Let’s Talk: Strategies to overcome public speaker phobia

Have you ever felt nervous, had sweaty palms as well as felt your stomach turn like it’s being

tied into knots, just before you make a presentation in public? If so, you might have what is referred to as Glossophobia, which is the excessive fear of speaking in public. The fear of public speaking is very real. However, there are techniques to help you overcome your fears.

Here are six (6) strategies according Psychology Today that can assist in relieving public speaking fears.

1. Calm state of mind and body

The action of relaxing while thinking about, preparing for, or giving an oral presentation reduces the experience of fear and prevents it from interfering with performance. Some of these relaxation techniques include learning to control your breathing to lower your heart rate and lessen the tension in your muscles. 

2. Challenge your beliefs about public speaking

Another way to master the fear of public speaking is to challenge your beliefs about your

ability to prepare and deliver an effective and impactful speech. A method that can be used to aide in this process is called Cognitive Reframing. This method targets your negative self-statements and challenges these negative statements and beliefs and replaces them with favourable, supportive, and proactive statements. One important point to note is that this technique is not only intended to replace the negative thinking but instead challenge you to think more pragmatically and intentionally.

3. Preparation is key

A third strategy that can help you to overcome that public speaking phobia is preparation. It is believed that the more prepared you are, the less likely you are to be nervous, forget your

lines, or lose your train of thought. Further, nothing can replace the element of practicing and preparing for your speech. Write out your script with your key points, however, don’t read from the script word for word. The speech should be prepared in such a way that you can answer any possible question that will be thrown at you.

Moreover, when you start preparing for a presentation, there are few elements to consider before diving into the information segment. These include: Who will be in the room? Why are they there? What do they need? Be specific in your answers. Identify the audience’s needs, both spoken and unspoken, and craft a message that speaks directly to those needs.

4. Watch Yourself in The Mirror

Practice your presentation in front of a mirror as if you were speaking directly to

someone. Points to pay attention to include:

• Your facial expressions

• Your gestures

• Your body movements

• How welcoming you appear

5. Seek out more opportunities to speak

Finding and creating opportunities to speak will give you the chance to practice what you

have learned and get better at it. It can also help you learn how to use your own experiences

to continue improving your presentation skills. Essentially, you learn from what did not work

well. Do not punish yourself for it. And the more often you speak, the more you realize that a

good speaker is a combination of the noble intention to inform or inspire an audience, a

positive mindset, and a lot of prep work.

6. Ask for help

Even though, there are a lot of things you can do to overcome the fear of public speaking on

your own, there are many other opportunities available for additional help. One of these

opportunities is that of seeking professional help from organized groups like Toastmasters.

These groups provide opportunities to build skills in a non-threatening and non-committal

environment.

The bottom line is that if something scares you, you will avoid it, and if you avoid it, you will

not get enough practice, and when you don’t get enough practice, you will not get better at it, and if you are not getting better at it, you will continue to be afraid of it. This cycle of fear

can go on and on. But it does not have to. With the number of options available, it is up to you to decide when and how to break this cycle of fear of public speaking.

Contributed by VP Shauna McLeod and Kiwanian Wraqesha