Public Speaking Anxiety

Public Speaking Anxiety – Flashback…. Little Jimmy is sitting in his Grade 6 class daydreaming about Jennie, the cute little redhead 2 desks over and 3 desks up, when Miss Greenwood says “Class, next Friday you must all prepare a 3 minute speech on astronomy” Fast forward to Friday and it’s coming up to Little Jimmy’s time to speak and the poor little guy is a nervous wreck.

Fast forward 20 years and little Jimmy (now wanting to be called James) is not so little anymore and the cute redhead Jennie has been replaced by the tall slim blonde Anna. This time it is James’ boss who has insisted that James gives the sales pitch to the new clients. The day is here and James is still a nervous wreck.

In 20 years nothing changed, back in Grade 6 Jimmy had a fear of speaking in public that has carried on into adulthood. He never did learn how to deal with his public speaking anxiety.

What James failed to realize is that this is a very common problem and he is definitely not alone. There is this paranoia of being in front of people and having to speak that affects a great many of us. It may stop people from accepting promotions at work because their job would then entail dealing with the outside world. It may hinder your chance for a job because you freeze at an interview. I could list many situations that lead to public speaking anxiety but I think you get my drift.

Are we afraid of forgetting the words, saying something wrong, or some other embarrassment like tripping when walking out on stage? Are we afraid they will not like the way we talk, or that we come across as not knowing the subject or pronouncing certain words wrong, or just looking plain silly?

These are only a few examples public speaking anxiety and I am sure you can come up with a bunch more of your own. For whatever the reason, it is still the fear of speaking in public.

We, as humans, will always think the worst possible scenario and of course most of the time it never ends up as bad as we imagined.

So how can we conquer this public speaking anxiety? I remember being told, many years ago, to imagine your audience in their underwear. With my luck I would fixate on the person that looks like Larry the Cable guy (if you are no sure who that is, Google him and you will understand). This is not a great strategy for many reasons.

There are many things you can do to try and relieve public speaking anxiety; Let’s look at a few:

Preparation

If you have prepared your speech before hand, or gone over possible questions and scenarios if it is a job interview, it will help lower your anxiety level. Knowing your subject makes you the expert and in most cases knowledge will keep their attention.

Remember they are there to hear you speak as you are the one with the knowledge. If you know your stuff, you will be able to answer almost every question they have, but if for some reason you don’t know the answer, tell them you don’t and you will find the answer out and let them know. You are not a computer and not expected to know everything. You will be surprised how the honest answer will get you more respect than trying to fumble through an answer you don’t know.

Practice your speech many times ahead of the delivery. If you can do it in front of a mirror or even better a camera that you can look back and dissect. This will help you see your body position and facial expressions and allow you to correct anything you don’t like.

Take Your Time

In everyday life when we talk to someone, we take our time, pause if we are forming a thought or for emphasis, and speak in a normal voice. But when we get in front a large crowd our mouth and brain become Mario Andretti and figure we have to race through what we are doing.

You need to slow down and take your time. A technique that has really helped me in my public speaking is that wherever possible I will use some sort of visual aids, such as a PowerPoint. The technique is very simple; first, do not just read the points in the presentation, your audience can do that. Quickly read them so the audience knows which item you are talking about and then give them an explanation on that point that is NOT written up word for word in your speech. If you have followed step 1 on preparation, you are the expert and it is now your time to shine.

Secondly, after each point you make, stop speaking for 10 to 15 seconds to let your audience take in what you just said or to take done some notes.

And lastly, pause for 1 or 2 seconds between your sentences or paragraphs and during the pause, please do not say uh or ummm. That can be very distracting to hear all the time. Believe it or not the 1 or 2 second silence between sentences or paragraphs may seem like forever to you but are not even noticed by the audience.

Move, Move, Move

If you get the chance, or have ever watched a professional speaker, you will notice they do not stand in one place while giving their speech, they are constantly moving around the stage. This actually serves many purposes. For you it will help lessen your anxiety as movement in the body will make you more relaxed.

One of the biggest fears I have when speaking is that my audience will get bored and become disinterested and you can see this in their faces or body language. Once I see this all kinds of negative thoughts start going through my head. But one thing that I have noticed is the more I move from side to side on stage, or in the room, the more attentive my audience is. If they have to follow you, they will concentrate more on you and once you see they are interested in what you have to say and are paying attention, your confidence will shoot through the roof.

Breathe From Your Belly

There have been studies done at the University Center Rochester stating many ways to reduce public speaking anxiety. One of the main points they brought forward was the art of belly breathing. Anxiety causes your breathing to become shallow or you will hold your breath. Take deep breathes that come from the belly will help you to slow down this breathing as well as relieving some of the anxiety you are feeling. You here it a million times “Take Deep Breathes”

Coffee and Sugar – Out the Window

Caffeine is great in the morning, to wake you up and jump start your day, but when it comes to speech time, it can be one of the worst things for you. Caffeine can make your heart race, your body sweat and can make you feel very jittery and the last thing you need is anything that is going to trigger or enhance your anxiety.

Sugar is not much difference, it will give you a burst of energy and then drop you like a brick. Avoid Coffee and Sugar at all cost before you have to speak in public.

Dress Comfortably

I know it is very important how you look when you present but it is even more important that you wear comfortable clothing and especially comfortable shoes. The last things you want while in front of an audience are any distraction and tugging at you shirt or dress can be very distracting to those watching.

Limping around the stage or walking awkwardly because your shoes are too tight or too loose or the heels are too high can also be very distracting to your crowd.

If you are uncomfortable with what you are wearing it will cause the anxiety level to rise and this will be noticed to your patrons. Choose your wardrobe ahead of time and be very comfortable with your choice.

I have given you 6 tips to help you lessen, or remove public speaking anxiety. Now it is time for you to go and put them into practice. Good Luck!!

Recommendation

Number one fear in the world…Public Speaking…that’s a FACT.

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It’s not just about getting on the stage and talking to audiences.

No!

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…what about selling yourself at an interview

…getting your point across in a meeting

…having a one-to-one meeting with your boss

…influencing your work colleagues

All these situations require you to be publicly speaking.

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Have a Wonderful Anxiety Free Day

Larry Hough

All material provided in this post is for informational or educational purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.