How to Overcome a Fear of Public Speaking

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Fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias in the world. When some people think about getting up and speaking in front of an audience, they feel an acute sense that they will be judged negatively. One way for you to overcome this fear is to develop an attitude of generosity toward your audience. Stop thinking about getting your audience's approval and start thinking about giving your audience a gift.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Realize that you have information that the audience wants; you have something to offer. That switches the locus of control away from the audience and on to you. You are the person in charge, because you are the one in the know. The audience is not in charge; therefore, why be afraid of them?

Step2

Think back to when you were a child and remember how you used to love to perform for your parents, teachers, even sometimes strangers on the street. Getting up in front of a group is a great way to get attention. You wanted that as a child, so why not be honest and admit it to yourself that you still want it now. Instead of shying away from it in your mind, go towards it. Try fantasizing about how great it will be when everyone is paying attention to you. Imagine how you will feel when everyone claps.

Step3

Think "I am offering a gift" rather than "I am being scrutinized." Realize that you are a unique human being; there is no one else in the world exactly like you and nobody else has a mind which is exactly like yours. Therefore, when you share your thoughts with others, you are truly giving them a gift they can get nowhere else. Be generous and open up and share your intellectual wealth.

Step4

When you get up to speak, if you feel frightened, realize that so many other people in your audience would feel frightened too, because this is such a common phobia. Therefore, if there is a little tremor in your voice or you don't appear one hundred percent cool, calm, and collected, your audience will empathize with you rather than punish or shame you. Because they will recognize that you are doing something challenging, their respect for you will increase. Therefore, don't become frightened about feeling frightened. Accept how you are today. Acceptance is the way to make things better.

Step5

Realize how much you are helping others, and feel good about yourself. When you get up to speak, others will say to themselves, "They did it and so can I!" Your courage will inspire others. Taking a moment or two to think about that will make you feel proud and therefore less afraid.

Tips & Warnings

Do some reading about heroes in history who had problems with public speaking or with speech in general. Moses, for example, had a speech impediment, yet God chose Moses to be his spokesperson. Remember that being genuine is much more important than being perfect. Perfect people rarely garner as much affection from the public as fallible, open-hearted people do.
Beware of the temptation to batter yourself into the ground in the effort to overcome this phobia. Self-battering never works. An attitude of patience and kindness toward yourself is a much better recipe for success in any endeavor.