Public Speaking Anxiety: Fail-Proof Ways to Overcome It

Fear of Public Speaking: You Aren’t Alone!

7 Best Techniques to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety

Speaking in front of people can be quite an overwhelming task – from sweaty palms to a palpitating heart, we have all felt shivers down our spine while delivering speeches. But this doesn’t just happen to you, but it is familiar to most world leaders and orators who have found themselves in similar circumstances now and then. Whether Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Jefferson, or Steve Jobs, most famous personalities have gone through phases of public speaking anxiety.

In this article, we will take you through the most amazing tips to help you prepare and present your speeches and keep your strains away!

Preparation Phase

This phase is all about curating content and training your mind to be prepared. It is perhaps the most crucial phase where you can draft your speech, take a count of your audience, and prepare for the event.

Pick a Topic You Love

One of the best ways to take over your nerves is by choosing a topic that you are passionate about. This will naturally help you speak with passion and initiate a spark of confidence within you.

Let us understand this with the example of one of the most outstanding leaders, Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi fumbled and froze in his first courtroom case as a lawyer because of stage fright. Years later, the same man stood up and addressed millions of people because he spoke about a cause that was his passion.

Practice Extensively

Practice helps reduce anxieties and makes you more confident. The more you rehearse, the better your performance gets, enabling you to seek control over your fears. Great orators always cater their content to perfection. Not all of us are born great speakers, but we can beat the world by practicing continuously.

Winston Churchill, a young leader who couldn’t speak after uttering a couple of sentences once, practiced the art of oration until he became the President of the United States. He would practice his speeches repeatedly, which helped him gain confidence.

Perform Before a Mirror

Read out your speech in front of the mirror. Notice your gestures, fix your body language, and speak as if you are addressing a real audience. It will help you have greater self-esteem and a warmer smile in the final moment.

Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience, their backgrounds, experience, qualifications, and culture can help you stay informed. It can further help you mend your speech according to them, prepare for questions, and feel assured about your presentation.

You can collect this information during the registration as a part of the sign-up process.

Prepare for the Unseen

One of the most important things is being prepared for mishaps and unforeseen problems. This can be anything – from technical glitches to random questions from the audience. You should swiftly brush them under the carpet and continue your performance.

For example, in Steve Jobs’ Apple presentation in 2010, there was a technical error in the system, and Jobs couldn’t proceed with his slides. He quickly covered it up with a story until the issue was resolved.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoqh27E6OuU

Visualize Success

This might be an underrated measure of overcoming stress but has proven to help innumerable people greatly. Visualizing your success as a speaker, manifesting your performance, and imagining the course of your speech can calm your nerves. It will not only send positive signals to your mind, but also help you deliver an excellent speech.

Recognize the Importance of Opportunity

It is indeed said that nothing is more expensive than missing an opportunity. Sometimes even when we know that a chance can change our lives, we are too afraid to accept it. The best way is to realize its gravity and hop on to it.

For instance, Abraham Lincoln was petrified of huge gatherings and tried to chalk his way out of such public speaking instances. However, when Lincoln realized he could convince people through his speeches, he grabbed every opportunity and succeeded in his campaign for the presidency.

Performance Phase

This is when you will be on the stage, delivering your speech. It is the final moment that you have been preparing for!

Make Eye Contact

Making eye contact is the best way to feel connected to your audience. Even though this can be a burdensome task, doing so will help you feel heard and relaxed.

You can practice this by having a few of your friends, co-workers, or family members in the audience and maintaining eye contact with them throughout your session.

Use Placards for Notes

Don’t try to remember everything word-by-word; else, you might end up fumbling and forgetting your content. Instead, make some placards with notes about your presentation, short fillers, and a few facts to cover up, in case you stammer upon the stage.

Use Visual Aids

If you are conscious of people looking at you, try to make your presentations more visually appealing. You can use pre-designed slides, such as pie charts, graph bars, beautiful flowcharts, etc. This will redirect the audience’s attention towards the slides and keep their eyes off you most of the time.

Rewire Your Thoughts: Positive Affirmations

One of the most brilliant capabilities of humans is their ability to rewire their thoughts. Various studies show how we can dictate our minds and channel our thoughts into whatever we want.

One such example is that of American pastor Joel Osteen. While Osteen was a victim of self-criticism, he constantly pushed his mind towards positive affirmations and used words of encouragement for himself. This helped him overcome his insecurities and rise as one of the world’s most appreciated pastors and speakers.

Conclusion

The key to overcoming stage fright is facing it head-on without fearing failure. The first few speeches can be full of stammers, flutters and knots in the stomach, but in the end, all these experiences will mold you into an experienced and confident orator.

We hope these tips and examples inspire and help you in your speaking adventures!