Fear of public speaking is an incredibly common experience, often even felt by seasoned pros. The nerves involved can impact how you sound, move, and think. This fear is not permanent. And, like any fear, the way it feels and its intensity can change.
Confidence in public speaking doesn’t mean the fear is gone; it means you know you can do it anyway.
Discover Why You Fear Public Speaking
The first step in overcoming any phobia is understanding why you have it. Fear of public speaking can come from the fear of being judged, messing up or forgetting what you have to say. It can come, too, from lack of knowledge of the topic or insufficient practice.
Recognizing that this fear is only a feeling not an actuality can help you realize that there’s not much to worry about in public speaking. The audience isn’t usually critical about what you’re saying; they’re interested in the message you convey. Changing how you think, from self-criticism to focusing on communication will go a long way in reducing fear.
How Preparation Will Help
The best way to conquer fear of public speaking is through preparation. If you know what you’re going to say, you won’t feel as anxious or get lost in the middle. Preparation creates comfort, which decreases anxiety.
Instead of memorizing every word to your speech, prepare the main ideas to say. This will help you speak more naturally and be able to continue speaking if you make a mistake. The more prepared you are, the better you’ll feel and the more confidence you’ll have.
Practice Like the Real Thing
Practicing is key in overcoming fear of public speaking, but the manner in which you practice makes a difference. You can read over your notes a thousand times, but you can’t build your confidence that way. You need to practice the experience of public speaking as much as possible.
Speaking out loud will help you become accustomed to your voice being heard. Stand up while you practice. Using your hands while you speak will become habit. If possible, get in front of people. Try recording yourself and playing back the video or audio. The more practiced you are the less nervous you’ll feel.
How To Manage Public Speaking Fear
Many times people experience fear of public speaking physically with increased heart rate, sweating, shaking hands or difficulty swallowing. You can calm these effects of fear through various methods.
Take deep breaths to calm your mind and body before and while you are speaking. Take time to breathe and allow your voice to relax. Slow your speaking and pause where you need to. Being able to control your breathing and speed will give you a great deal of confidence in public speaking. Turn Nervousness into Energy
Rather than trying to eradicate anxiety, transform it into energy. Anxiety and excitement both trigger identical bodily responses, allowing nervousness to become positive performance energy if you can adjust your approach. Although nervousness remains common amongst experienced speakers, it helps you to be alert and alive. Accepting that nervousness is part of the speaking experience helps you to stop worrying and helps you to focus on what you are doing.
Start Small, Gain Experience
Public speaking is something that is experienced over time, not an innate ability that we either have or do not have. Building experience and comfort comes from gaining exposure over time. You may start by speaking up in meetings, participating in small group discussions, or giving a talk to a small audience. Each new experience helps to build confidence for the next. Over time, your anxiety will reduce, as you will get used to the process.
Focus on the Message Not Yourself
One of the reasons that public speaking can be so difficult is that we tend to focus on ourselves and not the message we are trying to deliver. Focusing on how we are coming across in the mind of others actually increases nervousness. Try to focus less on yourself and more on the purpose and content of what you are trying to deliver. Instead of asking yourself what the audience is thinking about you, focus on what your audience should be getting out of your message. If your audience are getting the message, then your anxiety should subside.
Structure and Stick to a Plan
Structure helps you feel calmer by ensuring you know what is coming next. By using a structure in your presentation, such as an intro, a few points and a conclusion, you will feel much calmer because you will know what is coming next. Signposting language, such as saying “Firstly,” and “Secondly” will help not just to structure the talk for your audience, but also for yourself. By having a structure, your mind will not be as overwhelmed.
Don’t Panic When You Make Mistakes
Many people are afraid of making mistakes, but mistakes are part of the speaking process. Your audience may not even notice if you do make a mistake, especially if you stay calm and carry on regardless of whether the mistake was small or large. If you do make a mistake, stay calm and continue. If you become upset or start apologising, you will draw more attention to yourself and the mistake you have made. The majority of your audience will be interested in your content and not on your performance.
Practice to Reduce Anxiety
Gaining confidence in public speaking is an over time experience. The more you practice and the more experience you gain, the more comfortable you will feel. When you do not know something, you are more likely to be afraid of it. Repetition will make it less scary and more familiar to you. With practice and over time, speaking in front of an audience will become less scary and more familiar.