Did you know that public speaking is the number one fear in North America? In second place is the fear of death! If the fear of public speaking assails you, know that you are not alone. First, learn to recognize what "fear" is. Fear is the anticipation of pain. Is your fear real or imaginary?
Steps
Method 1 of 1: Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
Step 1. Understand why
The reason you are afraid is this: you don't know what might happen to you when you are in front of people for a presentation or a speech. Your fear is not that you don't know what you are talking about, your fears are related to what might happen when you step on the podium and get up from the table.
You are afraid of being judged, of making mistakes, of falling short, of hurting yourself physically or psychologically, of not being able to get a good performance (speeches, seminars, commercial presentations, etc.) Remember that the people who are listening to you he wants you to make it, no one is there to hope you make mistakes or be boring. If you are authentic and know how to explain the concepts clearly, you will have almost completely won your battle against fear
Step 2. Stand up to your fears
If you feel that your legs are shaking like jelly with fear, remember that fear is equivalent to a Deceptive Entity that Seems Real. Whatever it is that you fear, it will almost certainly never take place. And if that happens, don't get tense. For example, if you have forgotten an important point, try to recover and stop worrying. Remember that you can always justify making a mistake because you were in awe.
Step 3. Breathe slowly
Performing breathing exercises before a speech will help you relax your body and mind. Here's an exercise you can do anywhere, even behind the scenes. Stand still and feel the contact with the earth beneath your feet. Close your eyes and imagine yourself suspended, a thin thread holds you to the ceiling. Concentrate on your breaths and tell yourself that there is no rush. Slow down your breaths until you can wait 6 seconds before inhaling and 6 seconds before breathing. At the end of the exercise you can start the speech feeling safe and relaxed.
Step 4. Relax
Relaxing is the art of letting go. There are many ways to do this, imagine an eraser. Sit in front of the mirror and imitate the laughter of a horse. Why not lie on the ground pretending to float? Or simply collapse to the ground like a puppet. Let yourself go and you will fight the tension in the body by feeling more relaxed and comfortable.
Step 5. Learn to engage the audience and hold attention
If you have never taken any professional courses to hone your speaking skills start thinking about it, look for the tutorials closest to your needs. Learning the art of speaking will improve your performance during meetings and presentations but can also help you make a career in your company faster. It is a necessary skill to acquire for all those who deal with business or hold managerial positions.
Step 6. Do push-ups against the wall
Doing push-ups on the walls (or Wall Push) is the technique used by Yul Brynner, the star of the musical “The King and I”. Here's what you need to do. Stand about half a meter away from the wall and rest your palms against the wall. Push your body weight onto the wall. As you apply pressure, your abdominal muscles will contract. Breathe deeply, hissing slightly as you let the air out, contracting the muscles below the ribs as if you were pulling the oars of a boat against the current. Repeat the exercise a few times and performance anxiety will be defeated.
Step 7. Realize that people cannot tell if you are nervous
When you are about to go on stage no one knows if you are upset or not. You may have stomach cramps and feel sick but in reality these sensations are not clearly visible to others. Sometimes in a public speech you think that people are able to sense your emotionality. And that makes you even more nervous. There are only small details that can reveal a person's emotional state, and they are so minimal that most audiences won't bother looking for them. Don't worry too much. People are unable to see the frightening nervousness you have inside of you.
Pretend. Stand straight, shoulders back and chest out. You smile. Even if you're not happy and don't feel safe, do it anyway. You will give the impression of being calm and by convincing others you will come to convince yourself as well
Step 8. Adrenaline sends blood flows to the sympathetic nervous system at the base of the skull
Place one hand on your forehead and gently press over the bones. This will stimulate blood flow in the part of the brain that is most used in the success of your performance.
Step 9. Practice
Look for business organizations, associations or clubs in your area, such as Toastmasters, who will offer you the opportunity to practice. Remember to choose topics you are familiar with. If you start talking about an unfamiliar topic, it will only add to your stress and impoverish your performance.
Step 10. Equip yourself with a device to self-register and download the videos to your laptop
Look at them and try to understand where you need to improve. Have a professional view your presentations and let them tell you their opinion. Try to take advantage of every learning opportunity.
Step 11. Get ready
Make sure you are familiar with the material you will be exhibiting. Prepare detailed guidelines, break them down into easy-to-remember points. Finalize the links and the title of the speech. Here is an idea that could help you in drafting a fluid speech:
- Associate each section of the speech with one of the "rooms" in your home. The first point to analyze will be the entrance, the second point your kitchen / dining room (as if you were moving around the house with your imagination) etc.
- Match each link to the pictures hanging on the walls. Visualize something in the pictures that will help you remember. Even extravagant images will help you, as long as they don't distract you.
- On the morning of the presentation, walk into your imaginary house with your mind and decode the signals you have memorized.
Advice
- Trust yourself
- Don't take it personally
- Only you know what you are going to say or do, so don't worry if anything changes during your presentation. And don't just repeat word for word what you wrote.
- SMILE and try to joke to cover your tension. The audience will laugh (but in a good way, fear not!) And think that you are brilliant. Do not be humorous if it is a very serious situation, such as a funeral, an important meeting, or you may find yourself in trouble!
- It will get easier and easier. Practice is key.
- Remember that you don't look as nervous as you feel you are.
- Remember that even professionals continue to keep up to date to learn new things.
- Be authentic.
- Repeat to yourself, "a person is only appreciated when he is taken into consideration"
- Remember that when they ask you to speak, if you are in the workplace, you can't go wrong. Remember it's not about you, it's about everyone, and especially your audience. You are not "the star" but them.
- If you think the people you are addressing might be overly judgmental, imagine that you are not talking to them. Think about being in front of your family or friends. Imagine yourself in front of people who respect you and who would never point the finger at you if you make a mistake.
Warnings
- Don't overdo the Power Point projections or the audience will fall asleep!
- Never give indecisive or wrong answers. If you are not sure you know the answer well, postpone it later by saying "Okay, we'll talk about it after the break, I want to make sure I check every aspect of the question and give you an exhaustive answer"
- If you really don't know how to answer something, ask the public to intervene (don't publicly admit that you don't know, ask the public immediately..)
- Try to avoid getting on a stage or pedestal, limit the physical barriers between you and the listeners.
