Exercises and ways to overcome the fear of public speaking.
Each person has different fears and phobias. Some people can talk openly about their experiences, while others keep their fears private. In everyday life, we periodically have to turn to a mass audience, be it a queue at a clinic or communication with a parent meeting participant at school. In moments like this, it can be difficult to collect your thoughts and confidently express your opinion. The reason for this is the fear of public speaking. In this article, we will talk in detail about this phenomenon: we will look at the main features of the fear of public speaking and find ways to overcome it.
Experiencing before a public speech is completely normal. The problem begins when our experiences become too large in scale, too much affect our well-being. In this case, we are no longer talking about excitement, but about fear.
Any fear arises when we cannot control any aspect of our life. For example, people are often afraid to fly an airplane because they are high above the ground, in a confined space, completely unsure of what to do in case of danger. Therefore, to overcome fear, you need to take control of the situation and gain confidence in your abilities.
Causes of glossophobia
Each person is different, and the reasons for the fear of public speaking differ depending on personality traits. The most common causes of glossophobia are:
* Psychological trauma from childhood;
* Bad experience associated with public speaking;
* Low self-esteem and self-doubt;
* Fear of public disapproval and censure;
* Communication with people who are afraid to speak in front of an audience (artificial imposition of fear);
* Experienced at the moment stress disorder, depression;
* Consequences of traumatic brain injury or other diseases;
* Sometimes a person is not afraid of the public performance itself, but, for example, of the people around or of the open space on the stage.
The main signs of fear of public speaking
Fear of public speaking prevents a person from living a rich social, personal and professional life.
It is expressed in the following symptoms:
* Increased blood pressure and increased heart rate;
* Increased sweating;
* Feeling hot or chilly;
* Trembling in the limbs;
* Feeling of lack of air;
* Feeling of tension in the body;
* Dry mouth;
* Obsessive desire to visit the toilet room.
The outward expression of fear is as follows:
* Feeling of anxiety and anxiety at the mere thought of the need for a public speech;
* Avoiding those situations that can draw attention to the person;
* Specific involuntary shaking of the head;
* Feeling confused thoughts;
* Broken and trembling voice;
* Confused, slurred speech with pauses and coughs;
* In some cases, there may be severe tremors in the body, nausea and physical inability to speak.
Pre-performance tips
Prepare carefully for your presentation: study not only the main material, but also alternative points of view on the problem. You need to be prepared to answer possible questions from the audience.
Take a piece of paper and write a short outline of your speech on it, so that in case of a hitch, you can use the hint. A great way to make your presentation more vivid and understandable for the audience is to prepare an electronic presentation. As you thumb through her slides, you will always remember what to talk about next. If you stumble, invite participants to pay special attention to the slide. This will give you time to remember the speech.
Record your speech and review it critically. Highlight points that could be improved. If you wish, you can give a listen to this recording to a loved one for additional advice.
You can practice your performance several times, gathering several relatives or friends in front of you. This way you will be more confident in your speech every time. At the final stage, imagine that a very stupid person is sitting in front of you, or a one-year-old child. Your task is the most accessible way to explain to a fictional listener the key points of your speech. If you succeed in this assignment, therefore, you will be able to perform well in front of a large audience.
You can practice by going up on stage during rehearsal. If you are not performing on stage, it is enough to be in the hall for a while. Carefully inspect the room, pay attention to all the details: what curtains hang, how the chairs stand, what color is the paint on the ceiling. This method will help you feel more confident while performing as you will be performing in a familiar environment.
Do some physical exercises a few minutes before your performance, then stretch as if you just woke up. These exercises will help you raise your blood pressure slightly and help you relax.
During the performance
Be prepared for the audience to perceive your speech ambiguously. This does not mean that the audience criticizes you as a person: they only express their opinion about the information you are speaking. A negative opinion also has a right to exist. Even if the audience disagrees with you, don’t be upset. the question you raised touched them “for a living” and pushed them to think, which is good in any case.
Build your speech in such a way that it is convenient for you to pronounce it. Speak in short and succinct theses, between which pause for a few seconds. If you suddenly feel anxious, these pauses will allow you to breathe and collect your thoughts. It will seem to the audience that you are specifically speaking in such a way as to convey to them the maximum of useful information.
Follow the previous advice even if you are used to speaking quickly in everyday life. The higher your speaking speed, the more often you will breathe. Over time, you may feel short of breath, which can lead to fear and self-doubt. When speaking, it is better to say fewer words, but put more meaning in them. If you are in a hurry to give a lot of information, listeners may eventually lose interest in your speech.
Our breathing has a huge impact on the quality of speech and the state of the body. Breathing calmly and deeply will relax you and make your voice more confident. This is why this method should not be underestimated.
If you are very worried about the reactions of others, try not to look them in the eyes. Your gaze should be directed “above the audience”, for example, at the level of the hair of the assembled people. Turn your head from time to time, as if you are looking at people in different parts of the room. Surprisingly, the audience will not notice your cunning. They will feel that you are addressing each of them personally.
If you feel that you are lacking in public speaking skills, consider enrolling in a public speaking course. It would also be nice to study in a journalism club or theater studio. By interacting with different people, you can learn very useful skills that will be useful to you in different life situations.
Many public people actually have a fear of being in front of a mass of spectators or listeners. Nevertheless, thanks to self-improvement, they were able to achieve success in their activities. If you are afraid of public speaking, have the courage to face your fear and overcome it. The most effective way to deal with your fear of public speaking is to speak in public as often as possible. Our selection of tips will help you with this.