How to Overcome Fear and Anxiety Through Public Speaking Training

The simple act of standing before an audience can frighten even the most confident people. Some may experience this type of fear in more intense ways. Racing heartbeat, trembling voice or mind going blank are some of the experiences that can make speaking difficult.  But the positive side of this issue is that these symptoms can be controlled if the proper strategies are applied. Public speaking training can assist people to learn the source of the fear, apply the appropriate skills and become more comfortable when talking in front of people.

Why Public Speaking Feels Scary

The anxiety of addressing people stems from fear of what the reaction of the public would be. One may be scared that he or she may forget the lines, make a mistake, appear embarrassed in front of the audience, and so on. All those thoughts may generate fear before one actually starts speaking.

In addition to psychological reasons, there are physiological factors that cause fear. Upon noticing the threat, our brain sends some signals, and our body produces certain stress hormones, like adrenaline. The symptoms of their action are the increase in heartbeat rate, sweating, tension of muscles, and increased breathing rate. Although this all may look quite scary, it is the natural reaction to stress.

This knowledge can be helpful because instead of believing that “I am sick,” one may realize that it is his or her body’s reaction to stress.

Start With Smaller Challenges

Taking the path of gaining confidence by starting off with a long speech to a large crowd will end up making things even more difficult. It may be easier if one takes things gradually.

A person who suffers from very much anxiety will start off by giving a speech for about a minute before a close friend. After getting used to that, they can try speaking to two or three people. They can also try speaking before a small crowd at work or school.

Every time, the brain gets to learn one more time that it isn’t as dangerous as it seems. It might still be nerve-wracking, but it will get easier to deal with.

Learn to Control Your Breathing

Anxiety tends to cause rapid and shallow breathing. This may lead the individual to be even more anxious or find it difficult to talk.

Slow and deep breathing will be able to reduce the body’s response to stress. Take a deep breath in before talking and release the breath slowly without effort.

Taking pauses while speaking is also effective. Pauses allow you some time to breathe, think and go on talking. This time may seem longer to the speaker but not to the listener.

Change the Way You Think

Thoughts can have a huge impact on speaking anxiety. Thoughts like “Everybody will see my mistake” and “I’m going to make a fool of myself” can actually make the speaker even more scared before he even starts his speech.

Rather than attempting to convince oneself of any positive thought, a more effective approach would be questioning negative thoughts. For example, “What is the most probable outcome?” or “Would I be that tough on someone else who made such a little mistake?”

In most cases, people don’t expect speakers to fail. They want to hear useful information or get an interesting insight from them.

Get Comfortable With Mistakes

Making a mistake-free speech should not be the main objective. Even seasoned speakers find themselves lost at times or having to repeat words or take a second to collect their thoughts.

Being able to recover from making minor mistakes will give a speaker more confidence than always worrying about making any mistakes. If something is forgotten, just stop and go to the next idea. If an incorrect word is said, just correct it and keep going.

The more someone realizes that mistakes can be dealt with, the less control those mistakes will have over them.

Keep Practising Regularly

Confidence does not often come right after a successful presentation. It comes through continuous practice. You can try to speak regularly instead of preparing only for something special. You can participate in a debate, ask questions in a meeting, record yourself while talking or explain things without notes.

Also, it is wise to evaluate the process objectively. Instead of paying attention only to mistakes, try to notice what has improved. Maybe your voice was more confident, your eye contact was better, and you got back on track faster. Small changes may turn into big ones.

Conclusion

There is no need for the fear of public speaking to persist in the individual forever. Slowly but surely, through practicing breathing, changing attitudes and being open to failure, many individuals can overcome the issue and feel a lot more comfortable while speaking in public. Public speaking Training may offer some framework within which one can learn how to cope with all those issues that stand in the way of feeling comfortable while delivering a speech. The help offered by Richard-Reid may also prove valuable in this matter.