Challenge Yourself to Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking

It is an empowering experience to speak well in public. When you convey your thoughts with conviction to a group of peers it’s not only the audience that changes. It’s you. For many intelligent and informed people, the idea of instructing others is a daunting task. This article is not going to tell you what you already know by describing the symptoms of fear, like so much of what you may read when attempting to overcome your fear of public speaking. My intention here is to challenge you to take responsibility for your fears and help you find the strength to change yourself. Many people will tell you where you can find the solution to your problems, but in the end it must come from within. All that anyone else can do is aid you with tools that you can use to help yourself.

Most people find that the most challenging part of public speaking is simply getting up on stage. While that may be difficult, I find that the first challenge is to create a speech on paper that will make you comfortable on stage while addressing the audience. When you create a good speech you will find a respite during even the worst case of nervousness. A compelling speech is one that has the correct balance of information and allegory. Rarely when asked to give a speech will you be expected to be the absolute source of information on all aspects of the topic, nor is the task to overly orate so that the content is lost. Spending some time organizing your speech with someone can be of great assistance in this process.

Conquering your fear of giving a speech begins off stage. The feeling of fear is no different than when you are afraid of heights, snakes, or ghosts. Whether logical or illogical the same message is sent to your brain, causing the same reaction in the body. So, by working on conquering other fears in your life you will also be training yourself to control your fears in other situations. Once you are used to not only feeling fear but overcoming it as well, you will be free from the trapping affect that it has on you. What else are you afraid of? Think about it for awhile, maybe even make a list of your fears. How many of them are logical? How many of them do you feel that you are actually quite unlikely to confront but that still affect you? Personally for instance, no matter how much I believe that the fear of paranormal activity is illogical and the reality of its existence is likely unreal, there must be a part of me that still believes in the possibility, so I still get the “heebie-jeebies” when watching a well made film focusing on it. Absurd as the fear is, by continually working on conquering it I have felt stronger for it. Find what scares you and work on it. Phobias are one of the few psychological ailments that can be lessened by forcing oneself to be confronted with it repeatedly in safe environments.

Conquering the fear of public speaking majorly a struggle of the mind, and is truly “all in your head”. Much like rock climbing, though a much more physically dangerous and demanding undertaking, overcoming your fear of falling is extremely satisfying, and the only way to achieve it is to trust yourself, and your equipment. The climber’s rope is the practice and rehearsal that you’ve put into your speech, as well as is the information that you have collected to deliver. Trust that you will be able to fall back on them, and that when you need it, it will always be there for you without fail. When you are comfortable with what you’ve written then you are more likely to be yourself and forget about the dangers you face, which leaves you free to reach the summit.

The source of anxiety for many people who need to give pubic addresses is the fear of making a mistake. We have a irrational belief that we must be flawless in order to succeed, and what is interesting is that we are the only ones to hold ourselves to that level of perfection. When anyone else other than ourselves gets stage or gives a performance, we have the highest level of understanding for their nervousness and would not judge them for making a mistake. Some say to imagine the audience in their underwear to make yourself more comfortable, but better I think to imagine them believing in you, that they are all on your side wanting only for you to be comfortable while you give your speech. Assume that and it won’t matter if you fail to remember where you are, stammer or mispronounce a word out of nervousness, because you’ll be free to smile, take a breath, and start again.

After all, what is the worst that could happen? Spend time examining your fear while you are composing your speech. Really ask yourself, “What is the worst that could happen?” and then decide if there is anything that you can do about it. For example, do your hands sweat excessively before you go onstage? Then maybe choose clothing that doesn’t show sweat as much, or carry a small hand towel in your back pocket to dry your hands at the podium. Does your voice crack under stress? Practice some speech warm up exercises before hand to get yourself used to executing clear, well-enunciated sound. Making sound is also a great way to release stress in general, so find a place in which you can be a little loud and allow yourself to whoop and holler before you go up. You may find yourself smiling and laughing when you may otherwise be too serious for your own good. All great speakers have gone through what you’re going through, and a very few people are born ready for public speaking. It is important to study those that have gone before you so that you have a mental repertoire of what you think works best on stage. Maybe you don’t have to be as emotive as some of the greats, but maybe by studying them you can add a bit of them to your own style.

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