Conquering Your Fear of Public Speaking

Marilyn was dreading the day she had to give a presentation at work. She always clammed up in situations like this. She feared coming off as nervous and unprofessional in front of her coworkers. Marilyn spent hours reviewing her notes and practicing her speech, but was still afraid of embarrassing herself. How was she ever going to feel confident enough to make a good impression?

Understanding the cause
Many of us can relate to feeling nervous about speaking in front of others. Sometimes, even just thinking about it can cause a cold sweat.

This fear can be a form of social anxiety or phobia. People who suffer from social anxiety disorder worry about being scrutinized by others. In milder cases, there may be a fear of public speaking only. Although being nervous may actually help you perform at your best, too much anxiety is a bad thing.

Confidence boosters for public speaking
Plain old practice and preparation might not be enough to ease your fears. Here are some ways to help you feel more self-assured when you speak in front of a crowd:

• Practice, practice, practice - and not just by yourself. Speak in front of a mirror or ask a friend to be your audience.
• Try visualization. Before the big day, close your eyes and imagine yourself giving the speech. Be positive - picture yourself standing confidently and speaking with authority. Think back to this image when you're actually in front of the crowd.
• Don't share your fear with others. Admitting that you're nervous - especially during a speech - will just undermine what you're trying to say. Try to stay focused on the message and not how you feel about being center stage.
• Hold onto the podium. If your hands are shaky, brace them on the edge of the podium to keep them from being even more distracting to you. If there's no podium, hold your hands together in front of your body to help them stay still.
• Welcome moments of silence. When we feel pressured to fill every second with words, we tend to fill the gaps with "um" and "uh." Adding these fillers to your speech can make you sound unprepared and nervous.
• Keep a glass of water handy. Pause occasionally to take a drink - away from the microphone.
• Don't worry about controlling the audience. People may be restless or distracted. This is normal when a group is listening to one speaker. Focus instead on people with whom you can make good eye contact.
• Remember that you are your own worst critic. Chances are you'll be pleasantly surprised by the positive response to what you have to say.

Related Articles Social Anxiety: More than Just Shyness Do You Have Social Phobia?

External Sources American Academy of Family Physicians. Social anxiety disorder: a common, underrecognized mental disorder. Accessed November 1, 2007. National Institute of Mental Health. Social phobia (anxiety disorder). Accessed November 2, 2007. Cornwell BR, Johnson J, Berardi L, Grillon C. Anticipation of public speaking in virtual reality reveals a relationship between trait social anxiety and startle reactivity. Biological Psychiatry. 2006;59:664-666.

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