2/)

[Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/)

> [I'm usually quite quiet in the day, a little bit anxious, I get my thoughts processed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-harding/i-m-usually-quite-quiet-in-the-day-a-little-bit-anxious-i-get-my/)

[Sarah Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-harding/)

> [There were times I felt I'd never get my life back. Am I ever going to be normal and go out with my friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardy-fish/there-were-times-i-felt-i-d-never-get-my-life-back-am-i-ever-going-to/)

[Mardy Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mardy-fish/)

> [Have you ever considered what anxious thought, what consummate knowledge of human nature, what dearly-bought experiences go into the making of an advertisement?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-john-locke/have-you-ever-considered-what-anxious-thought-what-consummate/)

[William John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-john-locke/)

> [Any anxious thought as to the means to be employed in the accomplishment of our purposes is quite unnecessary. If the end is already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-troward/any-anxious-thought-as-to-the-means-to-be-employed-in-the/)

[Thomas Troward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-troward/)

> [Much like the hands of a clock go nowhere fast, anxious thoughts run us round-and-round without taking us anywhere!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/much-like-the-hands-of-a-clock-go-nowhere-fast-anxious-thoughts-run/)

[Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/)

> [“I, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, am with you and for you. What more could you need? When you feel some lack, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-young/i-the-creator-of-the-universe-am-with-you-and-for-you-what-more-could/)

[Sarah Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-young/)

> [“Once I am aware of what has been on my mind and have established ways to respond in faith with a particular prayer, sacred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-cyzewski/once-i-am-aware-of-what-has-been-on-my-mind-and-have-established-ways/)

[Ed Cyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-cyzewski/)

> [“It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about those events. Your mind engages in efforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-young/it-is-not-so-much-adverse-events-that-make-you-anxious-as-it-is-your/)

[Sarah Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-young/)

> [You don't have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/you-don-t-have-to-control-your-thoughts-you-just-have-to-stop-letting/)

[Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/)

> [Thou silent power, whose welcome sway charms every anxious thought away; in whose divine oblivion drown'd, sore pain and weary toil grow mild, love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-akenside/thou-silent-power-whose-welcome-sway-charms-every-anxious-thought/)

[Mark Akenside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-akenside/)

> [We all have a private world in which we live; that's the place where nobody comes; alone with our secret thoughts. Our own spouses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-s-hawkins/we-all-have-a-private-world-in-which-we-live-that-s-the-place-where/)

[O. S. Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-s-hawkins/)

> [Fairy tales are loved by the child not because the imagery he finds in them conforms to what goes on within him, but because--despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-bettelheim/fairy-tales-are-loved-by-the-child-not-because-the-imagery-he-finds/)

[Bruno Bettelheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-bettelheim/)

> [He that has no present Christ has a future, dark, chaotic, heaving with its destructive ocean; and over it there goes forever--black-pinioned winging its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/he-that-has-no-present-christ-has-a-future-dark-chaotic-heaving-with/)

[Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/)

## More by Bill McGowan

> [“For the next three hours . . .” Wow! Talk about an interest-killer. The last thing any audience wants to be reminded of is that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/for-the-next-three-hours-wow-talk-about-an-interest-killer-the-last/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“fact, good communication is a lot like pasta sauce. The more you boil down and reduce a sauce, the more dynamic the flavor. Speaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/fact-good-communication-is-a-lot-like-pasta-sauce-the-more-you-boil/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“According to Inside Apple, Steve Jobs practiced dozens of times before a big presentation, staging and rehearsing so that nothing was left to chance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/according-to-inside-apple-steve-jobs-practiced-dozens-of-times-before/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“The Conviction Principle Convey certainty with words, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/the-conviction-principle-convey-certainty-with-words-eye-contact/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“To Drive Home a Point People think that the more they elaborate and explain, the more convincing they will be. They confuse quantity with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/to-drive-home-a-point-people-think-that-the-more-they-elaborate-and/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“To be more thoughtful and selective, we need time. To gain more time, we need to slow down. Yes, it really is as simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/to-be-more-thoughtful-and-selective-we-need-time-to-gain-more-time-we/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“Speaking cleanly is a very Zen experience. It’s about being 100 percent focused on the thought you are in the midst of articulating. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/speaking-cleanly-is-a-very-zen-experience-it-s-about-being-100/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“Gratuitous Gratitude Gratitude has a place, but don’t spend the first full minute of your remarks thanking a long laundry list of people. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/gratuitous-gratitude-gratitude-has-a-place-but-don-t-spend-the-first/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“Consumers don’t want to know about the process of how something came into existence. What they want to know is: How will this product…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/consumers-don-t-want-to-know-about-the-process-of-how-something-came/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“Focus on What You Want to Say, Not on What You Think the Audience Is Thinking Many people pay too much attention to how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/focus-on-what-you-want-to-say-not-on-what-you-think-the-audience-is/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“Prepare, prepare, prepare. Practice, practice, practice. From here on, accept every invitation you get to do public speaking. Be the first one with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/prepare-prepare-prepare-practice-practice-practice-from-here-on/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“Discomfort Many of us are uncomfortable with silence, so we compensate by filling that silence with words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/discomfort-many-of-us-are-uncomfortable-with-silence-so-we-compensate/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“Five minutes before you start speaking, take a long inhale through your nose—hold it for a couple of seconds—and then very slowly exhale through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/five-minutes-before-you-start-speaking-take-a-long-inhale-through/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“Being on the Defensive Many people think that the faster they talk, the more convincing they’ll sound. As I’ve said before, however, the opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/being-on-the-defensive-many-people-think-that-the-faster-they-talk/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

> [“The first thirty seconds of any conversation or presentation are like the last two minutes of a football game. This is when victory or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/the-first-thirty-seconds-of-any-conversation-or-presentation-are-like/)

[Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

[Explore all 33 Bill McGowan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/)

## More Anxiety quotes

> [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/)

[Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/)

> [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/)

[Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/)

> [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/)

[Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/)

> [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/)

[Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/)

> [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/)

[Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/)

> [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/)

[Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/)

> [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/)

[Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/)

> [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/)

[Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/)

> [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/)

[Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/)

> [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/)

[Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/)

[Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Anxiety Whenever you are tense and anxious, your thoughts speed up, triggering you to accelerate your speaking pace, too. The more adrenaline you have, the faster you will be tempted to talk, and the more verbal fender benders you’ll have along the way.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill McGowan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxious-your-thoughts-speed-up/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Anxiety"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxious-your-thoughts-speed-up/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/bill-mcgowan-19272_anxiety_anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxio_2346052.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/bill-mcgowan-19272_anxiety_anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxio_2346052.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/bill-mcgowan-19272_anxiety_anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxio_2346052.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Anxiety Whenever you are tense and anxious, your thoughts speed up, triggering you to accelerate your…” — Bill McGowan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bill McGowan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Anxiety Whenever you are tense and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxious-your-thoughts-speed-up/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/anxiety-whenever-you-are-tense-and-anxious-your-thoughts-speed-up/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
