Fear of public speaking, or Glossophobia, is a very frequent phobia, and one that is believed to affect up to 75% of the population. Some people may feel a slight nervousness at the very thought of public speaking, while others feel full-on panic and fear.
They may attemp to avoid public speaking situations at all expenses, or if they have to speak in public, they endure shaking hands and a weak, quavering voice. How to get rid of a fear of public speaking? With preparation and persistence, it’s a whole possible to beat glossophobia.
The fear of public speaking is more general in younger patients as compared to older ones, and may be more prevalent in women as compared to males. We know that some people tend to have more anxiety related to certain circumstances, in which there may be a fear of embarrassment.
Here’s what you have to know to begin your journey to greater confidence, and enjoyment of public speaking. These are the top biggest reasons you have this fear, and tips on how you can overcome it, and basically get your life back.
- Concern that others are judging you. The tough-love message here is that humans really don’t care about you. They’re in the audience to get something out of your lecture, speech, or presentation. They want their time to be good spent. Watching a speaker fail is shameful for everyone. So the audience is actually pulling for you!
- Fear of appearing nervous. Do you affraid that you’ll look fearful? Many speakers do. It’s easy, then, to believe that if the audience sees those nerves, they’ll think you don’t know your term. But of course, the two aren’t linked. When you see that a speaker is nervous, don’t you sympathize, rather than making a judgment on that person’s professionalism? If anything, your audience will give you sympathy not resistance.
- Self-consciousness in front of large groups. This is the most often named reason for performance anxiety. Speech coaches often hear: “I’m fine talking to small groups, but when it’s a huge audience I get really anxious.” 2 strategies will help: 1. Keep in mind that the people in a big audience are the same ones you talk to individually, and 2. Concentrate on just talking to them, not “presenting”. You’ll be at your best.
- Poor or insufficient preparation. If you haven’t done your homework (including studying your audience), there’s no reason you should succeed. Blame nobody but yourself. Nothing undermines public speaking confidence like being unprepared. But nothing gives you as much confidence as ready. Your choice.
