How to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety
Professional speakers and coaches may often claim that they believe people suffer from public speaking anxiety because of low self-esteem. Though that may be true for some people, it is not necessarily the case, especially with plenty of professionals out there.
When it comes to public speaking, we have three basic needs, and those are something that often gets us feeling nervous:
· Certainty — We need to know that we’re going to succeed and that nothing will go wrong.
· Reputation — We must protect our reputation and remain in good standing.
· Connection — We feel the need to belong and to be understood.
It’s normal for most presenters to feel a level of public speaking anxiety before they get on stage; even the best out there feel that tug in the back of their mind. Knowing how to handle that stress is the key to a successful presentation.
We care about our reputation in most cases, so when you present to a group of people, it’s entirely natural to fear your reputation may be at risk. Naturally, people will judge your performance, and that’s completely expected. We all know that, on some level, nobody goes out without caring about their performance. It’s often the fact that we care so much about our performance that public speaking anxiety exists.
When we speak in front of a group of people, whether we know them well or don’t at all, we become nervous because we care about all those things.
What You Can Do About It
The good news is you can learn to reduce your public speaking anxiety in many ways, as long as you are committed to it and you maintain a level of persistence in your approach. With the help and public speaking coaching, you can learn to speak with passion, confidence, and purpose. You won’t need to go too far to make it possible. Here are a few tips you can use to help you manage and overcome your public speaking anxiety:
· Some Anxiety is Normal
It would be best if you kept in mind that this is a perfectly normal emotion; even the best public speakers out there feel a certain level of anxiety.
· Imagine Yourself Succeeding
This is important, as it will allow you to naturally overcome the fear you sense inside you, giving you the boost, you need to make it possible to speak without fidgeting, worrying, or any other combination of signs of anxiety.
· You Don’t Need to Be Perfect
Focus on how you can help your audience instead of practising the speech but never blindly memorising it. Do it out loud, not just in your head. That way, you can get used to the sound of your voice long before you make it on stage, and you need to speak to your audience. Know the message inside out and get to know the type of audience you’ll speak to, and you will do just fine. You don’t need to aim for absolute perfection.
· Familiarise Yourself With the Venue
Getting to know the place will give you a hand in a great way. You will know where to place any visual aids you need for the speech, the number of people you’ll probably have during your address and more.
· Focusing on Mindfulness
Reframing the feelings of anxiety you’re struggling with as excitement is one way of approaching the coming presentation. Meditation helps a great deal, as breathing exercises and approaching things with a positive attitude.
