5 Practical Ways to Overcome Speaking Anxiety
Do you feel stressed out by the idea of standing in front of an audience, whether big or small, in person or online? If it makes you sweat and worry, then you may be suffering from glossophobia. The fear of public speaking can be conquered, if you learn the way it works and how it can be countered with proper exercises and self-awareness. The following tips will help you overcome your fear of public speaking. Let’s get started:
Choose a Topic You Feel Passionate About
When you care about something, it gets easier to talk about it in public. Others will feel the passion you share too. This is a great way to escape the fear, as choosing a topic you enjoy will make you speak from the heart, allowing others to sense your desire to share.
Get Organized Beforehand
A big part of what makes public speaking so stressful is the lack of preparation. One of the best things you can do is to go in fully organized. Get your notes ready and outline the major points of your speech. Plan how you want to start your speech and grab the attention of the audience in the first 30 seconds or less.
Colour coding certain bits of your speech will help you remember them, so if you plan on using visual aids, get them in place before the speech. That should allow you to refer to them with ease. Ask questions about the presentation area, so you would know what you have to expect. Is there a microphone and a podium? Can you wait backstage before the speech with the audience? These are important parts of a presentation.
Practice Your Speech
Nothing will replace practising and preparing for your speech. Write out a script with your key points, but don’t read it word for word. The best way to combat your fear of public speaking is to prepare your speech so well that there won’t be any questions the audience might ask. Nothing will replace the experience of course, but this is a good first step you can use to improve your odds. Practice, practice, practice.
Perform in Front of a Mirror
Practising your speech in front of a mirror as if you speak to someone directly is a great way to overcome anxiety. If you want to focus on overcoming your stage fright, keep your eye on your gestures, body movements, facial expressions, your welcoming appearance and other details. When you have a calm demeanour and confident expression when you speak, this will affect your audience as well.
Record Yourself to Learn More
There is a reason why athletes and martial artists often go back and watch tapes of their performance. This is a great way to improve yourself, as you can notice your flaws and correct them in later instances. Overcoming your fear of public speaking works the same way, as you can record your speech and listen or watch, noticing what needs to be fixed.
Set up a phone or camera and record it. Record yourself from beginning to end. If you stumble somewhere with your words, forget something or mess up, just keep recording. When that’s done, you can take notes later on the moments you made mistakes. Correcting the speech, the words or the cadence of your delivery can be a great way to combat your fear. Even though hearing your own words on tape might feel weird, it’s important to get used to your speaking style and voice and build on it from there.
