How to overcome the fear of performing on stage. How to overcome your fear of public speaking

What is the main cause of fear when public speaking in front of a large audience? How to learn to give fiery speeches and stop being afraid of speaking in public?

Hello friends! Alexander Berezhnov is in touch and I’m glad to see you on the pages of our blog!

I know that I have already intrigued you with this title and all this will really be in the article.

How does this relate to public speaking? – you ask.

I assure you, all these chips have direct relation to overcoming the fear of public speaking! Verified by my 7 year old practice.

Public speaking – most interesting topic! Please note that the article is not called “How to learn to speak publicly in an hour (day, week)?”, since in reality this is impossible, it is all a painstaking and gradual process. Those who are in the know will confirm my words.

If you have read previous articles, you probably noticed that they all have a practical focus. Here my friends and I share our experiences and summarize our accumulated knowledge. They are obtained as a result of hard and regular work. And these are not just words.

1. My experience in public speaking

In 2010, in the city of Stavropol, like-minded people and I created a club "Charismatic speaker", where they regularly held classes, invited interesting guests (politicians, businessmen, actors, TV presenters), went out into the “fields” and practiced speaking publicly, overcoming their fears and complexes.

Today our club moved to new format and with colleagues we also conduct trainings on public speaking in youth institutions of the city of Stavropol and Stavropol Territory. All this is done free of charge. Thus, anyone can improve their public speaking skills.

The topic of public speaking is very close to my heart. From the second grade I began performing on stage, studied vocals and choral singing, and performed solo in the city of Stavropol and beyond as a performer of classical and patriotic songs.

Therefore, today I am not only not afraid to perform, but I also really love to do it and teach these skills to others. He himself has spoken before several thousand people at city and regional events, held mass events as a presenter, and was a speaker at round tables various levels, conducted presentations of projects in different cities, gave interviews on television and radio.

Many of my acquaintances and friends say:

“Don’t feed him bread,” just let him perform!”

Indeed, public speaking is my passion! I have been doing this consciously and regularly for 7 years.

Experiment

Before writing the article, I conducted a large survey among my friends and acquaintances (I surveyed about 50 people). Among the respondents were people of both public and non-public professions.

I asked them just two questions:

1. “Do you like to speak in public? (yes/no) and why?”
2. “What are you afraid of speaking in public?”

It turned out that most people are really afraid to speak. Among the main fears my friends identified:

• fear of appearing ridiculous in front of an audience;
• fear of losing the logic of the narrative;
• fear of letting your team down(if you are a trusted representative of such a team);
• fear of “saying too much” from excitement.

As a result of the survey, I found out that there is a direct relationship between the size of the audience, the level of the event and the status of the listeners present.

That is, the larger the audience, the more respectable the event and the higher the status of the guests, the more difficult it is to speak in front of such an audience.

Public speaking is an art just like writing music, writing poetry, carving wood, etc. I would even say that this is more complicated than the examples given, since in public speaking a huge role is played by psychology, the inner mood and personality of the speaker himself.

The topic of public speaking is very broad; it includes a huge theoretical base devoted to the speaker’s posture, appearance, style of presenting material, the art of speaking, facial expressions, gestures, the ability to hold the attention of the audience, and so on.

I am convinced that all this can only be learned through regular practice.

And the article will talk specifically about the psychology of public speaking, and in particular about the fear that many people have at this moment and how to overcome it.

2. Why do most people experience overwhelming fear when speaking in public? Main reason

So, friends, before you do any business, you need to turn to the theory of this business.

In order to overcome fear during public speaking, you need to know why it arises.

Fear- This defensive reaction the body, which helps us avoid fatal mistakes and threats to life. Moderate fear, or rather slight excitement, is a useful and the right emotion at the time of our performance. It helps us concentrate better and not lose our train of thought. But excessive fear to the point of trembling in the knees is the main enemy of any speaker!

2.1. So what is the main reason for fear when speaking in public?

It's all about our ancient instincts.

Since ancient times, people did everything together, this is how it was easier to survive. Together they hunted and escaped from wild animals. Together they defended themselves from attacks from other tribes. That is, separating from the team was not accepted and even dangerous.

And any public speaking is, first of all, an expression of one’s individuality, most often own point vision. Here you simply need to stand out from the crowd and be “different from everyone else.”

This is very difficult for most people to do.

3. Social attitude “Be like everyone else!” Don't stand out!

More from early childhood we were taught to be obedient and humble, fulfilling the will of adults: parents, educators, teachers.

Remember yourself in kindergarten... This is the same security institution as a school, an institute, an army and even a prison. Here we went for a walk, for lunch, and attended other group events. Of course, because man is a herd animal and feels uncomfortable alone. And the most important thing is that it can only develop in society.

Surely you remember famous fairy tale about the boy “Mowgli”, who grew up among animals. But few people know that modern humanity knows dozens of such examples. This is especially true for India. There, children were lost in the jungle and raised in packs of animals. Wolves and other animals replaced their parents.

Even after they were found by civilized people, such children could never become people in modern understanding. They did not speak, but howled at the moon and ran on all fours. Therefore, it is psychologically very difficult for many of us to accept the very essence of public speaking, especially if we were brought up among “non-public” people.

Another interesting fact.

Scientists have proven that during public speaking, many people release the same amount of adrenaline as when skydiving.

Fear of public speaking has been found to be second fear after the main thing - the fear of death, and for some it even comes first!

3.1. How can we overcome this ancient instinct?

Friends, the easiest way to do this is to simply realize that the modern world has changed, new “rules of the game” have appeared. Public speaking, and leadership itself, has become very important element modern people. These qualities are especially evident in those who have great ambitions and want to achieve a lot in life.

Friends, remember!

People are afraid to speak publicly for fear of criticism, i.e. if you are afraid to speak publicly, this is a signal, a kind of small bell that you are highly dependent on other people’s opinions and you have self-doubt.

This is very important to know. Because if we want to solve a problem, we clearly need to understand the cause of its occurrence. Like a doctor, before treating a patient, he sends him for tests or conducts appropriate examinations in order to accurately diagnose.

So, we have established that fear of public speaking is common to many people. This is a fact!

Have you ever thought that speaking in public is very useful? This trains your communication skills, erudition, and allows you to develop the ability to correctly formulate thoughts and make them more consistent.

Have you noticed that many professional speakers are far from poor people, and this is also no coincidence. Remember, we drew a parallel between fear of public speaking and self-doubt. I think everyone understands that in order to earn money you need to be a confident person. Otherwise your success will be very unstable.

So, dear readers, we come to the most important thing!

4. Practical techniques and exercises to overcome the fear of public speaking. "Fast" and "slow" methods

There is a by and large There are only two ways to solve this problem:

1. Slow;
2. Relatively fast (stressful).

Example

You can learn to swim slowly, that is, go to the pool, practice with an instructor, wearing a special swimming vest. Then you will gradually, over a few weeks, learn to swim, and this will not affect your emotional state.

The second method is fast, but rather “stressful”. I think you can already guess what he suggests.

A person who cannot swim is taken in a boat to the middle of the lake and thrown out of it. In this situation, the “teachers” assume that the instinct of self-preservation will immediately force the poor fellow to act, and he will learn to swim in a couple of minutes.

Of course, extremes are not always good, but their dosed use clearly helps in life.

How can such an example be applied to overcoming the fear of public speaking?– you ask. Now this is interesting.

So, let's move on to the practical part:

4.1. "The Slow Way"

I will outline it in three main principles:

Principle #1: Familiar audience and interesting topic

I suggest starting small. This is how all great things begin. Gather a few of your like-minded friends at home. Surely you are interested in something together. Be it sports, computer games or work.

Agree with them that on the day of the meeting you will present them with a very interesting information. Prepare yourself and do it as if you are in front of a large hall with hundreds of people looking at you. Give it your all, don’t cut yourself any slack!

I also train like this from time to time. This allows you to stay in shape. When your friends, acquaintances or relatives are looking at you, there is nothing to be afraid of, especially if you are speaking on a topic that interests you. In this case, your performance will certainly be very worthy.

Principle No. 2. Don't compare yourself to others, develop your own individuality

I'm sure you've noticed that every good speaker has his own delivery style. Just remember our Russian comedians: Evgeny Petrosyan, Vladimir Vinokur, Maxim Galkin, Viktor Koklyushkin, Elena Vorobey. Politicians: Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. TV presenters and actors: Vladimir Solovyov, Tina Kandelaki, Vladimir Pozner.

All of them are loved by the audience, but each has their own unique image, which is unique to them, thanks to their charisma.

Find yourself, your unique image. Your friends' outside perspective will help you with this. Ask them what style do you perform best in? How do they perceive you? And based on this analysis and your own feelings, develop your own style of presenting public speech.

Principle No. 3. Practice!

Participate in performances, discussions, take the initiative wherever there is an opportunity to speak publicly. If you have time and desire, find like-minded people and create a discussion club. At first, you can place it at home, and later move it to the base of your work, study or public organization.

Now let’s get rid of fear using stressful methods...

4.2. "Fast way"

As I already wrote, there are certain technologies that allow you to quickly get rid of main problem – critical perception those around you. To do this, you need to increase your stress resistance through certain exercises.

The logic here is very simple: if you can withstand strong critical assessment from people (necessarily strangers!), then you will definitely be able to speak publicly and not worry about it!

Let's go!

Exercise No. 1. “Cleanliness is the key to health”

You dress in a janitor's suit, take a bucket of water, a rag and a mop, and go to the nearest stop. public transport, preferably on a weekend, so that there are fewer people on the buses.

Then get on the bus and say: “Cleanliness is the key to health”, start washing it with your supplies. =) At the same time, you talk with puzzled passengers and the driver. After traveling 5-6 stops, you get off, pay the fare, and repeat this exercise 5 more times. I advise you not to start this exercise alone, as it will be quite awkward for you to do it alone.

Exercise No. 2.

Surely in the summer you can find points selling ice cream on the streets of your city. Usually this is a refrigerator, next to it there is a sun umbrella and a girl (rarely a guy) sells ice cream. Your task is to approach the girl and offer your help in selling her ice cream. Tell us a little about yourself, say that you are undergoing training and this is part of your assignment.

Write a quatrain about the company that owns the outlet, and then start calling out people passing by with it.

Yours main task– increase sales at the time of your active actions! Do this for 20 minutes. Repeat the exercise 3 times a day at different points.

Exercise No. 3. "With a pacifier at the mall"

Buy a regular baby pacifier, put it in your mouth and go on a field trip to your nearest shopping mall. It could also be a market or similar crowded place. Approach different retail outlets with the air of an interested buyer. It is best if there are several other passers-by nearby. Stand in line for groceries with a pacifier in your mouth. When it's time to buy, look at the seller, without removing the pacifier from your mouth, place an order.

Place your groceries in your bag and move on as if nothing had happened. Observe the reactions of others...

Exercise No. 4.

Take a box of washing powder and pour it into another container. Clean the box thoroughly. After this, pour powdered sugar (crushed) into the box granulated sugar), grab a spoon and head to the cafe. It's best if there are a lot of visitors there. Right in front of them, take out a box of washing powder with powdered sugar and start eating it with a spoon right in front of people and cafe staff.

Walk around the establishment with a demonstrative air. If you are asked questions, answer them, and at the end of the answer, offer to try your delicious powder.

I personally went through the first two exercises, and I also went through tougher ones, which I won’t write about. I think you get the point.

Based on these exercises, you can come up with a lot more. It all depends on your imagination and moral readiness.

I will say that it is best to alternate these methods.

That is, you first give yourself a shake-up, and then speak publicly several times in a row, but with greater resistance to stress. Your level is growing and as in computer games, starting from the first level, it increases in the process of gaining experience.

I know that many will say, where can I find the courage for such exercises? Friends, but you wanted it quickly, and for everything quick you have to pay something, in in this case stress. But I assure you that nothing bad will happen to you, and panic fear when speaking in public, it will turn into only mild anxiety, which will only help you.

Please take part in the survey:

5. Video of the worst public speech...

Finally, I present to your attention a video with the most disastrous public performance in front of the camera. I'm sure you'll like it :)

Meet us! Petr Polyachkin- speaker of the 21st century! (4:34)

You need to give a speech. But what is it? Fear, panic, circles before the eyes...

Stop! Take control of panic!

Fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias. This anxiety is caused by how a person will appear in front of an audience. It doesn't matter whether it's 5 people or 145. People try to protect themselves and avoid public speaking.

This fear rules a person's life. How? A person chooses a profession where he doesn’t have to talk much, doesn’t speak at presentations, and doesn’t stick his head out at all. This behavior deprives them of a lot. They choose someone who can speak beautifully to replace the boss. Investors choose a business that is led by an entrepreneur who has done a good presentation.

Some people pull themselves together and still perform. But they do the big thing - they focus on how they feel rather than what they say. The result is failure.

The ability to speak in public is very important skill that anyone needs successful person. Very few people are born good speakers. Others simply know how to overcome their fear. This instruction will help you cope with anxiety. Therefore, read and remember:

1. Don't be afraid to make mistakes

When there are dozens, hundreds of people in front of you, and all of them are determined to listen to your speech, you are simply catastrophically afraid of making a mistake. You are afraid that your mistake will be noticed and you will look ridiculous in the eyes of all these people. But you must remember important thing, none of us are perfect. Even the most best speaker may be wrong. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because we learn from them. Take this as useful.

2. Visualize your best outcome.

Never think that you will definitely fail this performance and everyone will just laugh at you. Just imagine best result, replay your entire performance in your mind. Think positively. Imagine that you are speaking easily, your speech is calm and interesting. The audience listens attentively and with interest. Think about good ending speeches. Don't set yourself up for a bad result right away.

3. Listeners are your friends

If you're waiting good attitude to yourself, then you should treat people with respect. If they came to you, it means they have a desire to receive useful and interesting information from you.

4. Rest before the performance

Before this important event don’t be nervous, calm down, read something light, listen to your favorite music, get some sleep.

5. Neat appearance

Prepare for your presentation seriously. You must look impeccable. Pay attention to your shoes, clean them, your clothes should be neat and comfortable.

6. Love what you talk about

First of all, you should like your report. Despite its seriousness, try to interest your listeners. You yourself should enjoy the performance. You must know what you are talking about.

7. Stay calm

Don't forget to breathe deeply; fear and anxiety before a performance can have a negative impact on your voice.

8. The best listener is a friendly listener.

Stop your gaze on a kind and friendly face. When you know for sure that everything you say to someone, you will have more strength and positive energy to continue.

In this video you can find a few more useful tips that will help you become a good speaker:

Fear of public speaking, like other fears and phobias, is similar to panic attack. People, of course, want to get rid of anxiety before they even start talking. But many known methods only increase anxiety.

This exercise should help you deal with fear. Try it!

Imagine that you are already on stage. Think about what you do during your introduction to feel more relaxed? How do you try to control your fear?

Think for two minutes. Write down all your answers.

What's on your list?

Here, for example, is a piece of my old list:

• Reading;
• I don't look at the audience;
• I skip parts of the text;
• I tell myself that it will all be over soon;
• I imagine the audience in funny costumes;
• I use a lot of slides and a quick story;
• I clench my fists.

And many, many more points.

Time yourself for two more minutes. And write next to each item on the first list - how exactly do these steps help you perform?

Here's what I wrote down:

• I try to finish as soon as possible;
• I avoid pauses and interruptions, possible questions;
• I avoid contact with;
• I hide the fact that I am actually very afraid.

But do you think it really helps you perform brilliantly? No! This is a recipe for spectacular failure! Following these points is an attempt to quickly get rid of the speech and the role of speaker. They prevent you from using all the advantages of the speaker.

The main mistakes of the speaker:

Wrong focus

Speakers who are afraid to speak create problems for themselves when they don't embrace the role of speaker. They chatter, read, mumble and are focused mainly on their fear. The result is the opposite of what we would like to see.

Rush

When a person is waiting for the end of his speech, he tries to speak quickly. Rapid talking interferes with breathing. Instead of breathing calmly and comfortably, you take small breaths or hold your breath. This creates an animalistic fear of suffocation, which makes the situation even worse.

This rush prevents your audience from enjoying your speech. The less contact you have with them, the more unfriendly they seem to you, the more scary it is to say something.

Ignoring the audience

Horrible speakers often try to ignore the audience. They hope it will reduce their anxiety. For example, they avoid eye contact with people. This makes it difficult to notice the reaction to your words. You don’t see what is interesting to them and what is unclear.

When you don't have contact with the audience, you are focused on your thoughts. And they are always more negative than they really are. Result? An even greater fear of public speaking!

Struggle to hide fear

Now you understand that actions that are supposed to hide fear cause even more anxiety. Makes you nervous. This has another very negative consequence:

Even if everything went well, you cannot enjoy the success. Why? You think, “If only they knew how afraid I am.” You get the feeling that you are deceiving people and therefore are unhappy with yourself.

You can overcome fear with the help of 3 main elements:

• approaching the audience without fear;
• conscious actions;
• desire to be a good speaker.

Conclusion

Public speaking is a very useful skill for every person who wants to achieve high results in life. Constant training in front of different audiences will help you cope with it much faster.

Was it helpful? Put “like” under the article. I'll prepare more interesting materials about useful skills.

Every person has had to speak in public at least once - some have a professional obligation associated with this, for example, teachers, politicians, artists, managers, lawyers. Now there is even a separate specialty - speaker.

According to statistics from psychologists, The level of stage fright is so developed that it affects about 95% of the entire population. Fear of public speaking is one of the most common fears, which causes a lot of inconvenience and also worsens a person’s condition. Let's look at how to overcome fear of speaking and what treatment modern medicine offers.

Description of the phobia

The fear of public speaking is called medical term glossophobia, and in some cases it actually needs to be treated. This fear of public speaking was familiar to many outstanding people. Among the celebrities who were afraid of the stage were Faina Ranevskaya, musician Glenn Gould, and singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

For many, the fear of speaking in front of an audience becomes a serious stress blow, in which the lack of any treatment and proper therapy leads to the development of a full-fledged mental disorder and social phobia.

Under the influence of fear, a person develops so-called defensive behavior. This behavior helps to get rid of stress only at first, and if the problem is not solved in the future, the person cannot cope with fear and defensive behavior becomes his normal daily pattern.

This behavior begins to interfere with personal and career growth, forms mental problems And distorted perception reality.

This is why performance anxiety needs to be recognized initial stages, you should not be afraid to resort to the help of a specialist, who will determine in each individual case how not to be afraid to speak.

Typical and atypical fear

Let's consider how the phobia manifests itself, since it is impossible to overcome the fear of public speaking without accurately identifying the pathology. In addition to glossophobia, there is another name - peiraphobia. It is worth distinguishing from the ordinary anxiety that a person experiences before speaking in front of an audience, and the pathological fear of public speaking.

The reaction is quite adequate when a person is nervous before an oral entrance exam, performance with musical number. Among their friends, such people easily cope with fear and calmly demonstrate their talents.

Psychologists say that a little anxiety in front of the public has its advantages. Before an upcoming performance, a person concentrates his attention, becomes more collected and energetic, as a result, the course of any public speaking is under control and going well.

A person who suffers from stage fright experiences true fear both before and after the performance, in addition, he is afraid even after the end of the performance, and cannot cope with fear, even if he performed well.

Such fear remains in front of both unfamiliar and familiar audiences; it cannot be overcome, regardless of the number of listeners and the degree of familiarity with them.

Symptoms

The phobia may be caused for various reasons, but almost always causes the same symptoms. Before a performance, just seeing future listeners, a person instantly feels strong emotional tension.

• The cerebral cortex and glands are activated internal secretion, sympathetic system, resulting in work internal organs changes in this way - muscles tense, facial expressions and gestures change, changes in speech are also observed, which are difficult to cope with - changes in voice timbre, speed of speech.
• The autonomic system responds with increased sweating, rapid heartbeat, surges in blood pressure, headaches and tightness in the chest.
• When people are terrified of speaking, they experience dry mouth, trembling and confusion in the voice, a complete loss of the ability to speak clearly, and even involuntary urination.
• Sometimes, with high nervous excitability, a person may even faint, and before that he feels nausea, weakness, dizziness, his skin becomes pale and covered with perspiration.

The strength of symptoms and the complex of symptoms is individual and depends on the characteristics of the person and his character, the state of the body and mood.

Reasons for developing a phobia

The main reasons for the development of this phobia lie in both genetic predisposition and social factors.

• There is a genetic predisposition to certain types of fear, for example, social phobia, or congenital increased anxiety. A person constantly tries to meet certain standards, is afraid of being misunderstood and unaccepted, unfairly assessed, isolated from society. Among the hereditary characteristics are temperament, level of anxiety and emotional perception. Parents and children can be very similar in this, having the same fears.

• The most serious, underlying causes of phobia are social conditions. The development of phobias is facilitated by overly strict upbringing, intimidation and threats from parents in childhood, and excessive sensitivity to the opinions of others.
• A negative assessment of one’s abilities and capabilities, negative experiences in childhood that were subjected to harsh criticism, distortion of a stressful situation and its exaggeration can also contribute to the development of a phobia.
• Pathology can develop due to low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence in front of listeners, poor preparation to performance and lack of knowledge. Many people develop a phobia precisely because they have had very little performance experience.
• On the other hand, glossophobia often arises against the background of a constant desire for perfection, often accompanies perfectionists and people who value public evaluation.

Coping methods

How to get rid of stage fright, and what treatment is indicated for such a pathology? Specialized help is necessary only when fear becomes panicky and neurotic, crossing all boundaries. In other cases, overcoming the fear of public speaking is possible with the help of auto-training.

The main ways to overcome stage fright lie, first of all, in recognizing this problem, and then in analyzing the reasons that led to the development of pathology. Then solutions are developed and tested in practice.

Eliminating the unknown factor

To overcome the fear of public speaking, you should get rid of the factor of the unknown of the audience sitting in front of you. Analyze why they gathered, what they expect from what they heard, and what kind of audience reaction you would like to receive. Analyzing the situation allows you to avoid the unknown and stop being afraid of people’s unknown reactions.

Eliminating illusions

Nervous arousal increases when a person concentrates on negative traits public. Such traits usually include skeptical smiles, disapproving gestures, inattention, and whispering during a speech.

Change net worth possible, mentally endowing people positive qualities, paying attention not to the negative, but to positive traits– approving gestures, interested and attentive glances.

Another good way eliminate the illusion that everyone in the room is against you, concentrate on positive result the work done.

Planning your speech

One of the most important tips on how to overcome stage fright and how to cope with nervousness is thorough preparation for the performance. Confidence in your own preparation and sufficiency of information allows you to relax somewhat and tune in to a high-quality performance.

For example, when preparing a report, you should first analyze and study the source data obtained from various authoritative sources. Then create a unique text and write down the main points of your report, make a speech plan– what to say and when. Choose strong arguments in your favor and do not lose sight of them throughout the entire report, predict possible questions and prepare answers to them.

Ways to overcome fear also lie in thorough rehearsal - to stop stuttering and stuttering during a speech, rehearse your report in front of a mirror, or read it to your loved ones. Since it is impossible to stop being afraid without some experience, rehearsing in front of those closest to you will be good training.

Recognition of imperfection

Before you fight your fears, accept the fact that the importance of other people can be greatly exaggerated. Do not attach excessive importance to criticism, skepticism and sarcasm, realize that everyone has the right to make a mistake. Also remember that even well-wishers can wishful thinking, therefore not a single opinion around can be the ultimate truth.

Learn techniques to increase self-esteem and feeling self-esteem, feel intrinsic value and the uniqueness of your personality. You will also have to accept the fact that other individuals are just as unique and have the right to make mistakes just as much as you do.

Set yourself up for a positive outcome

You can effectively overcome fear if you focus on the process of achieving the goal, and not on the result. Record your actions in the present, as if looking at yourself from the outside, without exaggeration or understatement. Imagine positive aspects your time on stage - this will allow you to overcome fear and in the future get rid of it faster each time.

Treatment of the pathology may include physical activity, study of technology correct breathing, training the left hemisphere of the brain, for example, working with mathematical calculations or other exact science. One of the pleasant ways to fight is to hum a favorite tune, meditate, and practice body posture to achieve more open and restrained positions.

Fear of public speaking and the reasons for its occurrence. The article will discuss how to get rid of voiced mental discomfort that can harm the career growth of any person.

Contents of the article:

Fear of public speaking is a feeling that may seem unreasonable to some skeptics. However, practice shows that it is precisely this that prevents many people from revealing themselves to their intended audience in all the glory of their oratorical talents. It is necessary to understand the reasons for the voiced fear and methods of combating such a scourge.

Reasons for developing a fear of public speaking

Psychologists identify the following reasons for the described phenomenon in a person who panicked before speaking:

• Children's fears. Fear of speaking in front of an audience is a likely manifestation of a kind of embarrassment that happened a long time ago. The reason for what is described may be an unsuccessfully read poem at a matinee, the performance of which caused laughter from peers or adults.
• Costs of education. Each parent puts something personal into their child, adjusting the behavior model of their beloved child in their own way. Sometimes a father or mother instills in a child or teenager that under no circumstances should they expose themselves to others. This later develops into obsession, which becomes one of the reasons for the fear of public speaking.
• Fear of criticism from listeners. Self-love is a feeling that should be present in every person. However, sometimes this trait turns into a painful one. state of mind. The result is fear of public speaking due to fear of being criticized.
• Problems with diction. Not every person can boast of perfect pronunciation and a masterly manner of presenting information to listeners. Some people take this fact absolutely calmly, but there are people who are afraid of public speaking precisely for the reason stated.
• Excessive shyness. As they say, not everyone can launch satellites, so those with complexes or overly emotional vulnerable people V modern society exists sufficient quantity. The very thought that they need to give a speech in front of a large audience terrifies such individuals.
• Complexes about own appearance . Very often, such a phenomenon is a common exaggeration on the part of an insecure person. Such people think that everyone will laugh as soon as they see them on the podium or stage, even with a carefully prepared report.
• Neurotic diseases. To a person who suffers similar illness, it is difficult to control your emotions before an important event. Therefore, one should not be surprised at panic at the most inopportune moment in such nervous individuals.

Important! Psychologists believe that all the voiced reasons must be urgently eradicated. Such fears prevent people from making a successful career and achieving significant results in life.

Signs of an alarmist before public speaking

1. Excessive fun. This behavior is appropriate when preparing for a performance by clowns or masters of the comic genre. Before a serious report, you need to gather yourself as much as possible, and nervous laughter only shows the alarmist’s fear of the upcoming appearance in public.
2. Feverish behavior. In this state, the speaker constantly loses the material of the report and literally everything falls out of his hands. Everyone can be nervous before a public speaking, but you shouldn’t turn small worries into real hysterics.
3. Nervous gestures. This behavior is similar to the feverish excitement described above. However, it is the peak of panic before public speaking, when a person begins to gesticulate desperately.
4. Facial redness or paleness. Making yourself blush suits a shy girl of marriageable age, not a professional who is seriously interested in advancing her career. It is this sign that indicates that a person panics before a public speech; nervous soil rises blood pressure. Excessive paleness of the skin may also indicate that the future speaker is afraid of the upcoming speech.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking is not a whim, but a wise decision for self-sufficient individuals who want to achieve a lot in life. Here it is important not only to recognize the problem, but also to begin to actively fight it.

Methods for dealing with fear of public speaking

There are many ways to combat this mental discomfort. You can help yourself, but if this is unattainable, you should turn to specialists.

Overcome the fear of public speaking on your own

• Autotraining. It's not hard to do this because few people don't love themselves. This is considered normal if it does not develop into inveterate selfishness. Therefore, it is necessary to convince yourself that even experienced speakers make mistakes. It's no secret that in live can be heard large number so-called bloopers from public speaking gurus. Not in the world perfect people, and this should be learned for yourself in order to get rid of the fear of presentations in front of an audience.
• Meditation. Some skeptics will say that not every person knows this technique. However, there is nothing complicated in the proposed method of dealing with fear of public speaking. Initially, you should relax as much as possible and take a deep breath of air. Then you need to exhale, stretching each movement for five seconds. It is recommended to do the above described for 5-6 minutes before communicating with the audience. This way you can achieve the greatest effect from the manipulations performed.
• Clear knowledge of the topic of the speech. In this case, there is simply no time to panic, so it is better to devote it to familiarizing yourself with the material of the report. It's hard to discourage a person who knows what he's talking about. an unexpected question or a sidelong glance. It is also necessary to select a topic that is to your liking, so that listeners can see the speaker’s passion for the proposed material.
• Image creation. Well-groomed man will never think about how to overcome the fear of public speaking. He simply doesn’t have it because of his self-confidence. Before speaking, it is necessary to put your appearance in order so that the speaker pleases not only the ears of the listeners, but is also pleasant for visual perception.
• Self-discipline. Bad habits should be left far beyond the doors of the conference room where the scheduled speech is to take place. Alcohol or tranquilizers are out of the question when it comes to an important report. In this case, such relaxation will end in failure and possible serious problems in the speaker’s career. Heavy foods should also be avoided before a performance because digesting them can cause drowsiness.
• Avoidance stressful situations . On the eve of the report, you need to take a break from everyday worries and get a good night's sleep. Circles under the eyes and slurred speech of the speaker successful performance definitely won't do it. If you have a problem with insomnia, then you should not take sleeping pills, but rather drink a glass of warm milk with honey in small sips.
• Activation positive emotions . A person who is at peace with himself will easily overcome the fear of speaking in public. The positivity he experiences will not go unnoticed by a wide audience and will allow him to establish maximum contact with the public.
• Consultation with a psychologist. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in this case, because fear of public speaking may be a consequence of mental trauma received in childhood. A specialist will help you establish contact with yourself and give recommendations on how to eliminate the interfering factor in your life. career growth person.

Speaker Tips for Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

1. Rehearsal before the report. You can’t do without this, so as not to get a mass during the performance. unpleasant surprises. You should carefully go through all the stages of the upcoming presentation to the general public. You can also give a speech to your family the day before. This will allow you to correctly place emphasis, practice diction, think through the details of your speech, and evaluate the speed of presentation of information.
2. Breathing correction. This aspect is very important during the report, so you should pay attention to it special attention. A speaker's voice that is creaky or hoarse with excitement will not impress the audience who have come to receive information that is valuable to them. It is necessary to constantly do this on the eve of the presentation. deep breaths so that the lungs are fully saturated with oxygen.
3. Focus on friendly audiences. Any speaker can determine by the reaction of listeners who are favorably disposed towards him. It is precisely this contingent that needs to be addressed greatest attention, focusing your gaze on him during the report.
4. Presentation of the future result. Experts recommend thinking only about positive aspects upcoming performance. The listeners did not come with the clear goal of throwing tomatoes at the speaker, as some alarmist speakers seem to think. People attend such events in order to obtain the necessary information for themselves, and not with malicious intent.
5. Smile and positivity towards listeners. A gloomy and solemn face in this case is unlikely to win over the audience, but rather will cause bewilderment and even negativity among them. The main thing is not to overdo it with emotions, because a smile out of place will look extremely ridiculous.
6. Maximum contact with listeners. No one suggests walking around the hall during a report, but sometimes it is not forbidden to go to the edge of the stage. In this case, you can directly answer the questions of those interested, without fencing them off from the same platform. Given psychological technique will allow you to establish contact with the audience, showing the openness and sincerity of the speaker.
7. Originality of presentation of material. However, it is worth clearly understanding that everything is good in moderation. A good joke or an unusual quote will only brighten up the presentation, but humor when presenting statistical data is unlikely to be understood and accepted by the audience.
8. Boomerang method. During a speech, an incident may occur when the speaker does not know the answer to the question posed. There is no need to panic, because such behavior will look like incompetence of the speaker. Exit from unpleasant situation will be forwarding the question to the audience or colleagues present at the conference. This is done to start a discussion and turn the report into an entertaining debate.
9. Confidence in contact with the public. A phrase in the form that a person is very worried about the upcoming speech will show the seriousness of the speaker’s attitude towards the upcoming report. Most people are forgiving by nature, so they will be sympathetic to the speaker’s slight panic and internally encourage him.

Irina Davydova

Reading time: 9 minutes

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Sweaty palms, haunted eyes, trembling knees - these “symptoms” immediately reveal an amateur in the speaker. In fairness, it is worth noting that anxiety is the norm for a beginning speaker, and with experience it gives way to confidence in the voice and in oneself in general. If, of course, you are “in the material.”

How to get rid of the fear of public speaking, and where do the legs of this fear come from?

We understand, analyze, and gain self-confidence.

Reasons for fear of public speaking – why am I so afraid to speak?

First of all, you need to understand that fear of public speaking (peirophobia, glossophobia) is natural phenomenon. But this fact, of course, will not console the speaker, whose state is always felt by his audience - which, in turn, cannot but affect public assessment report/presentation.

Where do the legs of these fears “grow” from?

Among the main reasons, experts identify:

• Fear of condemnation, censure. The speaker, deep down in his soul, is afraid that they will laugh at him, that they will not take him seriously, that they will make fun of him, that they will be indifferent, and so on.
• Upbringing. Back in early years is being formed inner freedom- or, conversely, human constraint. The first “no” and “shame and disgrace” drives the child into a framework that he will then not be able to go beyond on his own. The first “branch of hell” for a child is performances at school board and in the university classroom. And fear does not go away with age. If you don't fight it.
• Poor preparation for the report . That is, the person has not studied the issue thoroughly enough to feel free about it.
• Unknown audience. Fear of the unknown is one of the most common. You don't know what to expect, so anxiety grows the more, the more unpredictable the public's reaction to the speaker's report.
• Fear of criticism . Excessive pride, when it passes into a pathological, painful state of mind, always causes an acute reaction in a person to criticism. Even fair and constructive ones.
• Problems with diction or appearance. Complexity due to flaws in appearance, stuttering or speech therapy problems, etc. will always be a cause of fear of public speaking.
• Common shyness . Too much shy people they want to hide in a shell at any public event - they feel awkward even when the attention directed at them is exclusively positive.

Video: Secrets of public speaking. Oratory

Why you need to overcome the fear of public speaking - motivation and incentives

Should you deal with your fear of public speaking?

Definitely yes!

After all, having overcome fear, you...

1. You will feel freer not only public events, but also in relationships with people.
2. You will gain self-confidence, which will certainly open up new horizons for you.
3. Get new ones useful acquaintances(people are always drawn to strong and confident individuals).
4. You will get a lot useful emotions from interaction with the audience/audience. Like communicating vessels: everything that you give “to the people” comes back to you with their response and spiritual message.
5. Get rid of fears and complexes, which will be replaced by interest and excitement.
6. You will find the love of your audience, and maybe your own fans.

Think over the nonverbal part of your public speaking - how to present yourself correctly

Unfortunately, many speakers who have just embarked on the path of communicating with an audience often neglect this important tool, forgetting that they need to improve not only their knowledge, but also their voice - its timbre, volume, clarity of pronunciation, etc.

Helps you achieve efficiency...

• Correct breathing technique (which will also help you relax nervous system generally).
• Correct posture (relax, straighten your back, arms and shoulders are free).
• Correct speech rate – about 100 words/min. By slowing down your speech and lowering its volume, you instantly grab the audience's attention.
• Work on the tonality of phrases, voice pitch, timbre.
• The ability to pause.

And, of course, let’s not forget about these effective tools, such as facial expressions, eye contact with the audience, gestures.

The appearance is also worth considering (for a girl speaker, even an arrow on her tights can steal more than half of her self-confidence).

How to cope with anxiety and fear before performing - preparation

The most important and most effective method Getting rid of this fear is a constant practice! Only regular performances will help you say goodbye to anxiety forever.

In the meantime, while you gain this experience and grab any opportunity to practice, use the following tools to combat fear before performing:

1. Rehearsal before the performance. For example, speaking in front of family or close friends. Find yourself an audience that will help you overcome your fear and help you find everything weak points your report (and the speaker, of course), evaluate the presentation of the material, voice and diction, and place the correct emphasis.
2. Correcting your breathing. A trembling, too quiet, monotonous, barking, hoarse voice from terrible excitement is a bad instrument for a speaker. Saturate your lungs with oxygen the day before, do breathing exercises, “sing along” and relax.
3. We are looking for grateful listeners. Any speaker in the hall has a particularly friendly audience. Work for her - direct appeal, eye contact, etc.
4. Focus on results. It is unlikely that listeners will come to you with the goal of throwing rotten eggs and tomatoes at you - they will come to listen to you. So give them what they actually came for - high-quality and beautifully presented material. So that your listeners leave enchanted by you with thoughts about your report and about you as an amazing speaker.
5. Be positive! Nobody likes sad, withdrawn and unsociable people. More smiles, more optimism, more contact with listeners. It is absolutely not necessary to run between the aisles and talk to people “for life”, but asking questions and, most importantly, answering them is welcome. Just don’t overdo it with emotions - don’t scare off your listener.
6. Prepare CAREFULLY for your report. . Study the topic thoroughly so that your beautiful flight of thoughts and words is not interrupted by a sudden question to which you do not know the answer. However, you can get out of any situation. Redirect the question to one of your colleagues or to the whole room, for example, with the words: “but I myself wanted to ask you this question - it would be interesting to hear the opinion of ... (the public, a professional, etc.).”
7. Find out in advance - who are your listeners? Analyze your audience to understand who you will have to speak to. And think over (if possible) answers to all possible questions from listeners.

Video: Fear of public speaking. How to overcome the fear of public speaking?

How to overcome fear during a speech - calm down and find support in the audience

Fear always constrains you when going on stage - even if you were confident and calm literally 10 minutes ago.

When starting your speech, remember the main thing:

• Use the method of positive affirmations.
• Accept your fears. After all, you are not a robot - you have every right to worry a little. If you are speaking for the first time, admitting this fear will help relieve tension and win over the audience.
• Find listeners in the room who support you and listen with their mouths open. Lean on them.
• Make an agreement with your friends - let them get mixed up in the crowd and become your lifesavers in difficult situation, your support and support.