Same three sentences every day — what I did, what I'm doing, any blockers — and I still lock up when my turn comes. I've started typing my update out beforehand and reading it, which helps, but I feel like a kid holding cue cards while everyone else just talks off the top of their head. How did you get past this?
Write your three lines (did / doing / blocked) on a sticky note before standup and just read them. Nobody can tell you're reading, and after a couple of weeks with the training wheels you won't need them. The freeze is a working-memory problem, not a you problem — take the load off it.
Reframe it as boring on purpose. Nobody's grading the delivery. I say yesterday X, today Y, no blockers in the same flat format every day and not one person has ever cared. Dull is completely safe there.
The written note isn't a crutch, it's a pro move, plenty of seniors read from one. What helped was writing mine the evening before while the work was fresh instead of scrambling at nine am. The freeze eased once I trusted the notes.
