How to overcome the fear of public speaking. Fear of public speaking: reasons and how to get rid of it

Fear public speaking- This is one of the most common manifestations of social phobia, which the vast majority of people encounter at some point in their lives. Most often, speaking in public causes fear in adolescence, but this can also become a serious problem for adults. In this article we will dwell in detail on the main reasons for this phenomenon, and also give recommendations that will help overcome the fear of public speaking.

How does fear of performing manifest itself?

Let's start with the simplest and most obvious - the symptoms that appear during performances. In fact, there are quite a lot of them. Some people experience increased sweating, while others begin to shake like a leaf. In this article we will list the most common of them:

Cardiopalmus;
High blood pressure;
Hyperhidrosis (increased sweating);
Blushing syndrome (redness of the face);
Hand tremors, stoop;
Change in voice, dry mouth;
Bear disease.

As you can see, these are not the most pleasant symptoms that can seriously affect your life. Those for whom public speaking is part of their job (teachers, journalists, lawyers, etc.) suffer especially. In this case, your life can turn into daily torture. Moreover, in the background constant anxiety psychosomatic diseases may develop (nonspecific ulcerative colitis, bronchial asthma, allergic skin diseases, etc.)

Psychosomatic diseases are painful conditions where mental and physiological factors are intertwined. Those. when mental disorders can manifest themselves at the physiological level and vice versa.

Therefore, it is worth taking this problem very seriously. Now let's look at the reasons for the fear of public speaking.

Causes

Again, there are many reasons and they are diverse in their origin. If you experience fear of public speaking, then you should carefully listen to your feelings during it and try to understand what thoughts make you nervous. It is necessary to pull out all irrational thoughts and replace them with more rational ones.

Irrational thoughts are an incorrect interpretation of real events. For example, “everyone noticed how I blushed,” but in reality this is not at all true.

This is the basis of cognitive behavioral therapy, which underlies the treatment of social phobia. Only by understanding the reasons for our fear can we begin effective fight with him.

1) Negative memories from childhood.

One of the reasons for fear of public speaking may be negative memories from childhood. For example, a child, answering near the blackboard, could do something ridiculous, which caused laughter from his classmates. The child will remember this moment in the future, he will become afraid or avoid such situations.

2) Incorrect upbringing.

Another common reason is improper upbringing. I think everyone knows how much little children love to scream in public places (for example, on a bus). How do parents react to this? Most often they try in every possible way to calm them down, and some even beat or otherwise punish their offspring. Naturally, after this, the child may become more withdrawn, social skills will not develop, which will lead to problems in communication and, in particular, to a fear of public speaking.

3) High demands on oneself and dependence on other people’s opinions.

We all love ourselves to some extent. Very often, social phobes set high demands on themselves, and in all their endeavors there are notes of unhealthy perfectionism, but due to their weak social skills they are often disappointed. Therefore, if you approach the podium with the thought “everything must go perfectly,” then you will only intensify your worries if something goes wrong.

4) Complexes associated with appearance.

Some people are fixated on some flaw in their appearance. Moreover, they are so fixated that it begins to seem to them that others are also constantly paying attention to him, although in fact this is not the case. Moreover, others may find him attractive. For the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that there really are people with obvious defects in appearance, but there are few of them, most often your problem is far-fetched. People around you tend to pay attention to your imaginary or real shortcoming, not because it is so obvious, but because you yourself focus on it. Understanding this is one of the the most important steps, which will help you not to worry when speaking in public.

5) Problems with pronunciation.

Some people don't have the most better diction and this causes them to panic. But here everything is not so bad. Firstly, speech can be trained, and secondly, most people will not be too critical of this shortcoming. Many will simply not care. Again, if you serious problems with speech, then in this case it is reasonable to think about changing activities or somehow modifying them in order to reduce public speaking to a minimum.

6) Reasons at the physical level.

There is no reliable confirmation of the facts listed below, but it is worth familiarizing yourself with them. First, scientists are working with genes responsible for fear. It is possible that increased anxiety may be inherited from your parents. In addition, there is a part of the brain responsible for fear, which is called the amygdala. Some scientists suggest that increased activity in the amygdala may lead to excessive anxiety.

How to overcome the fear of public speaking?

Many people view fear of public speaking as a separate problem. To make it more clear, I will give an example. Let's say you have a runny nose. What do most people do in this case? They buy drops or a spray and after some time the runny nose goes away. The same thing happens in a situation with fear of public speaking. Most people think that by following some simple recommendations, the fear will go away. But in reality, more often than not, the problem is much deeper. As a rule, such people have distorted thinking, which is reflected not only in public speaking, but also in other social contacts, as well as throughout life in general. This topic is huge and it is not possible to describe it within the framework of this article, so we will have to limit ourselves general recommendations, which will nevertheless be useful in some cases.

1) Getting rid of irrational thoughts.

I believe that this is one of the main points that should help overcome the fear of speaking in public. Examples of some irrational thoughts during a speech were given above, I’ll add a little to this list:

a) Everyone will look at me . In fact, this is not always the case. Do you remember yourself as a spectator at any performances? Do you always pay close attention to the speaker? Surely people will often be distracted, and some will not even care what you are talking about.

b) Everyone sees my big nose/red cheeks/shaky hands, etc. We are convinced that not everyone will stare at you. Now let's imagine this situation. You are worried and very red, what will happen in this case? As mentioned above, some people simply will not notice this. The other part will notice, but will not react negatively to it. And only a small part of the audience will notice and be critical of this. Everything is not as scary as it seemed before. In addition, this does not mean at all that people who were critical of what happened will change their opinion of you based on this situation. How you yourself react to what happened plays a big role. Don't frantically try to hide your shaking hands or cover up your red face. This behavior will only make the situation worse. Try to joke about this topic, which, in turn, will help defuse the situation and not worry about speaking in public.

c) Everything must go perfectly. Another wrong belief. Under no circumstances should you set yourself up this way before a performance, otherwise any mistake will cripple you even more. It is worth remembering that even professionals can make mistakes. You shouldn’t reproach yourself for mistakes, because... this is absolutely normal. It sounds corny, but it's true.

2) Careful preparation for the performance.

What do I mean by thorough preparation? Firstly, a clear knowledge of the topic of the speech. If you are fluent in the material, then it will be difficult for the audience to put you in an uncomfortable position with some sudden question. Secondly, you must look good. Being well-groomed and wearing the right clothes will give you confidence, and these are not empty words. Of course, you need to get a good night's sleep to stay alert and focused throughout the performance.

He did it - so can you

3) Muscle relaxation.

The state of your body is directly related to your psychological state, so before performing you need to relax your muscles and get rid of tension. How to do it? For example, you can resort to the services of a massage therapist. An easier option is running or working out in the gym. A short jog before speaking in public will help you relax and feel more relaxed.

4) Correct breathing.

Don't forget about this component. successful performance. If you're feeling too anxious, try the square breathing exercise. This is one of the NLP technician which helps to calm down in stressful situations. Therefore, as soon as you feel that your heartbeat and breathing have increased, use this technique to return to a calm state.

5) Focusing on positive viewers.

Quite a simple and logical technique. Why look at skeptical people when you can focus on friendly or neutral audiences? If you are embarrassed by the very fact that someone is looking at you, then you can not pay attention to the audience at all, but choose some inanimate object as the object of your attention.

6) Friendliness and openness to the audience.

Finally, the most obvious advice. Remain friendly and open to the audience. Nobody likes people who are grumbling and angry at the whole world.

In conclusion, I would like to say that following all the advice given above, you are unlikely to immediately overcome your fear of public speaking. This is completely normal. Practice, eradicate irrational thoughts and sooner or later you will be able to speak in front of any audience with unshakable confidence. At the end, we recommend watching a useful video on how to overcome the fear of public speaking and stop being afraid to communicate with people in general:

The fear of public speaking develops in many people since childhood. Some have already managed to overcome it, and some are still using it special techniques before each public appearance on stage to hide signs of discomfort. To completely get rid of the fear of the audience, you need to train every day and adhere to some rules.

To understand and choose the right ways to overcome the fear of public speaking, you need to accurately determine its nature. A person must understand what exactly provoked such a deviation and persistently fight it.

Why is there a fear of public speaking?

A person may need to go on stage in many cases, for example, this may be associated with promotion career ladder or when replacing one of the employees, but how to overcome the fear of public speaking if it has been present since early years life? To solve a problem, you need to understand why it arose. Psychologists identify several of the most common reasons for fear of public speaking, namely:

wrong upbringing. This is due to the fact that each of the parents puts something personal into the child, thus making changes in the natural behavior of the child. Most main mistake When raising a father or mother, the emphasis is on the fact that it is not worth putting yourself on display and standing out from others. Against this background, the child will develop complexes; it is very likely that he will have to look for ways to overcome his fear of public speaking;
excessive shyness. Deviation may also be associated with banal emotionality, which is difficult to control. Experts note that last years There are many more people with such characteristics. In this case, when a person only finds out that he will have to perform, he already experiences stress;
fears that came from childhood. In most cases, before overcoming the fear of public speaking, psychologists ask the person to remember whether something happened in early age situations that could provoke such a deviation. This includes unsuccessfully reading poems to your group in kindergarten or at a matinee, while the performance caused ridicule from adults or peers;
fear of receiving harsh criticism. Every person has such a quality as self-love, but in some cases it is excessive and can turn into painful state of mind. As a consequence, people suffer from public fear to avoid possible condemnation. Some people prefer to do nothing and not show initiative, thus protecting themselves from unnecessary attention in their direction;
problems with pronouncing words. Poor diction is also one of the common reasons why people cannot stop being afraid of public speaking. To cope with this, sometimes you just need to start performing a little, adequate reaction the public will help get rid of complexes;
neurotic deviations. People suffering from this disease are unable to control their emotional condition before any important moment. It is better for such a person to gradually overcome the fear of public speaking, since due to the first failure the situation can only get worse;
complexes associated with appearance. This is faced mainly by people who are unsure of themselves. the main problem in this case, it is that the person is convinced of mockery in his direction from those present in the hall immediately after his appearance on stage.

What are the signs of fear before speaking?

It is quite easy to identify people with public fear. The main signs can appear either before the performance or during it. Very often, excessive fun occurs as a protective reaction of the body. This may apply not only to workers in humorous genres; inappropriate jokes can also occur during a serious report.

Other signs of deviation include the following:

Absolutely every person has the right to be nervous before a speech, but if feverish behavior occurs in which the speaker begins to lose everything and the text is forgotten, it is better to think about the help of a psychiatrist.
In some situations, the speaker may experience redness or paleness of the face. This is caused by the fact that a person panics excessively, after which his blood pressure rises.
In case of obvious deviation, the speech always confirms the speaker’s nervousness. If a person begins to gesture too much and inappropriately, this indicates the peak of his irritation, such people should urgently consult a psychologist and start figuring out how to stop being afraid of public speaking.

All these signs of such fear may not necessarily affect the weak in psychologically person. This often happens with absolutely confident people at the most crucial moment. Here it is also worth learning to understand when anxiety is justified and when it is caused unhealthy attitude person to a situation that does not involve such reactions.

Note! Under no circumstances should you be afraid to contact a psychologist to deal with this problem. Overcoming the fear of speaking, a person takes the right steps towards self-development and building a successful career.

How to overcome fear of an audience

To learn how not to be afraid of public speaking and overcome rejection, many people prefer to turn to specialists, but this can also be done independently, strictly following specific recommendations. To cope with such a deviation, you can use the following, most common, techniques:

creating a confident image. According to research, if a person looks good, he almost never experiences such fear. This is due to the fact that he feels himself and sees no reason to panic. Therefore, before going out to speak, it is better for the speaker to get himself in order and choose the right one in this case costume;
auto-training. In order not to be afraid of making mistakes in the form of slips, you need to adjust yourself to the fact that there is nothing terrible in this mistake. This can happen to absolutely anyone, even a professional. Usually there are no problems with this training, since there are much fewer people who do not love themselves than those who sometimes even praise their actions too much;
self-discipline training. This includes the right attitude, getting rid of bad habits while speaking in front of an audience and eliminating sedatives such as alcohol or medications. If they are used, the situation will only worsen, and the speaker may become stressed, causing much greater deviations than before. Also, do not forget that this can irrevocably damage the speaker's career. Before going on stage, it is advisable to refuse food that is heavy on the stomach; this may cause increased drowsiness or abdominal pain;
consultation with a specialist. Some people never take this rule into account simply because they are embarrassed. But this is completely wrong. If the fear of public speaking is caused by childhood psychological trauma, a specialist will help cope with the deviation and return the person to a full life. The specialist will also give several practical advice that will help a person not return to this state again;
a clear understanding of the topic presented in the report. If in advance, it's better to spend free time to get acquainted with the topic. When the speaker understands well what he is expressing, there are no hesitations or forgetting of the text, a person will always be able to navigate difficult situation and answer all questions after the presentation. It is advisable that the topic be to the liking of the speaker himself, then there is a high probability that people will believe what they hear;
meditation. Many people are skeptical about this type of solution to the problem. Plus, not everyone knows such pacification techniques. To start using this method, just take a deep breath, exhale (these actions must be stretched for 5 seconds each) and relax. The positive effect occurs after 4-6 minutes of meditation;
think only about the positive. To overcome the fear of going on stage, you need to learn to control yourself. If the speaker is in good mood and radiates only positivity, he will have no problems with the public, who will also be charged with his energy.

Fears before and during a performance will prevent a person from fully revealing all of his strengths. Anyone who is going to achieve success in their career must also have self-control. To cope with this deviation, you can take into account several tips from psychologists, namely:

If trembling occurs in the knees, you need to make a movement reminiscent of shaking off water from them.
Sometimes it's good to just admit your anxiety and smile; if you do it appropriately, the audience will always support you. But it is better not to repeat such actions twice.
Before the first performance, it is better to invite relatives or friends; they will be able to provide the necessary support, which you will definitely miss.

Conclusion

If the situation is critical, you can take special medications, but it is very important to use moderation so as not to overdo it. You can ask a psychologist about which means to use.

The life of each of us consists of numerous contacts in society. And there is hardly a person who has never had the need to demonstrate his oratory in front of people. Particularly in need of the art of eloquence are those who, due to their professional activities, have to regularly speak in front of a diverse audience.

Talent to clearly formulate thoughts, ability to choose true words, the gift of persuasion is necessary for politicians, businessmen, teachers, priests of Themis, and business coaches. Mastering the basics of communication and conquering the public is an invariable point for actors, singers and other creative fraternities to achieve triumph.

However, what to do when before a performance your legs give way and your heart flutters like a wounded bird? We suggest you study the advice of psychologists on how to overcome stage fright and become Cicero.

Who is haunted by fear: from ordinary people to celebrities

First, let’s make sure that we are not alone with our anxiety. According to numerous scientific research, the absolute majority experience fear of public speaking to one degree or another homo sapiens: 95% of earthlings. The pathological fear of communicating with people, called glossophobia or peiraphobia by psychologists, is one of the five most common irrational fears.

Moreover, this uncontrollable obsessive anxiety is a very harmful and poisonous viper. Fear of performances not only causes us inconvenience and discomfort, rewards us with bad feelings, but also puts a spoke in the wheels of climbing the career ladder, forcing us to look from the bottom at the dizzying heights of our prospects.

The fear of communicating from the stage takes hold not only of timid provincial mortals, but also of outstanding and famous artists with crowds of fans. Panic before an upcoming performance was familiar to the queen of Soviet cinema - Faina Ranevskaya, the German opera baritone - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the great cellist and public figure Pablo Casals y Defilho.

Why glossophobia is harmful: from mild anxiety to panic horror

For most of us, the imminent moment of speaking in front of people initiates the release of stress hormones - a provocateur of many somatic ailments. Having taken untimely or inadequate measures to counteract stress factors, our subconscious mind gets stuck on this situation, focusing its attention on the anticipation of an imminent catastrophe.

Our brain chooses the inherently destructive “escape” behavior to counteract it, hoping to prevent the expected suffering. However, such protective actions do not solve, but further aggravate the problem, causing new emotional difficulties, driving them away from reality into an unnatural environment of primitiveness, schematism and simplicity.

Therefore, it is extremely important to correct our feelings in the very bud, when pathological stage fright has not completely swallowed us and deprived us of communication with people.

When there is a reason to sound the alarm: from mild excitement to stupor

We must clearly understand: the fear of speaking in front of people is not always a sign of a phobia that has terrible consequences. It is natural to be excited and normal to feel anxious when we are about to make our debut solo concert, our first ever presentation in front of an unfamiliar and large audience. However, we are unlikely to worry if similar events take place in an atmosphere familiar to us: among friends, in front of fellow students, in an office environment.

Psychologists say: low-intensity and short-term fear - useful emotion, accumulating our attention, rewarding us with determination, energy, and concentration. As a result, the performance with our active participation turns out to be more exciting, original, spectacular, prosperous. And a routine performance, the preparation for which did not evoke any special sensations in the opponent, is doomed to failure.

However, inexplicable, uncontrollable, all-consuming anxiety that takes over the mind before a standard event: communication with familiar people, rhetoric in a narrow circle of friends is a good excuse for taking drastic measures. Remember, with glossophobia, the fear of communication is not selective: it does not distinguish between the size of the audience, the place of the performance, the importance of the event - it is constant.

How peiraphobia manifests itself: we study our sensations

In the hours of anticipation of the “social apocalypse”, we have an increasing psycho-emotional stress: the activity of the subcortical system, cerebral cortex, autonomic nervous system, motor centers, endocrine glands, visceral organs. As a result we have:

skeletal muscle tension increases;
vasospasm is observed;
motor skills accelerate;
facial expressions change;
the timbre of the voice becomes different;
increased sweating is observed;
heartbeat increases;
blood pressure rises.

A panic attack can give us:

intense pressing, squeezing, squeezing headache;
tingling sensation in the heart area;
tremor of the limbs;
internal trembling;
unquenchable thirst;
numbness;
urge to urinate.

Often panic attack leads to fainting.

What causes peiraphobia: causes of fear

To overcome your fear, psychologists recommend carefully analyzing your life history and trying to determine where anxiety takes root. It's pretty difficult task, but having established the provoking factor, efforts can be made to eliminate it.

So, the only fact that we cannot completely get rid of is unfavorable heredity, in other words: genetic predisposition.

We are given from birth: a certain stability of the nervous system, a level of anxiety, a degree of fixation on our feelings. However, by using relaxation techniques and resorting to reading affirmations, we can develop composure, calmness, restraint, and equanimity.

Significant factors for the emergence of abnormal fears of communication are:

incorrect parenting strategy;
excessive severity and exactingness of adults towards the child;
unhealthy aggressive atmosphere in the family;
physical and moral violence in childhood;
the desire to meet the requirements of others;
excessive self-criticism;
individual traits: timidity, submissiveness, shyness, indecisiveness;
negative self-esteem;
negative experiences in the past;
striving for excellence, perfectionism;
excessive pedantry.

How to overcome your fear of people: five steps to success

To get rid of the fear of speaking, we have to overcome five steps.

Step 1: Eliminate the unknown from the equation

Before the upcoming communication with people, we need to conduct a kind of research: study the characteristics of the audience. We will try to find out about the number of people, their age category, status, worldview, and priorities. We need to understand exactly what the audience expects from our appearance on stage, what likely reactions will follow towards us.

Our awareness will allow us to predict the course and outcome of the upcoming performance.

Step 2. Reining in the “monster”

Our anxieties increase due to the fact that we mentally reward society with negative characteristics and focus our attention on fictitious vices. We draw in our minds terrible pictures of sidelong glances, cynical grins, skeptical shakes of the head, angry whispers, angry gestures.

We should change our perception of society by adorning each person in the crowd with positive attributes. We imagine how people smile and applaud at us, how their eyes glow with delight and amazement.

A great option to get rid of unnecessary anxiety: visualize the event in a major key.

Step 3. Preventing fiasco

An excellent remedy for the fear of failure is our proper preparation for the event. For example: there will be a report at a seminar in the near future. What should we do to make our presentation successful in public? We can:

Find, analyze, study initial postulates from various sources.
Compose original text abstract.
Determine the main points.
Create compelling, but not boring, arguments.
Choose interesting facts for the story.
Read or retell the text in front of the mirror.
Record the report on a voice recorder and listen to your speech.
Anticipate likely questions and select the best answers.
Practice your gestures and facial expressions.
Decide on the appropriate clothing style.

If we have sufficient information and solid knowledge, then we can act confidently.

Step 4. Recognize people’s right to make mistakes

In order to minimize the damage to our psyche in the event of a presentation failure, we must understand: any, even the most educated and talented person can make a mistake and make a mistake. We are no exception. Also our audience: the public does not always manage to correctly understand and correctly evaluate the postulates addressed to them.

Therefore, we reduce the importance of the event and admit: within the framework of the Universe, our appearance in public is a grain of sand on the ocean coast.

And even if this fashion show is a failure, another one will follow - a more successful one.

Step 5. Pay attention to the present

Our event will be much more productive if we focus on current actions rather than constantly thinking about future results.

We have fun, enjoy and savor every moment of preparation for an important event.

Let's not forget about the miraculous power of a smile. Smile at your reflection, address emoticons to others, remember: being afraid and smiling are incompatible phenomena.

A sincere smile will help you overcome the fear of the public forever!

Fear of public speaking and the reasons for its occurrence. In the article we'll talk about how to get rid of voiced mental discomfort that can harm the career growth of any person.

The content of the article:

Fear of public speaking is a feeling that may seem unreasonable to some skeptics. However, practice shows that it is precisely this that prevents many people from revealing themselves to the intended audience in all the glory of their oratorical talents. It is necessary to understand the reasons for the voiced fear and methods of combating such a scourge.

Reasons for developing a fear of public speaking

Very often it is necessary to convey your thoughts to a large number of people, because this is important for the career and development of every self-sufficient individual. However, some individuals experience a fear of public speaking, the nature of which they cannot explain even to themselves.

Psychologists identify the following reasons for the described phenomenon in a person who panicked before speaking:

Childhood fears. Fear of speaking in front of an audience is a likely manifestation of a kind of embarrassment that happened a long time ago. The reason for what is described may be an unsuccessfully read poem at a matinee, the performance of which caused laughter from peers or adults.
Costs of education. Each parent puts something personal into their child, adjusting the behavior model of their beloved child in their own way. Sometimes a father or mother inspires a child or teenager that under no circumstances should they expose themselves to others. This later develops into obsession, which becomes one of the reasons for the fear of public speaking.
Fear of criticism from listeners. Self-love is a feeling that should be present in every person. However, sometimes this trait turns into a painful mental state. The result is fear of public speaking due to fear of being criticized.
Problems with diction. Not every person can boast of perfect pronunciation and a masterly manner of presenting information to listeners. Some people take this fact absolutely calmly, but there are people who are afraid of public speaking precisely for the reason stated.
Excessive shyness. As they say, not everyone can launch satellites, so there are a sufficient number of complex or overly emotionally vulnerable people in modern society. The very thought that they need to give a speech in front of a large audience terrifies such individuals.
Complexes about one's own appearance. Often similar phenomenon- a common exaggeration on the part of an insecure person. Such people think that everyone will laugh as soon as they see them on the podium or stage, even with a carefully prepared report.
Neurotic diseases. A person who suffers from such an illness finds it difficult to control his emotions in front of important event. Therefore, one should be surprised at the panic at the most inopportune moment in such nervous personalities no need to.

Important! Psychologists believe that all the voiced reasons must be urgently eradicated. Such fears prevent people from making a successful career and achieving significant results in life.

Signs of an alarmist before public speaking

It is quite easy to determine such a contingent of speakers based on fairly obvious external signs. Their condition can be characterized as follows:

Excessive fun. This behavior is appropriate when preparing for a performance by clowns or masters of the comic genre. Before a serious report, you need to gather yourself as much as possible, and nervous laughter only shows the alarmist’s fear of the upcoming appearance in public.
Feverish behavior. In this state, the speaker constantly loses the material of the report and literally everything falls out of his hands. Everyone can be nervous before a public speaking, but you shouldn’t turn small worries into real hysterics.
Nervous gestures. This behavior is similar to the feverish excitement described above. However, it is the peak of panic before public speaking, when a person begins to gesticulate desperately.
Facial redness or paleness. Making yourself blush suits a shy girl of marriageable age, not a professional who is seriously interested in advancing her career. It is this sign that indicates that a person panics before a public speech; nervous soil blood pressure rises. Excessive paleness of the skin may also indicate that the future speaker is afraid of the upcoming speech.

All listed signs The fear of reaching a large audience can overtake both a weak-willed person and a self-confident careerist. One should simply distinguish when the condition that has arisen is natural reaction before an important event, and where the real panic begins for the speaker.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking is not a whim, but a wise decision for self-sufficient individuals who want to achieve a lot in life. Here it is important not only to recognize the problem, but also to begin to actively fight it.

Methods for dealing with fear of public speaking

There are many ways to combat this mental discomfort. You can help yourself, but if this is unattainable, you should turn to specialists.

Overcome the fear of public speaking on your own

A person is the creator of his own destiny, so there is no point in blaming someone for the failures that plague him. In this case, you can try the following means of combating the fear of public speaking:

Autotraining. It's not hard to do this because few people don't love themselves. This is considered normal if it does not develop into inveterate selfishness. Therefore, it is necessary to convince yourself that even experienced speakers make mistakes. It's no secret that in live can be heard a large number of so-called bloopers from public speaking gurus. Not in the world perfect people, and this should be learned for yourself in order to get rid of the fear of presentations in front of an audience.
Meditation. Some skeptics will say that not every person knows this technique. However, there is nothing complicated in the proposed method of dealing with fear of public speaking. Initially, you should relax as much as possible and take a deep breath of air. Then you need to exhale, stretching each movement for five seconds. It is recommended to do the above described for 5-6 minutes before communicating with the audience. This way you can achieve the greatest effect from the manipulations performed.
Clear knowledge of the topic of the speech. In this case, there is simply no time to panic, so it is better to devote it to familiarizing yourself with the material of the report. It is difficult to discourage a person who knows what he is talking about with an unexpected question or a sideways glance. It is also necessary to select a topic that suits your liking, so that listeners can see the speaker’s passion for the proposed material.
Image creation. Well-groomed man will never think about the question of how to overcome the fear of public speaking. He simply doesn’t have it because of his self-confidence. Before speaking, it is necessary to put your appearance in order so that the speaker pleases not only the ears of the listeners, but is also pleasant for visual perception.
Self-discipline. Bad habits should be left far beyond the doors of the conference room where the planned speech is to take place. Alcohol or tranquilizers are out of the question when it comes to an important report. In this case, such relaxation will end in failure and possible serious problems in the speaker’s career. Heavy meals should also be avoided before a performance because digesting them can cause drowsiness.
Avoidance stressful situations . On the eve of the report, you need to take a break from everyday worries and get a good night's sleep. Circles under the eyes and slurred speech of the speaker will not definitely make a successful speech. If you have a problem with insomnia, then you should not take sleeping pills, but rather drink a glass of warm milk with honey in small sips.
Activation of positive emotions. A person who is at peace with himself will easily overcome the fear of speaking in public. The positivity he experiences will not go unnoticed by a wide audience and will allow him to establish maximum contact with the public.
Consultation with a psychologist. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in this case, because fear of public speaking may be a consequence of mental trauma received in childhood. A specialist will help you establish contact with yourself and give recommendations on how to eliminate the interfering factor in your life. career growth person.

Speaker Tips for Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

In this case, advice from experienced speakers becomes invaluable experience for beginners. Language Arts Professionals Recommend following methods How to get rid of the fear of public speaking:

Rehearsal before the report. You can’t do without this, so as not to get a mass during the performance. unpleasant surprises. You should carefully go through all the stages of the upcoming presentation to the general public. You can also give a speech to your family the day before. This will allow you to correctly place emphasis, practice diction, think through the details of your speech, and evaluate the speed of presentation of information.
Breathing correction. This aspect is very important during the report, so you should pay attention to it Special attention. A speaker's voice that is creaky or hoarse with excitement will not impress the audience who have come to receive information that is valuable to them. It is necessary to constantly take deep breaths on the eve of the presentation so that the lungs are fully saturated with oxygen.
Focus on friendly audiences. Any speaker can determine by the reaction of listeners who are favorably disposed towards him. It is precisely this contingent that needs to be addressed greatest attention, focusing your gaze on him during the report.
Presentation of the future result. Experts recommend thinking only about the positive aspects of the upcoming performance. The listeners did not come with the clear goal of throwing tomatoes at the speaker, as some alarmist speakers seem to think. People attend such events in order to obtain for themselves necessary information, and not with malicious intent.
Smile and positivity towards listeners. A gloomy and solemn face in this case is unlikely to win over the audience, but rather will cause bewilderment and even negativity among them. The main thing is not to overdo it with emotions, because a smile out of place will look extremely ridiculous.
Maximum contact with listeners. No one suggests walking around the hall during a report, but sometimes it is not forbidden to go to the edge of the stage. In this case, you can directly answer the questions of those interested, without fencing them off from the same platform. The psychological technique will allow you to establish contact with the audience, showing the openness and sincerity of the speaker.
Originality of presentation of material. However, it is worth clearly understanding that everything is good in moderation. Good joke or unusual quote They will only brighten up the presentation, but humor when presenting statistical data is unlikely to be understood and accepted by the audience.
Boomerang method. During a speech, an incident may occur when the speaker does not know the answer to the question posed. There is no need to panic, because such behavior will look like incompetence of the speaker. The way out of an unpleasant situation is to forward the question to the audience or colleagues present at the conference. This is done to start a discussion and turn the report into an entertaining debate.
Confidence in contact with the public. A phrase in the form that a person is very worried about the upcoming speech will show the seriousness of the speaker’s attitude towards the upcoming report. Most people are forgiving by nature, so they will be sympathetic to the speaker’s slight panic and internally encourage him.

How to get rid of the fear of public speaking - watch the video:

For any speaker, it is necessary to clearly understand how to overcome the fear of public speaking. Initially assuming failure means 100% getting what you expected. negative result. It is necessary to set yourself up for one hundred percent success, gradually gaining experience through constant training in public speaking.

Public speaking often causes anxiety and anxiety. What if I forget something? Am I confused and can’t cope with my emotions? Can't answer questions? Will my speech be uninteresting to the audience?

Many people believe that only timid and shy people experience fear of speaking in public. But according to oratory, in fact, almost everyone goes through such experiences. Even many experienced speakers feel nervous when they come out to speak. new topic or in front of an unfamiliar audience. As surprising as it may sound, fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias in the world. Globe(according to statistics, fear of public speaking ranks first and second in different countries).

Any person has experienced excitement, and sometimes even fear, when it is necessary to make a report, give a presentation, give a speech at a meeting, give a toast at festive event or recite a poem at an amateur competition. Depending on the importance of the event and the audience to whom you are speaking, anxiety may manifest itself in varying degrees. At such moments the pulse quickens, hoarseness and trembling appear (in the hands, knees, voice), the tongue becomes stiff, and sometimes even the face and neck become covered with red spots. Linking several words into a meaningful text seems like an impossible task. Where to put your hands? Eyes to the ceiling or to the floor? How to overcome the fear of public speaking and cope with anxiety?

Basic principles of dealing with fear:

1. Practice is the most effective method. To get rid of fear, you need to constantly overcome it. After about the fifth or sixth (regular!) performance in front of an audience, fear will gradually begin to subside. Practice, practice and more practice. Take every opportunity to gain public speaking skills.

2. Preparing for the performance. The best way reduce your fear of public speaking - prepare for it. To give a successful presentation, you need to know the topic of the report well. The prepared material can be shown to other people so that there is no doubt about its quality.

You can rehearse your speech in advance (in front of a mirror, a listener), thinking through the pace of speech, movements, facial expression, etc. The more confident you are in your knowledge, the less you will worry about saying something wrong and ending up find yourself in an awkward position. It is the lack of confidence in their knowledge that keeps many people from speaking in front of large audiences.

3. Give up the idea that you always have to be perfect. Most people are afraid of public speaking due to the fear of making a mistake in front of everyone. This anxiety further increases the likelihood of mistakes. And even professional speakers are not immune from them. Ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that will happen if I'm wrong?" A mistake will not result in a death sentence. Remember: you still won’t be able to please everyone. About 5% of the audience will still remain dissatisfied. There’s nothing you can do about it, it’s the law of life, so is it necessary to waste your nerves on it?

4. Appearance. Try to look good during your speech. First of all, for yourself. This is where the next psychological moment comes into play. For example, a girl had an “arrow” on her tights. She thinks about it, worries. Even if 90% of people don’t see her, the girl knows about it. These thoughts do not add to her confidence. Make sure that your clothes and shoes do not cause you internal discomfort and do not distract your attention during the performance.

4. If possible, take training or courses in public speaking

Methods for dealing with fear immediately before a performance:

1. Move your jaw back and forth quickly, this will help relax the facial nerves so that your face does not resemble an ancient theater mask.

2. Vigorously shake your hands, move your fingers, stretch your palms. This gymnastics helps relieve the paralyzing effect of anxiety, stimulates speech apparatus; Your reaction speed and eloquence are significantly improved.

3. Walk vigorously and wave your arms. Physical activity Helps relieve nervous tension.

4. Move at a calm rhythm. Stretch your arms up without lifting your heels from the floor, stretch and throw your body down, shake your arms.

When we’re nervous, our breathing rate reflexively increases (when we’re nervous, we breathe quickly and shallowly). And since everything in the human body is interconnected, with conscious control of breathing the psychological condition person. By learning to control and manage your breathing, you will learn to control feelings such as anxiety, fear, and panic. Slow and deep breathing will help reduce anxiety. Try the following breathing exercises before your performance:.

1. “Square breathing”: inhale through your nose, pause, exhale through your nose and pause again. Do the exercise in four counts (inhale for one, two, three, four, pause for one, two, three, four, etc.).

2. “Breathing on a count”: inhale through your nose for one or two, exhale through your nose for three, four, five, six. Take a pause. (3-5 inhalations and exhalations). Next, increase the duration of your inhalations and exhalations. Inhale through your nose for one-two-three-four, exhale through your nose for five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten-eleven-twelve (5-7 inhalations and exhalations).

3. “Exhale through the mouth”: inhale through your nose for one-two-three, exhale through your mouth for five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten-eleven-twelve (5-7 inhalations and exhalations). We always speak on the exhale. Speaking, it is better to inhale through the nose, and we, one way or another, exhale through the mouth. The longer our exhalation, the stronger, more melodic and without interruption we will be able to speak. It is important to learn to exhale more slowly than usual.

4. If you are out of breath, take several deep breaths and pronounce any words using the vowel “u” as you exhale. For example: wow, circle, fluff...

If you don't know where to put your hands. Before the start of the performance, the arms are in a natural position along the body or slightly bent at the elbows and slightly pressed to the body. During a speech, you can put your hands behind your back, on a table or podium. It is not advisable to cross your arms, close your hands, or keep them in your pockets. You can pick up an object (pen, book, sheet of paper with your notes), but do not perform unnecessary manipulations with the object. It is better to hold the object with one hand so that the other remains free.

If anxiety increases during a performance, any movement will help. You can walk around, pick up something, a microphone, a visual aid. Come up with a reason for applause and applaud along with the audience.

We hope you find these tips useful. Anyone who wants to stop being afraid must start performing. It's only difficult the first five times. Arm yourself with knowledge and gain experience in performing, improve your oratory. And each time the discomfort will be replaced by the pleasure of a job well done. Try it, find what helps you.