Fear of public speaking -- it's more widespread than we suspect. My daughter, in fact, was an A student in college whose last required class was public speaking. She was so anxious about facing an audience she called me to say, "I may have to drop out of college; I just can't do this dad. Public speaking makes me physically ill."
You are not alone. Speaking in public is truly scary for most people, including many whom outwardly seem very composed. Our brain shuts down normal functions as the 'fight or flight' impulse takes over.Presentations skills and public speaking skills are very useful in many aspects of work and life. Effective presentations and public speaking skills are important in business, sales and selling, training, teaching, lecturing and generally entertaining an audience.
Therefore, improving the confidence and capability to give good presentations, and to stand up in front of an audience and speak well, are also tremendously helpful competencies for self-development too.Presentations and public speaking skills are not limited to specially gifted people - anyone can give a good presentation, or perform public speaking professionally and impressively. Like most things, it simply takes a preparation and practice to improve your skills and abilities.
As I headed back to my seat I dared not look at any faces. I kept my eyes on my seat of solace as if it were an endearing lover.Because of reports from my friends I know for a fact that I'm one of the most retarded Public Speaking Anxiety Sufferers.And it had been a long time since I had been in a public speaking situation it was the most uncomfortable moment I had experienced in a long while.As if the anxiety itself weren't bad enough, after an embarrassing moment like that I would then suffer though the emotional pain afterward. To present myself like that to an audience completely misrepresented my identity: That wasn't me up there!As I sat in my seat of solace I considered what would be the lifelong impact of inflicting these emotional wounds on my psyche for the rest of the semester. This was the moment that changed everything.
Jerry Seinfeld once said:"According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy."Mark Twain said this:"There are only two types of public speakers in the world. 1. Those who are nervous and 2. Those who are liars."A very useful acronym to help you put fear in a different perspective is: FEAR is: False - Evidence - Appearing- Real Keep in mind that feelings are not facts. Check the facts before you act (like running away and hiding) on your feelings.
One way to overcome your fear is to use an activity to break down your fear into controllable components. It's simple to do and it really works!Here is an easy exercise you can do if you, like so many others, have a fear of speaking.Tell yourself exactly what you are afraid of."I am frightened to speak in front of a large group."
What helped me shake my nervousness was a statement made by Dale Carnegie to the effect that, in the old days, when messages were delivered by telegrams, people who received the telegram were far more interested in the MESSAGE than they were the guy who delivered it. In other words, get your mind off yourself and onto your message, he indicated, and you will see giving a speech isn't about you.Speaking about you, however, I can tell you that as your audience we want you to succeed. Those frightfully embarrassing moments when you're shaking, your face is flushed, you don't know what to do with your hands, you're fidgeting, we are having a difficult time watching you suffer. You have, in effect, distracted us from what you have to say and made the speech more about yourself, and that always makes an audience feel uneasy.
On most occasions, it has been found that people suffering from public speaking phobias suffer from a deep fear of failure, or 'looking like a fool' in front of others. As a result of this constant, recurring terror, they are often left speechless or horribly stuttering or stammering. What follows is a cycle of events. The more they stutter or stammer or draw a blank, the more daunted they feel and the further they goof up. This continues until the speaker completely breaks out into a panic attack or hurriedly rescues himself from the agony, by ending his speech.
The only way of curing the fear of speaking in public is gaining confidence, and that cannot be achieved overnight. So if you want to cure yourself of such a problem, be ready for some grueling hard work for a decent period of time. There are no quick remedies that will build you up in a jiffy for your Board meeting next week and only an extensive effort on your part will be likely to treat you of your problem.Having said that, however, one must also accept that treating Public Speaking Phobia is fairly simple.
The conclusion of your speech is not synonymous with the fact you've stopped talking. Here it's your job to wrap up and sell your presentation with a conclusion like an archer who sends the arrow directly into the center of the target he or she is aiming at, that center being your audience's interests.I don't know who first said it but I'm sure my former college speech teacher read this somewhere before imparting its wisdom to his freshman public speaking class and the statement goes like this:Public speakers are known by their entrances and exits!
You are not alone. Speaking in public is truly scary for most people, including many whom outwardly seem very composed. Our brain shuts down normal functions as the 'fight or flight' impulse takes over.Presentations skills and public speaking skills are very useful in many aspects of work and life. Effective presentations and public speaking skills are important in business, sales and selling, training, teaching, lecturing and generally entertaining an audience.
Therefore, improving the confidence and capability to give good presentations, and to stand up in front of an audience and speak well, are also tremendously helpful competencies for self-development too.Presentations and public speaking skills are not limited to specially gifted people - anyone can give a good presentation, or perform public speaking professionally and impressively. Like most things, it simply takes a preparation and practice to improve your skills and abilities.
As I headed back to my seat I dared not look at any faces. I kept my eyes on my seat of solace as if it were an endearing lover.Because of reports from my friends I know for a fact that I'm one of the most retarded Public Speaking Anxiety Sufferers.And it had been a long time since I had been in a public speaking situation it was the most uncomfortable moment I had experienced in a long while.As if the anxiety itself weren't bad enough, after an embarrassing moment like that I would then suffer though the emotional pain afterward. To present myself like that to an audience completely misrepresented my identity: That wasn't me up there!As I sat in my seat of solace I considered what would be the lifelong impact of inflicting these emotional wounds on my psyche for the rest of the semester. This was the moment that changed everything.
Jerry Seinfeld once said:"According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy."Mark Twain said this:"There are only two types of public speakers in the world. 1. Those who are nervous and 2. Those who are liars."A very useful acronym to help you put fear in a different perspective is: FEAR is: False - Evidence - Appearing- Real Keep in mind that feelings are not facts. Check the facts before you act (like running away and hiding) on your feelings.
One way to overcome your fear is to use an activity to break down your fear into controllable components. It's simple to do and it really works!Here is an easy exercise you can do if you, like so many others, have a fear of speaking.Tell yourself exactly what you are afraid of."I am frightened to speak in front of a large group."
What helped me shake my nervousness was a statement made by Dale Carnegie to the effect that, in the old days, when messages were delivered by telegrams, people who received the telegram were far more interested in the MESSAGE than they were the guy who delivered it. In other words, get your mind off yourself and onto your message, he indicated, and you will see giving a speech isn't about you.Speaking about you, however, I can tell you that as your audience we want you to succeed. Those frightfully embarrassing moments when you're shaking, your face is flushed, you don't know what to do with your hands, you're fidgeting, we are having a difficult time watching you suffer. You have, in effect, distracted us from what you have to say and made the speech more about yourself, and that always makes an audience feel uneasy.
On most occasions, it has been found that people suffering from public speaking phobias suffer from a deep fear of failure, or 'looking like a fool' in front of others. As a result of this constant, recurring terror, they are often left speechless or horribly stuttering or stammering. What follows is a cycle of events. The more they stutter or stammer or draw a blank, the more daunted they feel and the further they goof up. This continues until the speaker completely breaks out into a panic attack or hurriedly rescues himself from the agony, by ending his speech.
The only way of curing the fear of speaking in public is gaining confidence, and that cannot be achieved overnight. So if you want to cure yourself of such a problem, be ready for some grueling hard work for a decent period of time. There are no quick remedies that will build you up in a jiffy for your Board meeting next week and only an extensive effort on your part will be likely to treat you of your problem.Having said that, however, one must also accept that treating Public Speaking Phobia is fairly simple.
The conclusion of your speech is not synonymous with the fact you've stopped talking. Here it's your job to wrap up and sell your presentation with a conclusion like an archer who sends the arrow directly into the center of the target he or she is aiming at, that center being your audience's interests.I don't know who first said it but I'm sure my former college speech teacher read this somewhere before imparting its wisdom to his freshman public speaking class and the statement goes like this:Public speakers are known by their entrances and exits!
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