Conquering Public Speaking Anxiety
by: Frederic Madore
Making a speech in front, whether the audience number a hundred
or just ten, qualifies as one of man's greatest fears. This is
why public speaking is one commodity that is quite rare right
now for only a few manage to conquer the anxiety that accompany
every speech.
But why do people fear public speaking so much? Psychologists
believe that it is not actually public speaking that make people
feel the anxiety but the ridicule and comments of people just
in case they commit a mistake.
People who have public speaking anxiety do not have enough
self-confidence in the way they speak. They believe that when
they go in front and make a speech, they will blunder their way
through it and suffer from the shame.
Public speaking anxiety can however be conquered with the right
attitude and commitment. Here are some tips that can start you
in your way towards a public-speaking-anxiety-free life.
Talk About What You Know
Speaking on a subject that you are not familiar with can only
lead to disaster. If you are considered an expert in a particular
field, it would be easier for you to speak on that field. Anxiety
only comes when you are not confident about your material and
your ability to deliver that material.
Talking about something that you love and know will not only
lessen the anxiety that you may feel will also make you appear
passionate and enthusiastic about the project. So make sure that
you only a public speaking topic that you feel you can handle
or have a lot to say about the subject.
Practice
Practice makes perfect and it can get rid of the anxiety for
you. Cliché as that is, it is nevertheless true. When you
practice, the opportunity for making a mistake lessens. This will
make you feel more self-confident, knowing that you have prepared
for the speech and that you have done your absolute best to present
it.
In addition, constantly delivering your lines will make them
seem automatic in your brain. The more automatic the speech is,
the lesser the chance of having stage fright.
Prepare
Nothing gives you more confidence than knowing that you know
your material well and that you can answer any question thrown
at you. Part of feeling the anxiety is the fear that you will
not be able to say anything in front. Scenarios such as forgetting
one's lines, choking at the middle of a speech or just plain not
being able to answer the question in an open forum will probably
be entering the mind. Anxiety results from these thoughts.
Study everything about the topic that you are going to talk
about. Make sure that you have the right statistics and information.
Make the Mirror Your Audience
Practicing in front of the mirror may seem stupid but it can
be a great way to conquer your public speaking anxiety. Mirrors
will reflect how you look and how your facial expressions look
like when doing the speech. This will help you in schooling your
features and in making your expressions appear confident and in
control.
Do a Dry Run
If you can manage it, doing a dry run in the place where you
are going to make your speech is a great way to get used to the
idea of speaking in public. Knowing that you have already done
it even in a dry run will help ease the discomfort and anxiety
on stage. If practicing on stage is impossible, you can say your
lines at home. If you are using power point presentations and
other visuals, it is also good to do dry run using these visuals
so that you can determine the timing involved for each.
You can also do a dry run in front of people you are close
with. This will help ease the anxiety that you may be feeling
about your public speaking engagement as you are already in a
way able to speak in public even with your family and friends
as the audience. In addition, they can also help you make the
speech better by giving comments and suggestions. In fact, through
their help, you can even improve on your presentation more.
About The Author: Frederic Madore is the founder of the http://www.anxiety-information-center.info
and the http://www.selfhelpmethod.com
websites. Find all the tools you need to get rid of you anxiety
disorder. (c)Copyright 2005
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