We all have public speaking fear, but the fear eventually subsides the more we start speaking. The quote “Practise makes perfect” is universally true for overcoming the fear of public speaking. The confidence is built as we start getting more and more exposure. So, kill your fear inside by taking opportunities to speak more in public. Now, the question is how to initiate it first. So here are some practical ways to overcome your Glossophobia (fear of public speaking).
7 Proven Ways To Overcome Glossophobia – Stage Fear
We have so much to tell the world, but our self-consciousness and lack of confidence hinder us from public speaking. So, how we build that confidence and power to keep our thoughts and ideas in public is a matter of concern. Let’s learn our effective ways to overcome public speaking anxiety.
1. Practice Speaking In Front Of The Mirror
To overcome glossophobia (public speaking fear), you need first to practice speaking in front of yourself. This will improve your fluency and clear your thought process. You can also correct your body language by seeing yourself in the mirror and speaking on any topic will become a natural phenomenon after a while.
2. Volunteer For Public Speaking
Take opportunities to speak in public by participating more in such events. In school, students should give their names at various events like extempores, Debates or speech competitions, annual day anchorings, or sports day commentary. Those who are afraid of public speaking will have to kill their fear by taking a stance to face their stage fright. The best anecdote of stage fear is facing fear. As we are able to complete our 1st speech on stage, we feel confident and start growing by taking more opportunities on stage.
3. Feel The Stage As Your Home
Before the concert starts, go to the stage beforehand and feel it, keep your eyes closed, visualize the presence of the audience, and start speaking boldly to overcome the afraid of talking in public. Then, on the day of the performance, climb the stairs of the stage with the feeling that it is your home and nothing to worry about as we never fear in our home. Keep your mind calm, and take the audience as your own people. Express your thoughts boldly with conviction. Stop thinking about what others will think about you that is not your lookout. Let them think you do your work, and remove your public speaking fear.
4. Accept The Fear
Face the public speaking fear and accept that no one is perfect. Be real and not perfect. Accept the fact that nervousness is common, which will give you the thrust to perform better. So don’t hide your fear of public speaking speech, and keep speaking your mind.
5. Choose A Familiar Topic
If you are a first-time speaker, always choose familiar topics to be on the safer side. In office meetings, give a paper presentation on a known topic. To overcome presentation anxiety, do thorough research on the topic and familiarize yourself with the terms and statistics to get the natural flow of speaking.
6. Focus On What Can Be Controlled
Leave the area that is not in your control and focus on what can be controlled to overcome the phobia of talking in public. For example, if you have a weak grasp of grammar, then focus on what you are speaking, as speaking is more important than speaking with correct grammar. In writing, we check grammar, not while speaking.
7. Keep The 360-degree Eye Contact
The phobia of talking in a public audience is mainly due to eye contact with the first line of the audience. So here, what you can do is not focus your eyes on the particular audience but rather have a 360-degree overall eye view to shift your anxiety about maintaining eye contact. When you are seeing overall, you prevent fear of talking in public.
Summing up
Stage fright is common, and so is public speaking fear, and we all have faced it once or another in our lives. People appreciate those who speak relevant things and the truth. So, speak things with conviction and truth, as truth never dies and will make you sail through.
