Why You Freeze When Speaking English at Work — And What's Really Going On By Mike Fox | Professional English Coach & Qualified Careers Coach You know the feeling. You're sitting in a meeting, you have something valuable to contribute, you know exactly what you want to say — and then someone asks for your opinion, and suddenly the words are gone. Your heart beats faster. Your mind goes blank. You nod and smile instead of speaking, and afterwards you replay the moment thinking: