Fear Of Public Speaking: How To Overcome It
The fear of public speaking is a form of frequent anxiety. It can vary from mild nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic. Many people with this fear avoid situations in which they have to speak in public completely or else, they’ll suffer in their course with trembling hands and voice. But preparation and persistence can help you overcome this fear.
Here are some steps that could help you:
The more you understand about the topic you are going to talk about and the more you are interested in that topic, the less likely you are to make mistakes or lose the thread. And if you get lost, you can recover quickly. Take some time to consider the questions that could be asked from the public and prepare the answers.
Get organized In advance, carefully plan the information you want to present, including any audio or visual accessory or device. The more organized you are, the less nervous you will feel. Prepare a summary on a small card to keep the thread. If possible, visit the place where you will speak and check the available equipment before your presentation.
Practice your entire presentation several times. Make your presentation to some people with whom you feel comfortable and ask for their comments. It may also be useful to practice with few people with whom you are not so familiar. Consider making a video of your presentation so you can see it and see opportunities for improvement.
When you are afraid of something, you can overestimate the likelihood of bad things happening. Make a list of your specific concerns. Then, question them directly by identifying the likely and alternative outcomes, and verifying whether there is objective evidence to support each concern or the possibility that the results you fear will occur.
Imagine your presentation will work out well. Positive thoughts help reduce some of the negativity about your social performance and relieve anxiety a bit.
This can be very relaxing. Inhale slowly and deeply two or more times before stepping on the podium and during the speech.
Focus on your material, not the public. People pay attention mostly to new information, not to the way they present it. They may not even notice your nervousness. If people in the public observe that you are nervous, they may encourage you and want your presentation to be successful.
If you lose the thread of what you are saying or start feeling nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem to you that you remained silent for an eternity. Actually, it's probably only a few seconds. Even if it is for a longer time, it is likely that the public does not mind having a pause to consider what you have told them. Just breathe slowly and deeply a couple of times.
After your speech or presentation, feel pleased. It may not have gone perfectly, but most likely you are more critical yourself than the public. Check if any of your specific concerns really happened. We all make mistakes. Consider mistakes as an opportunity to improve your skills.
Join a group that offers support to people who have trouble speaking in public. Choose those organizations dedicated to providing public speaking training and developing leadership skills.
If you can't overcome fear with practice, consider seeking professional help. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a skills-based approach that can be an effective treatment to reduce the fear of public speaking.
Another option is a relaxing medication provided by your doctor that you should take before speaking in public. If your doctor prescribes a medication, try it before the day you should speak in public to see how it affects you.
It is normal to feel nervous or anxious in certain situations, and public speaking is no exception. It is known as "performance anxiety," and other examples are stage fright, exam anxiety, and the writer's mental block. However, people with severe performance anxiety, which include intense anxiety in other social situations, may have a social anxiety disorder (also called "social phobia"). A social anxiety disorder may require cognitive behavioral therapy, medications or a combination of both options.
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