Public speaking is one of the most dreaded tasks we all encounter at one point in our life. Regardless if you are in school, college or work, Public Speaking is a task we all have to undergo. Fear of speaking in public ranks second among the most common phobias (spiders is number one). To put things in perspective, people are more scared of speaking in public than death, marriage or bankruptcy. This feeling is common among most of us. Everyone shares the anxious feeling when there is a perception of being evaluated.
While anxiety is a common emotion, it can become a problem when it affects our functioning. In the case of public speaking, we start feeling anxious even before we start talking in front of people. In other words, we brace for impact before the impact. So why does this happen? Cognitively, anxiety serves as a reinforcer to a negative experience. In our minds, we start to associate displeasure with speaking in public. (A friend of mine commented that since childhood, while in school, the punishment was to go the chalk board and write. It could be that we might associate being in front of people as punishment as well). Any time we feel vulnerable, our first reaction is to retreat. The retreat is initiated by generating thoughts regarding our performance.
Here's the Good News on managing speech anxiety - I can tell you exactly how to control the over-creation of adrenalin within 15 minutes of you having to stand up to give a speech. I am going to inform you of a doctor-prescribed, safe, inexpensive and non-addictive pill (medication) that will eliminate your symptoms of fear almost instantaneously. Therefore, I can show you how to speak in public without the symptoms of feeling frightened. And if you can "speak in public without the symptoms of feeling frightened " guess what - YOU CAN SPEAK IN PUBLIC"! Since the pill is a doctor-prescribed medication, not an over-the-counter medication, you will have an opportunity to discuss it with your doctor to confirm that it is safe for you to take. But I can assure you - it is perfectly safe for the vast majority of us. This may sound too easy, but believe me once you learn the physical reason for your speech anxiety or stage fright , you will be able to speak in public better than you've ever thought possible.
Short-Term Treatments of Glossophobia.If this condition interferes in your life, it can be diagnosed as under the category of SAD. Fortunately, fear of public speaking can be managed easily. Short-term treatment includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and systematic desensitization. On the other hand, if you have a public speaking anxiety that causes you to experience significant distress, you need to ask a doctor for possible referrals to a psychologist. In addition to numerous traditional ,Many people feel very anxious when they are asked to speak publicly. Anxiety is a perfectly normal reaction to stressful situations, but for some, public speaking can cause more than just a fleeting anxiety attack. Learn some techniques to overcome normal and more serious feelings of anxiety.The famous author was due to deliver a short speech at a Women's Institute meeting. Now although he was very good with words when they were written down, he was not so confident with the spoken word. In fact, he was always quite anxious about making a speech.
The Chairwoman of the local Institute made a short welcoming speech and then introduced the author and the ladies clapped. He rose slowly to his feet and approached the microphone."Ladies," he began, "On my way here tonight, only God and I knew what I was going to say. Now, only God knows!" And he promptly left the stage!Anxiety about making speeches is far more common than you would think.There are many strategies that can be used to help deal with anxiety caused by having to deliver a speech. One of the major reasons for anxiety is being under prepared.If you are going to paint a door, let's say, then to do a really good job, you must prepare the surface well by rubbing it down with sandpaper. Then perhaps you need to seal the wood before applying undercoat and then one or maybe two coats of the gloss or matte paint.
The point is, the final job will not look half as good if the preparation work is not done well.It's the same with a good speech. If you don't collect together the material about which you are going to speak, sort it all into a sensible well thought out order so that all the points you want to cover are included and then arrange that material in an understandable way, your speech will be a disaster. Without that preparation, your task on the day will be immeasurably more difficult.But with all that preparation behind you, your confidence in your own ability with regard to the accuracy of the information should be OK.Your next task, of course, is the delivery of the speech and your preparation for your delivery should be just as thorough as your preparation of the content of the speech.So, what are the ways in which you can prepare yourself for delivery of your speech?During your preparation, find time to practise the speech. Read it through several times and you'll get a feel for how it sounds. If you can, record the speech as you hope to deliver it and listen to the playback carefully. Note down anything which didn't sound quite right so that you can change it at the end.
This approach can be accomplished by "breaking the ice" comments. Some people may engage in small talk prior to the official presentation to reduce anxiety.Know the Material.Out of all the tips, this one is crucial. Knowing what you are talking about will help you reduce anxiety. It is recommended to practice your speech. This exercise helps build confidence, and confidence will help reduce anxiety. Practice in front of a mirror if necessary.
How many times have you heard someone talk and you feel lost? Once you know the material, you need to organize it in a coherent way. Ask yourself, what is the goal of my speech? Make sure you present your material in an organized way (beginning, middle and end). This process gives you a map that if lost, can help you find your way back. With practice, if you forget what you where saying will help you gather your thoughts and know where you were.
Luckily for us, understanding the true source of our fear doesn't really matter. For some reason our brains have created a connection/link between standing up in front of people and speaking with a "threatening situation" of intense vulnerability.And let me say this now - our fears are completely independent of our intelligence. In fact, I believe those with higher IQ's may actually be more susceptible to fears brought about by childhood events than those of lower intelligence.Realistically, a deep-seeded fear may not be "curable" (in the clinical sense of the word). This is because it is a result of our genetic makeup and our external & internal conditioning which is a result of one or more of those incidents I mentioned that created our feelings of anxiety in the first place. But, as I'll explain in a moment - you do not have to cure your fear; you need only to cure the symptoms of that fear in order to be able to function without fear.For those of us with a serious fear of speaking in public our minds create what I'll call a "malfunction" of our natural defense system. It is our natural defense system that identifies a "threatening situation" that may confront us and creates the "fight or flight" response in our bodies. For us, when put into a position to speak in public our body's natural "fight or flight" response initiates the over-creation of adrenaline because we perceive speaking in public as a very serious "threatening situation."Therefore, the bad news in this discussion is the fact that our minds cause our bodies to create exorbitant amounts of adrenaline completely out of our control. And it is adrenaline that creates all of the symptoms that make us look and feel frightened.This understanding that it is the over-creation of adrenaline that creates my symptoms exactly at the time when I must speak in public was the key to finding a cure to my speech anxiety. And I promise you - it is the key for you as well.
During the week leading up to the speech, try to imagine any negative thoughts you might have about giving the speech. Write down as many as you can, without thinking about anything else. Then go through your list and make a positive story to counteract each negative thought you wrote down. Add to your list as and when you think of other negative thoughts you might have.On the day of your speech, try to make sure that you counteract any negative thoughts you might have with the positive stories you made up in the week before speech day.Before going on stage, while waiting in the special room allocated to you if you have one, or maybe outside away from other people if you don't, you could try to explain away the 'butterflies' that we all have. Emphasise, for example, that they are not something emotional like being 'scared to death'. They are actually a physical reaction brought about by your brain's response to the stress that it detects. When someone is anxious the brain releases additional amounts of a chemical called adrenalin into the blood stream. This has the physical effect of making the stomach contract and interferes with digestion.
Straight forward physical explanations for how you feel will get rid of unwanted emotional reactions. Try to think of or remember any effects that anxiety has on your body and think of the reasons for them.When you have finished your speech, enjoy the applause. Remember that applause and use it to counteract any negative thoughts you may have later. If, during the days after the speech you start to worry about it not being right or something, bring back the memory of your audience clapping appreciatively.Activities that can help to dispel anxiety include the following:Breathe in slowly and deeply, hold your breath for the count of 5 and then breathe out slowly. Repeat for up to 40 breaths.Go for a brisk walk, or do some other physical activity.Always give your speech or talk some serious thought and prepare well before hand. Your speech making will only get better!
While anxiety is a common emotion, it can become a problem when it affects our functioning. In the case of public speaking, we start feeling anxious even before we start talking in front of people. In other words, we brace for impact before the impact. So why does this happen? Cognitively, anxiety serves as a reinforcer to a negative experience. In our minds, we start to associate displeasure with speaking in public. (A friend of mine commented that since childhood, while in school, the punishment was to go the chalk board and write. It could be that we might associate being in front of people as punishment as well). Any time we feel vulnerable, our first reaction is to retreat. The retreat is initiated by generating thoughts regarding our performance.
Here's the Good News on managing speech anxiety - I can tell you exactly how to control the over-creation of adrenalin within 15 minutes of you having to stand up to give a speech. I am going to inform you of a doctor-prescribed, safe, inexpensive and non-addictive pill (medication) that will eliminate your symptoms of fear almost instantaneously. Therefore, I can show you how to speak in public without the symptoms of feeling frightened. And if you can "speak in public without the symptoms of feeling frightened " guess what - YOU CAN SPEAK IN PUBLIC"! Since the pill is a doctor-prescribed medication, not an over-the-counter medication, you will have an opportunity to discuss it with your doctor to confirm that it is safe for you to take. But I can assure you - it is perfectly safe for the vast majority of us. This may sound too easy, but believe me once you learn the physical reason for your speech anxiety or stage fright , you will be able to speak in public better than you've ever thought possible.
Short-Term Treatments of Glossophobia.If this condition interferes in your life, it can be diagnosed as under the category of SAD. Fortunately, fear of public speaking can be managed easily. Short-term treatment includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and systematic desensitization. On the other hand, if you have a public speaking anxiety that causes you to experience significant distress, you need to ask a doctor for possible referrals to a psychologist. In addition to numerous traditional ,Many people feel very anxious when they are asked to speak publicly. Anxiety is a perfectly normal reaction to stressful situations, but for some, public speaking can cause more than just a fleeting anxiety attack. Learn some techniques to overcome normal and more serious feelings of anxiety.The famous author was due to deliver a short speech at a Women's Institute meeting. Now although he was very good with words when they were written down, he was not so confident with the spoken word. In fact, he was always quite anxious about making a speech.
The Chairwoman of the local Institute made a short welcoming speech and then introduced the author and the ladies clapped. He rose slowly to his feet and approached the microphone."Ladies," he began, "On my way here tonight, only God and I knew what I was going to say. Now, only God knows!" And he promptly left the stage!Anxiety about making speeches is far more common than you would think.There are many strategies that can be used to help deal with anxiety caused by having to deliver a speech. One of the major reasons for anxiety is being under prepared.If you are going to paint a door, let's say, then to do a really good job, you must prepare the surface well by rubbing it down with sandpaper. Then perhaps you need to seal the wood before applying undercoat and then one or maybe two coats of the gloss or matte paint.
The point is, the final job will not look half as good if the preparation work is not done well.It's the same with a good speech. If you don't collect together the material about which you are going to speak, sort it all into a sensible well thought out order so that all the points you want to cover are included and then arrange that material in an understandable way, your speech will be a disaster. Without that preparation, your task on the day will be immeasurably more difficult.But with all that preparation behind you, your confidence in your own ability with regard to the accuracy of the information should be OK.Your next task, of course, is the delivery of the speech and your preparation for your delivery should be just as thorough as your preparation of the content of the speech.So, what are the ways in which you can prepare yourself for delivery of your speech?During your preparation, find time to practise the speech. Read it through several times and you'll get a feel for how it sounds. If you can, record the speech as you hope to deliver it and listen to the playback carefully. Note down anything which didn't sound quite right so that you can change it at the end.
This approach can be accomplished by "breaking the ice" comments. Some people may engage in small talk prior to the official presentation to reduce anxiety.Know the Material.Out of all the tips, this one is crucial. Knowing what you are talking about will help you reduce anxiety. It is recommended to practice your speech. This exercise helps build confidence, and confidence will help reduce anxiety. Practice in front of a mirror if necessary.
How many times have you heard someone talk and you feel lost? Once you know the material, you need to organize it in a coherent way. Ask yourself, what is the goal of my speech? Make sure you present your material in an organized way (beginning, middle and end). This process gives you a map that if lost, can help you find your way back. With practice, if you forget what you where saying will help you gather your thoughts and know where you were.
Luckily for us, understanding the true source of our fear doesn't really matter. For some reason our brains have created a connection/link between standing up in front of people and speaking with a "threatening situation" of intense vulnerability.And let me say this now - our fears are completely independent of our intelligence. In fact, I believe those with higher IQ's may actually be more susceptible to fears brought about by childhood events than those of lower intelligence.Realistically, a deep-seeded fear may not be "curable" (in the clinical sense of the word). This is because it is a result of our genetic makeup and our external & internal conditioning which is a result of one or more of those incidents I mentioned that created our feelings of anxiety in the first place. But, as I'll explain in a moment - you do not have to cure your fear; you need only to cure the symptoms of that fear in order to be able to function without fear.For those of us with a serious fear of speaking in public our minds create what I'll call a "malfunction" of our natural defense system. It is our natural defense system that identifies a "threatening situation" that may confront us and creates the "fight or flight" response in our bodies. For us, when put into a position to speak in public our body's natural "fight or flight" response initiates the over-creation of adrenaline because we perceive speaking in public as a very serious "threatening situation."Therefore, the bad news in this discussion is the fact that our minds cause our bodies to create exorbitant amounts of adrenaline completely out of our control. And it is adrenaline that creates all of the symptoms that make us look and feel frightened.This understanding that it is the over-creation of adrenaline that creates my symptoms exactly at the time when I must speak in public was the key to finding a cure to my speech anxiety. And I promise you - it is the key for you as well.
During the week leading up to the speech, try to imagine any negative thoughts you might have about giving the speech. Write down as many as you can, without thinking about anything else. Then go through your list and make a positive story to counteract each negative thought you wrote down. Add to your list as and when you think of other negative thoughts you might have.On the day of your speech, try to make sure that you counteract any negative thoughts you might have with the positive stories you made up in the week before speech day.Before going on stage, while waiting in the special room allocated to you if you have one, or maybe outside away from other people if you don't, you could try to explain away the 'butterflies' that we all have. Emphasise, for example, that they are not something emotional like being 'scared to death'. They are actually a physical reaction brought about by your brain's response to the stress that it detects. When someone is anxious the brain releases additional amounts of a chemical called adrenalin into the blood stream. This has the physical effect of making the stomach contract and interferes with digestion.
Straight forward physical explanations for how you feel will get rid of unwanted emotional reactions. Try to think of or remember any effects that anxiety has on your body and think of the reasons for them.When you have finished your speech, enjoy the applause. Remember that applause and use it to counteract any negative thoughts you may have later. If, during the days after the speech you start to worry about it not being right or something, bring back the memory of your audience clapping appreciatively.Activities that can help to dispel anxiety include the following:Breathe in slowly and deeply, hold your breath for the count of 5 and then breathe out slowly. Repeat for up to 40 breaths.Go for a brisk walk, or do some other physical activity.Always give your speech or talk some serious thought and prepare well before hand. Your speech making will only get better!
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