Fear of public speaking: what is it and how to overcome it?

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The lives of many people are somehow connected with public speaking. Such activities are carried out by artists and teachers, lawyers and managers. Almost every person has spoken in public at least once. Glossophobia is stage fright. It is present in 95% of the population. This disease hinders further career growth and also negatively affects health.

The danger of a phobia

In medicine, stage fright is called glossophobia.
There are situations when this fear simply needs to be treated. This phobia was familiar to many prominent people, including musician Glenn Gould, actress Faina Ranevskaya, etc. Fear of performing in front of large numbers of people can lead to severe stress. It is for this reason that patients often need to get rid of glossophobia. If it is not cured in time, then the patient may develop social phobia or mental disorder .

Under the influence of fear, a person begins to develop protective behavior, but it helps to get rid of stress only for a while. If you do not subsequently master methods to help overcome stage fright, then the patient will not be able to cope with his problem. Such behavior will interfere with his life, form a distorted perception of real events and lead to the development of serious mental problems.

It is because of this that fear of public speaking must be recognized early on. There is no need to be embarrassed to seek help from a qualified specialist, because only he can tell you how to overcome stage fright .

How to calm down for speaking in front of an audience on stage

• Stop thinking that you have to be perfect. Many are afraid to go out with a message to people, because they are afraid of making a mistake. But panic will only increase the likelihood of failure. Even professional speakers cannot avoid small errors. Just follow your goal, without trying to seem like a standard in the eyes of others.
• Understand that the public will not be as demanding of you as you are of yourself. Even if something goes wrong and some little thing gets out of control, most likely it will go unnoticed against the general background of your bright speech.

Types of fears

Before resorting to treatment for glossophobia, you need to know exactly how it is recognized. In medicine, glossophobia can also be called peiraphobia. It should be distinguished from the usual anxiety before a performance in the presence of a large audience.

An adequate reaction of a person is considered to be when he is worried before a musical number on stage or on the eve of an oral exam. Such people can freely demonstrate their talents among their loved ones and acquaintances.

Experts say that having a little anxiety before a performance is beneficial for a person because it helps him concentrate and become more collected. As a result, the planned event will go well for him.

If a person has real stage fright, then he will experience it both before and after performing in front of people. He cannot overcome stage fright, even when he is far from it and does not intend to perform in the near future. He develops fear both in front of unfamiliar listeners and in front of people whom he knows well.

Why glossophobia is harmful: from mild anxiety to panic horror

For most of us, the imminent moment of speaking in front of people initiates the release of stress hormones - a provocateur of many somatic ailments. Having taken untimely or inadequate measures to counteract stress factors, our subconscious mind gets stuck on this situation, focusing its attention on the anticipation of an imminent catastrophe.

Our brain chooses the inherently destructive “escape” behavior to counteract it, hoping to prevent the expected suffering. However, such protective actions do not solve, but further aggravate the problem, causing new emotional difficulties, driving them away from reality into an unnatural environment of primitiveness, schematism and simplicity.

Therefore, it is extremely important to correct our feelings in the very bud, when pathological stage fright has not completely swallowed us and deprived us of communication with people.

Symptoms of the disorder

The causes of a phobia can be various factors. But the symptoms are always almost the same. Seeing his audience before the start of the speech, a person begins to become emotionally tense. Additionally, he may experience the following symptoms:

1. In some situations, with nervous overstrain, a person may faint. But before that, he begins to worry about dizziness, weakness and nausea. The skin may become pale and sweaty.
2. With panic fear of the public, the patient experiences involuntary urination, loss of the ability to speak clearly, trembling voice, and dry mouth.
3. The autonomic system provokes discomfort in the chest, headaches, pressure surges, rapid heartbeat and increased sweating.
4. The activity of the endocrine glands, cerebral cortex and sympathetic system increases. This leads to disruption in the functioning of internal organs, muscle tension, changes in speech speed, voice timbre, gestures and facial expressions.

How to overcome the fear of public speaking on stage with a large audience through rehearsals

The more often you rehearse, the more likely it is that everything will go like clockwork. Having re-read your text more than once, you will remember it and be able to navigate the written thoughts. However, you should not cram - fully memorized speech is perceived dryly, without interest. Record the training on video to evaluate your behavior, facial expressions, and gestures.

Reasons for development

Various factors can provoke the development of glossophobia.
The tendency to fear in many people is observed at the genetic level. A person always tries to conform to social norms. He is afraid of being isolated from society, as well as being unpleasant and incomprehensible to him. Emotional perception, anxiety levels and temperament can be inherited. Glossophobia can also appear due to the fact that a person constantly strives for self-improvement. This type of disorder often appears in perfectionists and people who value public opinion.

Pathology can arise due to an insufficient level of self-confidence, low self-esteem, lack of knowledge or poor preparation for a performance. Beginning actors, lecturers and other people who are forced to be in front of an audience develop a phobia due to little experience speaking in front of an audience.

A phobia can also appear for the reason that an individual negatively evaluates personal capabilities and abilities. The development of this pathology is also influenced by negative childhood experiences, when the patient at an early age was subjected to harsh criticism from parents, teachers or friends.

How not to be afraid before going out

Control your breathing. In a confused rhythm, it will only fuel stress. Breathe deeply, calmly and evenly. Focus on alternating your inhalations and exhalations to prevent destructive thoughts from arising.

How to deal with panic that arises on the spot

• Find viewers who are as friendly as possible. Focus your attention on them.
• If you experience trembling or numbness in your limbs, imagine being doused with water, and then shake it off.
• Breathing has a calming effect. Take a deep breath and exhale long. Normalize your breathing rhythm.

Coping methods

Many people do not know how to overcome stage fright and whether this pathology needs to be treated. The help of a specialist is necessary only when fear becomes panicky and goes beyond all limits. In all other situations, it is possible to overcome it using auto-training and other modern psychological techniques.

Eliminating the Unknown

To combat the fear of large crowds of people, it is necessary to overcome the factor of the unknown of the public. To do this, the speaker needs to analyze why the people have gathered and what they expect from his speech. You should also understand what kind of reaction the lecturer expects to hear from the audience.

When a person begins to concentrate on the negative reaction of the public, his nervous arousal becomes stronger. Typically, evidence of listener disapproval includes:

• whispering during performance;
• inattention;
• disapproving gestures;
• skeptical smiles.

You can change the state if you mentally endow people with positive qualities, pay attention only to interested glances and approving gestures. You can also simply concentrate on the positive outcome of the performance.

Planning your speech

If you carefully prepare for a performance, then you can cope with nervousness and overcome stage fright. Confidence in good preparation will allow the speaker to tune in to a positive outcome of the speech and help him relax.

When making a report, it is necessary to study and analyze all the initial data that was obtained from various sources. After this, you need to create a text, sketch out theses, and draw up a plan of remarks. The plan should include outline phrases, as well as in what sequence and what to say to the public. You need to select arguments in your favor and not lose sight of them throughout your speech. In addition, you should make a list of approximate possible questions and think about the answers to them in advance.

Preliminary rehearsals are also important. To avoid stuttering or stuttering while on stage, you need to read the report several times (until perfection) to your loved ones or to yourself in front of the mirror.

The importance of other people can be greatly exaggerated. This should be remembered before you begin to fight your fears. It is worth recognizing the fact that every person has the right to make mistakes.

You need to master techniques that increase your sense of human dignity and self-esteem, help you feel the uniqueness of your personality and your own worth. It is also necessary to realize that everyone can make the same mistakes.

Fear will be overcome more effectively if you focus all your attention not on the result of the performance, but on the process to achieve the goal. You need to record real actions, looking at yourself through someone else's eyes, without any understatement or exaggeration. It is advisable to present the positive aspects of being on stage. Thanks to this, it will be possible to completely overcome fear.

Good results in the treatment of phobias can be obtained with the help of physical activity, training the left hemisphere of the brain and proper breathing techniques. The most pleasant methods of dealing with fears are meditation and singing your favorite songs.

How not to worry before public speaking on stage: exercises at home

There are several effective ways to reduce fear when preparing for a report at home.

Exercise stress

To regulate the neuro-hormonal state, you need to work with the body. Do some exercises, jump, do squats. Sport promotes the production of endorphins - anti-stress hormones. But you shouldn’t do this right before going out to the audience: breathing should be restored, and your appearance should be neat.

Visualization

Try to reproduce the upcoming event in detail in your head. Pay attention to how the audience perceives you, joke and answer their questions with ease. Create the most positive picture of what is happening.

Ask a question

Self-hypnosis

Before speaking, repeat the following out loud:

• I'm happy to be here.
• I'm glad to see you all.
• I am confident in my expertise.
• I clearly understand what will be discussed.
• I like you.
• I inspire you.

Additional recommendations

If a person is afraid to speak in front of a large audience, he needs to fight it. Even if the excitement is very strong, you should pretend to be the calmest person in the world. You need to smile and not tell anyone about your experiences. It is necessary to pretend throughout the entire time you are on stage. No need to slouch. You should look straight ahead, not at the floor.

You can acquire your favorite ritual or amulet that will set you up for good luck. If the speaker has a friend who is not afraid of the stage, you should contact him for advice. Through communication with him, you can learn to control your emotions and realize that stage fright is present in almost every person. To get rid of glossophobia, you can use the following recommendations:

1. If fear does not want to recede, the speaker can imagine during a speech that the listeners sitting in the hall are stupider than him or are dressed in strange outfits. This will help you forget about your worries for a while and collect your thoughts.
2. There is almost always bright and blinding spotlights on the stage. If it gets really scary, you can look at the soffit. You don't need to stare at the audience all the time. Sometimes the lights in the hall are so dim that you simply cannot see the people sitting in it.
3. If it is difficult to maintain eye contact with the listener, then you can look at an inanimate object or a wall.

Sometimes speaking in public can be very intimidating. But no career is complete without this ability. You should listen to useful advice and overcome stage fright as quickly as possible.

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How to overcome stage fright and public speaking

There is a certain algorithm that allows you to fight glossophobia. These are four steps to help you work through your fear.

• Participation in auto-training. It is extremely important to work on your self-esteem by regularly expressing your own praise. Recognize your strengths and remind yourself of them often.
• Carrying out relaxation and meditation. Learn to relax and find emotional balance within yourself.
• Create a positive outlook. Think about how wonderful and successful everything will be. You shouldn’t focus on the negative, knowingly programming yourself to make a mistake.
• Watch your appearance. Your appearance should match the format of the conversation.