Useful and practical tips to overcome the fear of speaking in public and in gatherings
Speaking skills are very important to succeed in a professional environment, whether you are giving a formal presentation or having a simple conversation with your boss. The fear of public speaking is very real; in fact, many people fear speaking in public more than death. This fear can truly harm your professional and personal life.
You may have been in a situation before where you felt flustered, your palms were sweaty, and you felt uneasy in your stomach, not wanting to do it, but you need to find a way to overcome this fear andstressand manage anxiety, using the solutions we will discuss in this section.SelMagzWith these simple tips, you can overcome your fear of public speaking, and there is even a way to channel your energy positively.
1. Organize:
When you organize all your materials and thoughts, it helps you feel much more relaxed. Having a clear and structured outline allows you toreduce anxietysignificantly because you can focus more on what you have in front of you and deliver a good speech.
2. Practice extensively:
No amount of practice can be replaced when preparing for a speech; prepare a written outline of key points but do not read word-for-word. Be well-prepared for your speech to handle any questions that may arise.
Great ways to speak without stress
3. Eliminate the fear of rejection:
What if my audience hates my speech? What if they tell me to leave the stage? Eliminate all your fears of rejection because your audience is there to listen.
4. Focus on patterns:
When you speak, try to find the flow and rhythm; use short, key sentences, and repeat important points. Short pauses between sentences can keep the audience eager for what you will say next.
5. Watch yourself in the mirror:
If you truly want to improve your public speaking skills, practice your speech in front of a mirror as if you were speaking directly to someone.
Pay attention to your facial expressions, movements, and body language.
What should we do with anxiety before speaking?
How do you welcome an audience?
When you speak, be friendly toward your audience and approach them with a gentle tone and calm demeanor.
6. Record your voice and learn from it:
Record your speech on your phone or camera from start to finish; listen to it or watch it, and take notes on how you can improve. Some people dislike hearing their voice on tape, so it’s important to pay attention to your tone and speaking style.
7. Work on your breathing:
When you focus on your breathing, your voice will become steadier, and you will calm down. Breathe easily and focus on its rhythm. Although this is a public speaking exercise, overall breathing exercises help reduce stress, leading to noticeable improvements in all areas of life.
8. Practice more:
When someone asks me how to improve effective communication skills and public speaking, I quote Albert Hubbard, who said: “The only way to learn to speak is to speak and speak.”
Do not stress about what people think of you;
9. Present your speech to others, preferably friends:
There are plenty of individuals with whom you can practice. Ensure that the person gives you honest feedback. Examples of people you can practice with:
Your friends
Your parents
Speaking directly with others helps you calm down and gain experience in communicating. If they had questions about your speech, your audience might have similar questions.
10. Attend public speaking classes:
Find a good coach; there are many groups where you can join to learn the art of public speaking.
11. Exercise gently before speaking:
Exercising before your presentation can get your blood flowing and oxygen to your brain. Walk or do a few knee bends before your speech. This small trick is one of my favorite tips; you will be amazed at what good blood circulation can do.
Always keep a smile during your speeches
12. PowerPoint can be really good or really bad:
Sometimes, a PowerPoint can be your best friend. If you lose your train of thought, it can help keep your audience engaged and guide people to the right place for key notes.
13. Drink warm water and adjust the room temperature:
Sometimes, squeezing some lemon in your water can help soothe your throat. Try to avoid sugary drinks before speaking as they can dry out your mouth and make it harder to speak.
14. Choose a topic you truly care about:
How to choose a topic that really matters to you: This topic should indirectly affect you. You want to share it with others, so you feel strongly that they can benefit from your knowledge. You can speak from the heart, and when you talk about something with passion, you feel more at ease.
15. Know 100 words for every topic you talk about:
Ernest Hemingway wrote: “To write well, you should know 100 words for every word you write about the topic. Otherwise, the reader will know the writing is not genuine.” Personally, I feel that in speaking, you should know 100 words for every topic you talk about; otherwise, your audience will feel you genuinely do not know what you’re talking about.
What should we do with anxiety before speaking?
16. Focus on the speech, not on the audience:
The best way to concentrate is to focus on your speech and not worry about the audience’s reactions.
17. Stay calm and forget the fear of public speaking:
When you release your stress and calm down, it relaxes your body, leading to less tension.
18. Do not overthink the audience’s reactions:
In any audience, there are always people talking on the phone or yawning. Remember, there are always those who are bored and disinterested. None of those audience members personally react to what you’re doing.
19. Avoid speaking too quickly:
Rapid speaking disrupts your breathing pattern during the speech. If you speak quickly, you breathe less and feelshort of breathwhich increases your fear and anxiety. Practice speaking slowly. This will help you relax more.
Do not speak fast when giving a speech
20. Channel your nervous energy to work for you:
Learn to transform your nervous energy into positive energy. Being nervous is a type of adrenaline that you can use positively to deliver an exciting and energetic presentation during public speaking.
21. Spend time on a good speech and pay any costs necessary:
Decide now that you want to learn how to speak well. Be prepared to pay any costs and go anywhere to reach your goal; I have seen people overcome their fear of speaking and advance in their jobs significantly. Over time, you will improve in your profession.
22. Meditate for five minutes a day:Meditation helps clear your mind of negative thoughts.Speak with
confidence
23. Take pride in your work:Acknowledge your successes and know that your strongest critic is yourself. When you complete a speech or give a presentation, gently pat yourself on the back. You overcame your fear and did it; be proud of yourself.24. Have a plan to improve your next speech:
Practice leads to improvement. If there is a video of your speech, watch it and take notes on how to perform better next time.
How do you think you did?
Are there areas you think have improved?
Does your face look tense or strange?
Did you utilize PowerPoint effectively? Did it help?
- Did you often use “um”?
- How was your rhythm?
- Stress-Free Speaking
- Speaking Without Stress
- Stress-Free Speech
