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Wednesday, 9 October 2013

Break The Fear Of Public Speaking

By Margaret R. Ferguson


Speaking in public is at the top of the list! A normal physical reaction to having to speak in public is a release of adrenaline and cortisol into your system.Even experienced speakers feel their heart thumping very excitedly indeed. This astounding reaction to speaking in public is certainly not only felt by novices, even some of the great professional actors and entertainers suffer with real physical sickness before they take to the stage or podium.

You are not alone. Speaking in public is truly scary for most people, including many whom outwardly seem very composed. Our brain shuts down normal functions as the 'fight or flight' impulse takes over.Presentations skills and public speaking skills are very useful in many aspects of work and life. Effective presentations and public speaking skills are important in business, sales and selling, training, teaching, lecturing and generally entertaining an audience.

I had to speak for at least sixty seconds, but every second felt like a minute. Time seemed to slow down as my normally sexy voice came out in a quivering squeak! I searched my audience faces for any evidence that would indicate what they were thinking about me. How could I, great conqueror of all, be reduced to a pipsqueak in a mere moment?!Definition of pipsqueak - A person considered to be insignificant.Luckily enough the basic facts that were required for this mini introduction speech was ingrown knowledge. Just when I thought it was all over the teacher asked me to tell the class something interesting about myself. All of a sudden with cheeks quivering, butt shaking, and eyes widened by fear I became the most boring person in the class. I just could not remember anything!

As I headed back to my seat I dared not look at any faces. I kept my eyes on my seat of solace as if it were an endearing lover.Because of reports from my friends I know for a fact that I'm one of the most retarded Public Speaking Anxiety Sufferers.And it had been a long time since I had been in a public speaking situation it was the most uncomfortable moment I had experienced in a long while.As if the anxiety itself weren't bad enough, after an embarrassing moment like that I would then suffer though the emotional pain afterward. To present myself like that to an audience completely misrepresented my identity: That wasn't me up there!As I sat in my seat of solace I considered what would be the lifelong impact of inflicting these emotional wounds on my psyche for the rest of the semester. This was the moment that changed everything.

At that moment I felt the determination swelling up in my chest. This was going to be a semester of terror and I just couldn't allow myself to live through that. At that moment I vowed I would cure my Public Speaking anxiety before my next speech. I did not know how I was going to make it happen, but I knew I had no other choice.I remember being in a marketing class where a guy dropped out of school because he had to do a presentation. If you are failing in a class or denying a promotion at work because you suffer public speaking nervousness, then contact me. My determination to find a solution to my public speaking anxiety was rewarded that same weekend I made my vow. By the following weekend I had cured my public speaking anxiety completely. Yes, 100%.

You've probably heard this many times but why not take up several lines saying it again? A number of studies have shown that some people fear public speaking more than death, a fact I sincerely doubt, but that's what the studies say. Do you think the dead feel that way about public speaking when they're contacted by a relative on some psychic's radio or television show and have to answer questions albeit inside the psychic's head in front of a live national audience?My college speech professor, Mr. Plache, used to talk to us about what he called "the awkward phase of change." What's not easy in the beginning probably isn't supposed to be because, just like learning to ride a bicycle or drive a car, you have to go through the "awkward phase of change" before the activity becomes second nature and you become an old pro at it.

Such public speaking phobias are closely associated with the kind of panic attacks they are known to cause. As is well known, any sort of intense nervousness might become the reason for a panic attack. Phobias such as public speaking phobia (closely associated with Agoraphobia, or the fear of crowded places) therefore often act as triggers for such attacks.It is often wrongly perceived that the fear of public speaking is restricted to situations where the affected party needs to address a crowd of unknown people. Not quite so. On a number of occasions, it has been observed that these individuals are also equally unequipped to speak in a board meeting or in a presentation where, technically speaking, they are addressing a far smaller and known group of people.

On most occasions, it has been found that people suffering from public speaking phobias suffer from a deep fear of failure, or 'looking like a fool' in front of others. As a result of this constant, recurring terror, they are often left speechless or horribly stuttering or stammering. What follows is a cycle of events. The more they stutter or stammer or draw a blank, the more daunted they feel and the further they goof up. This continues until the speaker completely breaks out into a panic attack or hurriedly rescues himself from the agony, by ending his speech.

Have some cough lollies to warm and moisten your throat. When drinking before a speech: don't eat or drink dairy products; it often clogs up your voice. Drink only water at room temperature, it's better for your voice than cold water. And.don't try to calm your nerves with alcohol!Never apologise. Don't worry about missing a point - move on. The audience does not know what you have prepared and will not miss it. If they do, make light of it (laugh at your self) and correct it.Focus/concentrate on your message or idea- not how you communicate it. Don't start to think about the lady who is yawning. JRemember how you sometimes yawn even though you are interested and listening to a speaker.Remember: the audience is on your side. They want you to succeed. They want to enjoy themselves. All you have to do is DO IT!

As explained, almost everyone who is afraid of speaking in public is ultimately scared of being unable to do so, therefore the easiest way of making them 'un-afraid' is by diverting their mind from their apprehension. A number of people use a click pen or a paper clip to keep themselves occupied during a speech. Keep clicking the pen or keep trying to straighten the paper clip and all that extra energy that your anxiety burdens you with will fly straight out of the window.




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