Public speaking is a life skill that holds great value in the modern world. At one point or the other, you will need to deliver speeches effectively and grab people’s attention to leave a mark. The impressions made on people translate to better career opportunities and connections. Read on to learn more about the fears of public speaking and how you can overcome it.
Why do you fear public speaking?
Have you ever wondered why you fear speaking in front of an audience? Here are the main reasons why we feel our nerves kick up when we have to speak in public:
- Nerves from the professional setting
When a professional setting is in place, we automatically place more emphasis on the occasion. The event’s seriousness translates to no room for error in our minds. Our nervousness increases exponentially in such cases, leading to stage fright, which is the fear of public speaking.
The value placed on a performance influences how we treat it. In contrast, fun conversations with friends or even group conversations are usually more smooth sailing. The speech to be delivered is not treated as a simple conversation which adds to the speaker’s stress. This influences our nervousness on stage and, ultimately, the result.
- Pressure to impress the audience
When delivering speeches, the attention is placed primarily on the speaker. In exchange for ideas, you have to put across your point in the best manner you know instead of the emphasis on perception. The stakes are higher, with a large crowd listening to you on a topic.
If you have people you respect in the crowd, like your co-workers and bosses, you are more likely to get nervous under the pressure of performance. Having dignitaries in the crowd influences how much value we place on our performance and can lead to more nervous behavior.
- Unfamiliarity with the surroundings
Familiarity significantly affects how comfortable we are in delivering a speech. Familiar surroundings help you relax, and you can freely focus on the content you need to deliver. With the influence of new spaces and how your voice might sound on the microphone, you have many factors to worry about, which can lead to fear of public speaking.
Familiarity plays a crucial role in processing fear. We are more at ease with visuals that we come across every day. Anxiety flares up with more factors to process when performing a task. The unpredictability of public speeches is responsible for fear of speech delivery in most people.
How can you overcome the fear?
Delivering an excellent speech demands you to be confident and hold people’s attention. Here are the main topics to focus on to improve your public speaking skills:
- Adequate preparation
Excellent preparation is crucial to delivering a good speech. Proper knowledge about the topic helps you be more confident while delivering a speech. A thorough understanding of the topic of speech reduces half the burden on the speaker. You should choose topics that you are passionate about to help you deliver impactful speeches.
When you enroll in public speaking classes, a great emphasis is placed on the preparation stage. Your confidence levels make or break a performance. Research techniques and rapid grasping of information are taught to help you deliver a good speech relevant to the discussion.
- Meditation techniques
Meditation and breathing exercises are beneficial in easing nerves. Regular meditation makes you more aware of your breathing and can control your nervousness. Efforts in improving your breathing will help you find the proper techniques which are effective in helping you calm down.
- Familiarizing yourself with the stage
Stages are often unfamiliar and can cause much distress among people with anxiety. A new place adds to the unpredictability of a speech and confuses our brain on the main focal point. If you can spend more time in advance of the speech in the venue, you can prepare yourself mentally for what to expect.
Many public speaking classes help exercise this trait of the human mind. The more you familiarize yourself with a stage, the better you perform. Training ourselves to focus on our delivery and not the external surroundings is a long process, with the need for patience and practice taught in these classes.
- Visualizing the speech
Visualizing how your speech will go is an excellent method to ease the anticipation your mind exercises. Your anxiety flares up due to the unpredictable nature of speeches and can be soothed the more you think about how the address may pan out.
The public speaking classes help you visualize speeches better to deliver excellent results. Staying aware of the time taken and what part of the speech coincides with what timestamps are done with practice and expert assistance. You can avail of services from professionals who will help you implement suitable techniques to help you visualize better.
- After-speech analysis
Most people ignore the breakdown process after each speech. The after-speech analysis plays a key role in improving our public speaking skills. Associating the mishaps with what factors influenced it is helpful for future performances.
The main focus of public speaking classes is the evaluation phase to help focus on your weaknesses and customize the program to suit your needs. You only grow when you are aware of the factors contributing to the fears, which can only be broken down with an analysis with professional trainers.
Conclusion
Public speaking is an essential life skill that is helpful at one point or the other in our lives. Fears may originate due to unfamiliarity with the setting, professional space, or the pressure of the audience. Overcoming the fear can be done through preparation, meditation, visualization, familiarity, and analysis. Orator academy offers excellent public speaking classes to help you learn crucial life skills. Our expert coach focuses on your strengths and help you grow as a speaker. Get in touch today!
