The Fear of Public Speaking
How to Lessen It

First of all, You are not alone …

There is comfort in numbers.

Public Speaking, in survey after survey, has been shown to be most people’s greatest fear.  Some fear it more than dying!

It’s a natural fear to have.  You are standing, alone, in front of people who are fixated on you!

YIKES!

Who wouldn’t be a bit uneasy in a situation like this?  So, it’s normal to have anxiety.  There’s nothing wrong with you.

Here are things that can be done to ease this fear.

• Practice – Practice – Practice
  • The more prepared you are for your presentation, the better you’ll perform.
    • You’ll have ‘confidence in your competence’.  Knowing your stuff is a great stress reducer.
• Speak – Speak – Speak
  • If you want to be a runner – run
  • If you want to be a writer – write
  • If you want to improve your speaking – SPEAK!
    • The more you do something, the better you get at doing it, and your stress and fear levels go down.
• Arrive early and ‘Meet & Greet’
  • It’s easier to speak to friends and people you’ve met
    • By arriving at speaking events early, and introducing yourself to people who will be in the audience, is a great way to reduce fear.
• Have Notes or a Mind Map of your talk
  • You may not need them, but they’re available if needed
    • You have a spare tire in your trunk, but don’t expect a flat, correct?
• Watch what you eat and drink before speaking
  • If you’re belching and/or have strange feelings stirring within you, your stress level will be elevated
• Know the audience wants you to be successful
  • They came to see and hear you and learn something
    • They’re also glad it is you, and not them, at the lectern!
• What’s the ‘Worse that Can Happen?’
  • Look in the obituaries every once in a while.  People die for a variety of reasons, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen someone died because they were giving a speech!
• Get a Good Night’s Sleep
  • Being overly tired will add to your stress.  Sleep well and you’ll perform better.
• Deep Breathing Exercises
  • When we sigh, and exhale, we feel stress leaving us – correct?
  • Google this for the right techniques
• Visualization and Meditation
  • See yourself relaxed and successful at the lectern, and you’re more likely to be relaxed and successful.
• Meds – If you really need them.
  • Beta blockers, prescribed by a physician, are sometimes necessary.
    • There is no shame in asking for professional help.

Face the fear and do it anyway!

The benefits will far outweigh
the efforts and temporary discomfort needed to ease (not eliminate) the fear of public speaking.

About the Author:
Fred E. Miller coaches, speaks and writes about Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
314-517-8772
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com

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