The Fear of Public Speaking

You Can Conquer the Fear of Public Speaking !

At one time Romans considered it to be good sport to feed Christians to the lions. One day, the festivities had been going as usual when a strange thing happened. The Christian in the arena whispered something to the lion. The lion then turned tail and ran away.

The crowd was amazed. The Emperor was impressed. He let it be known that he would spare the Christian's life if the man would reveal the secret of what he had said to the lion.

The Christian was brought before the Emperor. In a powerful voice, he said, "I told him he would have to say a few words after dinner."

The lion's reaction should not surprise anyone who has been asked to "say a few words". If you are like most people, your heart beats a bit faster and your breathing becomes shallow. It's possible, too, that your palms get sweaty, your knees feel like , and your mind goes blank.

Some years ago, a list of people's greatest fears was published by the media. The fear of public speaking took first place, while the fear of spiders, snakes and even "death" placed lower. 

Its seems that most people would rather die than speak in public. WHY?

The Problem

For one thing, speaking in public makes us feel that we are in danger and, as with any perceived danger, the body instinctively reacts. Blood gets diverted from the brain to the major muscles, enabling us to protect ourselves. But when the blood leaves the brain, thinking is less effective and our capacity to process information decreases.

This explains the physical reaction. But what is it that makes us feel that we are in danger to begin with?

We come up with various reasons:

• We are afraid we will forget what to say.
• We think our nervousness will show and they will see us sweat.

But, it is most often because we feel inadequate. We are terrified of rejection, afraid we aren't good enough, afraid we will be judged and found wanting. It is not what we are that holds us back, it is what we believe we are not.

Another reason speaking terrifies us is that we have never been taught what makes a good presentation. So, we add fear of the unknown to the list.

The Solution

Since the ability to present well usually determines our degree of success (some researchers place it as high as 85%), learning to face our fears and master them can pay big dividends.

If you want to overcome the fear of speaking in public situations, the following suggestions will help. Though you may still have the surge of adrenaline, by implementing these suggestions, you will be able to convert that adrenaline rush to useful energy.

Before the Event

The most important thing you can do to combat nervousness is prepare your presentation completely.

• Research your audience. Spend time clarifying your objective. What do you want to accomplish by giving this presentation? If you are clear on this point, your mind will work toward achieving that objective.
  
  
• Prepare your opening, your three major points, and your conclusion. When these support your objective, your presentation will flow logically from point to point. You must determine these parts of your presentation in advance. You don't have time to make those decisions when you are "on."

When you allow enough time, you can do the research to support your statements, refine our thoughts and find illustrative stories. By having a thorough grasp of the points you want to make, you are less likely to be nervous.

Better preparation equals less anxiety.

Practice, practice, practice your presentation. Then practice some more.

• Tape your presentation and listen to the tape.

When we watch entertainers and people on television, we too often forget that what we are seeing is the result of hours of preparation and practice.

Do everything you can to put your mind at ease about your appearance.

• Before the big day, select an outfit that you know looks good on you and have it ready to wear.

Get a good night's sleep. If you are well-prepared, it will be easier to sleep well.

The Day of the Presentation

Warm up your voice with some vocal exercises. Yawning helps open the throat; humming tunes up the vocal chords.

If you have time for another run-through, practice once more. If you don't have time, find a quiet spot, sit comfortably, close your eyes, and visualize yourself doing the presentation - just the way you want to do it. Visualize the audience responding positively to you. See them standing up and applauding.

Generate good feelings for the audience - and yourself. It has been shown that mental rehearsals of physical acts are as good as actual practice. Sometimes it's even better with the right mind set.

Plan to arrive at least an hour early to check the room and become comfortable with the speaking area. Double-check any equipment you will be using.

Breathe deeply. Deep breathing relaxes the body and brings oxygen to the brain. And that, of course, helps us think more clearly. Breathing deeply also helps us feel calmer.

If at all possible, spend some time with the audience before your presentation. By meeting and greeting them, you will feel you already have some supporters.

Drink a glass of room-temperature water. It strengthens and calms you.

Focus on the audience. 

Think about what you want people to remember as a result of hearing you speak. The human mind can only hold one thought at a time. So if you keep focusing on your message, your nervousness will disappear.

Be sure to move your body, because movement releases tension.

Once you are introduced, take another deep breath, smile, and move onto the stage with all the energy and enthusiasm that your quick adrenaline rush has supplied.

Follow these suggestions and you might find that you actually enjoy speaking to groups. One thing is certain, if you overcome your fear of public speaking and present your ideas clearly you will find more opportunities opening up to you than you ever thought possible.

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