Why You Lose Train of Thought When Speaking (+ Solutions)

You're mid-sentence during a webinar presentation when suddenly your mind goes blank. You forget everything you've planned to say. You're not sure what to do next, and your audience is waiting.

Losing train of thought when speaking might not be your finest moment, but it's more common than you might think. And with a little preparation, you can take steps to overcome it during your next webinar.

In this guide, I'll cover why these mental blocks happen while you speak. I'll also share strategies to help you recover in the moment and prevent losing your train of thought in the future — so you can speak more confidently.

Key takeaways:

• Your mind goes blank and you lose train of thought when you try to do too many things at once — like speaking, engaging the audience, and monitoring tech.
• Quickly recover from a mental block by pausing confidently, recapping your previous point, or turning your attention to the audience.
• Avoid losing your train of thought in the future by preparing notes, practicing your presentation, testing your tech beforehand, and using a consistent routine.

Why you lose train of thought when speaking

Losing your train of thought isn't a sign that you're forgetful or that you haven't prepared enough. When you host a webinar or speak in a virtual event, you're mentally juggling much more than what you want to say.

You're:

• Monitoring the live chat
• Listening to your own voice
• Keeping track of time
• Wondering if your last point actually landed

Sometimes it becomes too much. This causes your brain to get overwhelmed and forget what you were saying.

What happens in your brain during mental blocks

When you lose train of thought mid-sentence, your brain is essentially switching gears without warning. One moment your brain is focused on what you planned to say. The next moment your attention switches to something else — like a confused face, a tech glitch, or just the awareness that you have an audience.

This shift happens because your brain can't focus on two things at once. When a distraction competes for attention, something else has to give. So, sometimes your brain drops its initial train of thought while it deals with a seemingly more urgent concern.

The frustrating part is that the information you were referencing hasn't gone anywhere. You know your material. But your brain has temporarily shifted into a different mode, making it hard to access what you want to say.

Common triggers that disrupt professional speakers

You can't always predict when you'll lose your train of thought. But certain environmental and cognitive factors often trigger these mental blocks.

• Tech glitches: Your audio cuts out or you question if your screen share is still working. The next thing you know, you're troubleshooting tech issues while you try to keep your presentation going.
• Audience reactions: A viewer asks an unexpected question or types something surprising in the chat. Your focus immediately jumps from your prepared content to figuring out what's wrong and how to fix it.
• Getting in your own head: You start paying attention to how you sound or if you're making sense to the audience. This self-monitoring interrupts your flow and takes up mental space you need for presenting.

How to recover when you lose your train of thought

When you lose your train of thought during a webinar or virtual event, you want to recover quickly — ideally without losing audience engagement or personal confidence. Here are four tactics to use in public speaking.

Make your pause look purposeful

If you forget what you were saying, you might be inclined to treat it like a mistake. But instead of apologizing for getting distracted or needing a moment to think, just pause.

Pauline Mura, Livestorm Senior Marketing Partnerships Manager, recommends taking a moment to breathe before finding your way back to the point you were making.

“If a joke comes to mind, go ahead with it and don't be afraid of being authentic. It's a live webinar, so just be clear with the audience and show them that you're human.

Authenticity helps you connect with the audience. I think they’ll be quite forgiving.”

Chances are, your audience will interpret these short breaks as you being thoughtful, not confused. And they'll appreciate that you're taking a moment instead of nervously rushing through your presentation.

Recap your previous points

When you lose your place, check your notes to remind your audience (and yourself) where you just were. Say something like "Building on that last point..." and give a quick recap of your previous idea.

This gives you time to remember what comes next while reinforcing key points for webinar attendees. If you don't treat it like a mistake, they won't realize you're buying yourself time to get back on track.

Engage your audience

When you're stuck, turn the spotlight back on your audience. Ask them a quick question: "How many of you deal with this at work?" or "What's the biggest challenge you face with this?"

While they're thinking or responding in the chat, you get a moment to regroup. Plus, audience questions can remind you of what you wanted to say or bring up new points to address.

With Livestorm's webinar software, you can easily post a quick poll. This redirects attendees while giving you time to get back on track.

Reference your notes confidently

Pauline suggests referring to your notes when necessary. If possible, link them to specific slides so you can quickly find your place.

Otherwise, create a simple outline. When you find that you've stopped talking mid-sentence, just glance at your notes and find where you are in the presentation.

The trick is making your notes easy to scan. Include your main points, clear bullet points, and important transition phrases. Highlight the elements that help you find your place and jump back in quickly.

How to prevent losing your train of thought while speaking

The best way to handle these mental blocks is to stop them from happening in the first place. This means changing how you prepare and setting yourself up for success before you even start speaking.

Plan what to say in the webinar

Map out your presentation in advance. This helps you prepare what to say and gives you notes to reference in case you do get off track.

Use Livestorm's script generator to brainstorm what to say. Input a topic and a description, and then adjust the tone of voice and audience knowledge level. Choose the video format and generate your script.

Copy and paste the script so you can fine-tune it and add your own personal insights.

Practice with deliberate interruptions

It's normal to practice your presentation in perfect conditions — like a quiet room with no distractions or technical issues. While this might help you perfect your delivery, it won't help you deal with surprises.

Try this instead: go through your talk while deliberately creating problems. For example:

• Set a timer to go off randomly, forcing you to stop mid-sentence.
• Have someone ask you unexpected or off-topic questions.
• Do a webinar dry run in a setting with excessive background noise.

Get comfortable with things going wrong. When interruptions become familiar during practice, they'll be less likely to derail you during the real thing. Because you'll have already figured out how to get back on track.

Build your focus outside of presentations

Think of your ability to stay focused during presentations like physical fitness. It gets easier the more you do it. And the better your focus, the less likely you are to lose your train of thought when things get stressful.

Try habits like reading out loud for 10 minutes without jumping around or stopping. or use meditation apps that improve your ability to pay attention for sustained periods.

Practice maintaining focus when the stakes are low. This way, your focus will be stronger when you need it most.

Create a pre-presentation routine that works for you

Having the same routine before every webinar or live event helps your brain get into presentation mode more easily. Your process might include:

• Reading through your key transition phrases
• Doing a quick tech check
• Taking a few deep breaths

Aim to start every presentation feeling calm yet prepared.

Set up your webinar tech to avoid problems

Tech issues can cause even the most focused webinar host to get flustered and lose track of their presentation.

To avoid these problems, set aside time to do a practice session using your virtual event software. This way, you'll know exactly how the platform works so you don't have to learn a new platform in the moment.

At least 30 minutes before the event starts, test everything. Use Livestorm's free webinar tools to test your webcam and microphone so you won't need to troubleshoot once the event starts.

Frequently asked questions about losing train of thought when speaking

Why do I lose my train of thought while talking?

You lose your train of thought while talking when your brain becomes overloaded with competing information. During virtual events, you simultaneously manage what you want to say, how the audience reacts, if the tech is working, and countless other concerns.

When your brain gets overwhelmed, it typically prioritizes detecting threats over recalling information. You may stop talking and lose your place when you're interrupted.

How to speak without losing my train of thought?

To speak without losing your train of thought, practice so that real disruptions don't throw you off. Create a simple outline with clear transition phrases that help you jump back in when you get sidetracked.

When you speak, don't be afraid to pause when you need a moment to think. Ask your audience questions to buy yourself time, and check your notes when you need them.

Building up your focus can help, too. The stronger your attention becomes, the less likely you are to lose your train of thought when things get stressful.

What is losing your train of thought a symptom of?

Most of the time, losing your train of thought is just your brain trying to juggle too many things at once. It's not unusual, especially when you're nervous or dealing with tech issues.

But if it happens constantly, it could signal a more serious issue. A condition known as thought blocking causes thoughts to suddenly stop or disappear entirely, even mid-sentence.

But for most people, taking time to prepare, managing anxiety, or even working with a speaking coach does the job. Occasionally losing your train of thought is normal and something you can address with better strategies.