I have been a college professor for about 16 years. For most of these years, I have had anxiety in the classroom, connected to fears that my performance is not good. Sometimes my fears then lead to a bad performance. When I look back, I realize I have always had a problem with speaking before an audience, although I chose a profession that helped me somewhat overcome my previously horrible fears. Now I just have anxieties that sometimes lead to mild depressions. I would like to be more calm, more confident, happier in general. How can I do this when my chosen profession forces me to speak and perform?

M.

One possibility is to seek psychological treatment for performance anxiety and any mild depression you might be experiencing. Such problems usually respond well to psychotherapy.

Cognitive therapy is especially effective for depression and anxiety.