Fear of speaking in public. Some good advice

People often feel afraid public speaking. It doesn’t matter if there are 3-4 people in front of you or an audience of several hundred spectators. Fear is manifested by characteristic symptoms: stomach cramps, rapid heartbeat, excessive sweating, confusion and similar symptoms. It is necessary to learn to convey information correctly and clearly. To understand anxiety before mass demonstrations, you should understand its root cause, which will allow you to effectively overcome the phobia.

Fear of public speaking often manifests itself several days before the event. A person begins to think through the options in his head about why his speech may not be liked by the public, criticized and imperfect? All individuals are programmed to worry about reputation as much as they do about other personal qualities. Sometimes it is almost impossible to control the brain's reaction at this moment.

For example, the scientist Charles Darwin conducted a unique experiment. He visited the serpentarium of one of the English zoos. Charles tried to keep his cool, moving extremely close to the glass behind which the reptiles were located. With each throw of the snake, the researcher jumped to the side in panic. In his conclusions, he wrote that the mind and will cannot withstand danger that has not previously been experienced. The scientist called the reaction an ancient defense mechanism that is completely natural.

Manifestations of phobia

When a person is visited by thoughts of bad consequences, the hypothalamus (part of the brain) is activated through the pituitary gland, which is responsible for the adrenocorticotropic hormone. It is aimed at stimulating the adrenal glands with the subsequent release of a dose of adrenaline into the blood.

As a result of the manifestation, the back and neck muscles contract. This leads to a change in posture, the individual becomes stooped, tends to take the “embryo” position. Resistance to this by straightening the back and straightening the limbs leads to tremors in the legs and arms, since the body has prepared in advance for the upcoming attack.

Rising blood pressure, digestive tract slows down work. The result is dry mouth, discomfort in the abdominal area. The eyes react by dilating the pupils, visibility deteriorates near, but the faces of the audience in the distance are more clearly visible.

Aspects Affecting Public Fear

There are three main points here. The first of these is genetic predisposition. It greatly influences the behavior of an individual in society. For example, the famous musician J. Lennon performed at concerts thousands of times, and going on stage was always accompanied by bouts of nausea.

Some individuals at the genetic level have a code for significant anxiety in front of the public. There is an opinion that a little jitters before a performance are signs of a good speaker or an artist who is worried about the quality of his actions.

Degree of preparation

How not to be afraid? One option is to conduct thorough rehearsals to increase experience and reduce nervousness. A prepared speech or other public performance is not as intimidating as a spontaneous or hastily planned presentation.

To prove the statement, an experiment was conducted on billiard players. A group of psychologists divided them into two categories: some played in front of an audience, others played alone. Strong representatives rolled more balls when speaking in front of the public, while weak players showed worse results.

Main risks

A few points stand out here:

Performance anxiety will increase if everything is at stake or if there are a lot of people watching the presentation. The likelihood of failure significantly lowers the speaker's reputation.
Due to nervousness own status increased production of adrenaline, characterized by panic attack and paralyzing fear.
Even online sellers guard their own reputation. Research has shown that positive recommendations from a manager on one well-known online trading platform increase the price of a product by 7–8%.

How to overcome your fear of public speaking?

Knowing the causes of stage fright, you can begin to overcome the phobia. If she's in advanced stage, it is best to contact a psychologist-hypnologist, for example, Baturin Nikita Valerievich. He will help you find the root of the problem and draw up the right solution.

Frequent conference visitors have noticed speakers who spent some time going over their material before the presentation. This is the same as if an artist crammed songs before a concert. In addition, this is not entirely respectful of the audience of listeners who spend their time on the speaker.

Some tips on how to stop being afraid of public speaking and prepare well for it:

5-7 days before the event, it is advisable to sketch out a narrative plan, delving into the content and supporting important thoughts with short captions and diagrams.
This approach will give the speaker confidence, allow him to highlight the main points, and leave room for additional elaboration and rehearsal of the slides.
The fear of public speaking will be reduced if you write a detailed plan for the work to be presented. It includes an introduction, disclosure of all planned topics, supported by theses, examples from life, and a final part.
The “thesis-example-thesis” format makes it possible to visualize the information presented and convey the essence of the presentation to the audience.
In the introductory part, they talk about themselves, and also voice the main ideas of the report, allowing them to interest the audience.
Each part of the performance is rehearsed several times.
Read out the work in full at least 10 times in a row.

How to overcome the fear of public speaking with the help of rehearsals?

During the speech preparation period, an environment is created that is as close as possible to a real speech. This will allow you to level out moments of uncertainty and spend less energy and effort thinking about the nuances.

Several years ago, a team of researchers discovered that a person has a lot of visual stimulants in front of his gaze, while the brain reacts to only 2-3 objects. How can you overcome your fear of public speaking using this fact? You need to concentrate on connecting with your audience and delivering your report well. Should you avoid the stress of trying to remember the order in which the slides were presented, or where is the best place to stand on stage? During rehearsals, you need to use the same slides, accessories and equipment that will be used during the presentation.

How to avoid stage fright before going out?

The most exciting and stressful moment is the last seconds before a public speech. To overcome nervousness, go to a secluded place, stretch your arms up, do a few deep ones. This stimulates the functioning of the hypothalamus with the subsequent production of relaxing hormones.

According to the results scientific research, a slow breathing technique tested on 46 experienced performers, showed that the effectiveness of the exercise was to reduce nervous tension. The technique is relevant for people prone to excessive anxiety. The fear of public speaking is especially strong a few minutes before the report. So before going off stage, stretch and breathe.

Mastery in the art of public speaking is achieved through quantity, which each time develops into quality. Each new report or presentation will be accompanied by less and less fear of failure. Is this another way to overcome stage fright?

You should start with low-level events. For example, brief description next family vacation. Then move on to other people, gradually increasing the size of your audience if possible.

The fear of speaking in public is called stage fright. Many people have it, and its eradication is directly related to the search for the root cause. It is necessary to understand that presentations to a wide audience are an integral part of career growth. Awareness and getting rid of the problem is an important step for work and inner confidence.

Ways to get rid of it yourself

Awareness of several positive attitudes comes to help in solving this problem:

Statistics. Some researchers claim that stage fright is the second most important human fear, after the phobia of death. This is a very controversial fact, since the basis of surveys and checks is not entirely clear. However, the fact that this fear is widespread is undeniable. Moreover, the degree of anxiety ranges from mild excitement to panic attacks. For example, the famous violinist D. Oistrakh became increasingly worried before each concert. A successful performance secured a certain reputation for him, which he was terrified of losing.
Before you understand how not to be afraid of public speaking, remember that anxiety in front of a mass audience is not a pathology, but a natural acquired quality of an individual. This fear was experienced by many speakers and artists. This was not noticeable outwardly, although internal excitement was definitely present. Conclusion - they conquered anxiety.
How to stop stage fright? Getting rid of fear is not so difficult. If you really want this, in advanced cases, contact a specialist. After a few sessions it will become a distant memory.

All achievements and failures of a person are mainly formed in the head. Even one positive approval of these attitudes contributes to the growth of self-confidence. The main thing is not to get hung up on negative aspects that cannot be eliminated from life.

Tell me, have you ever experienced stage fright? It usually occurs when you have to perform in front of a large crowd of people. The feeling, I tell you, is not the best. So today we’ll talk about how to overcome stage fright.

By the way, I want to tell you, don’t blame yourself for your fears and failures. Very successful people are also subject to this fear! As they say, no one is safe!

And even, judging by myself, yes, once upon a time I experienced this very stage fright. However, I don't have it now. And that's great! In general, back in school they said that the stage is higher than the viewer in the first row, so that you feel superior to him. As for the distant rows, your shortcomings are simply not visible from them! Perhaps this is what convinced me to get rid of unnecessary fears.

However, there is one more important piece of advice - in order to overcome stage fright, you simply need to be well prepared for your performance. And preparation includes not only memorized speech. It only accounts for half of your success. You should also be prepared for the questions that your listeners may ask. And this is what puts many speakers in an awkward position. It’s like in chess – it’s important to anticipate the situation several moves ahead.

I read somewhere that one minute of performance on stage requires five times as much preparation time. And I completely agree with this. The importance of preparation is to make your voice heard. Ideally, you should find someone who will listen to you and give you sound criticism. However, if this cannot be found, then an ordinary mirror can be an alternative. You should rehearse by standing in front of him and saying the text out loud. This is very good exercise, which once helped me too.

Another effective method, also tested, as they say, the hard way! Try to find one person in the room with whom you would be pleased to maintain visual contact! Just focus your attention on it. Imagine that only he (or she) is in the room. Tell it only for this person and no one else! However, don't overdo it! Otherwise, you will be misunderstood by the rest of the audience.

Well, the most important thing is, of course, the initial positive attitude for a favorable outcome of events. Even before the performance, imagine your entrance on stage and how the audience applauds you. Try to see yourself performing successfully, and again - applause. Don’t bring a wave of negativity onto yourself, and then you won’t have various fears on stage. And this could be the fear that you have forgotten your speech, and fears for your ridiculous gestures...

Well, friends, it turns out that stage fright isn’t really such a fear after all. It all depends on your preparation for your performance and your self-confidence. And if one and the other are done one hundred percent, then you are guaranteed success. Even if during the performance your palms became sweaty or a slight trembling ran through your body. All people performing on stage experience this. Don't worry about it.

Let's now try to find the answer to the question how to overcome fear of speaking. What is this for?

Even if you are far from a director, but you just have to make a speech in front of the masses, and at the same time you experience fear of public speaking, your voice begins to tremble treacherously, and your words become confused; if you didn’t have time to prepare for all this, there is still a way out.

First, when you go on stage, you should say words that will protect you from negativity from listeners and unnecessary ridicule. Say something like: “ Good afternoon, friends! It is a great honor for me to speak here before you for the first time as director. Therefore, I am very worried, but I think you will forgive the flaws in my speech. I'll try to be sincere...“In general, you can always adjust this template to a specific situation. The main thing, as you understand, is not to bend your fingers too much, and any crowd will accept you as one of their own.

This concerns my observations on a single case. Now let's look at the fear of speaking in public in general terms.

In general, public speaking happens at least once in every person’s life. And this does not depend at all on age or profession. After all, you don’t have to stand on stage to do this. Defense of a thesis is also a public speech. Eh, I wish I knew all the subtleties in due time...

But, as you already understand, most of us retain our fear throughout our lives. And for everyone, public speaking is, in fact, a source of stress.

Many would like to completely get rid of this problem, but it is often difficult for them to do so. But since you are here and reading these lines, then, first of all, remember - in order to become successful person, achieve your goal in life, be a leader - you will have to overcome your fear of speaking and learn how to give a speech correctly in front of groups of people. Well, secondly, below I will tell you how you can reduce your fears to a minimum.

Moreover, for this you do not need to study complex sciences. It will be enough to know several key principles. And then performing in front of an audience will begin to bring you real satisfaction!

How to overcome fear of speaking

Start your speech immediately! As you know, the longer we wait for something, the more our fears grow. The conclusion from all this is simple - don’t drag your feet. I remember being very afraid to be the first one into the office during the exam. He always stood until the last minute, repeating something he had learned the day before over and over again... But one day he made up his mind. And it turned out to be so easy to just walk in, take a ticket and answer the question without any extra thought, without thinking about anything a hundred times. You have to perform in front of an audience - go ahead!
Although in the first point I advised not to procrastinate, this does not mean that you do not need any preparation before the performance. The ability to speak in front of an audience is not a person’s innate talent, but the result of hard work on oneself. Therefore, as in any business, training is important. However, I repeat, do not get stuck saying the same thing over and over again. In general, I advise you to rest 20–30 minutes before the upcoming performance.
Know your audience. I think speaking in front of strangers. However, we make such speeches in front of our friends or loved ones... This is human psychology and nothing can be done about it. Therefore, it is important to remember what I said at the very beginning of the article. Do you remember? If not, I repeat: your audience is people just like you. Relax! Try to blend in with your audience. Consider that you are addressing your speech to yourself.
There is another problem. I know it from my own school days. We all expect some kind of incomprehensible perfection from ourselves before taking this or that step. Now I can say with confidence that this is wrong. You need to take the first step without waiting for this very moment! Essentially, this is a repetition of point one. Remember, you don't have to be perfect to perform well in public! Just get started! Put your whole soul, your whole self into your performance!
Very often we take our success for granted. This is also wrong. No matter what small heights you conquer, encourage yourself! Reward yourself for the courage that helped you overcome your fears. This will not only give you strength and confidence, but, of course, will help you take the next step.
Don't take yourself too seriously. Try to deliver your speech as if “playing.” A little humor won't hurt. Notice how easy it is for most of the kids on stage. Adopt their approach! Of course, without going too far!

Well, friends, in short form I tried to explain it to you. I am sure that this article will help many of you to clarify your mind.

And let this day be the day when you take your first step towards conquering your fears of public speaking. Good luck and success to you!

Many people's professional responsibilities include regular public speaking and being in constant contact with large audiences. The activities of politicians, teachers, lawyers, managers, and artists are directly related to the presence, interaction, communication and often persuasion of a large group of people.

In their life, almost every person is faced with a situation when there is a need to express their oratory and speak in front of an audience. According to psychologists, a certain level of fear of speaking is present in the vast majority of people - over 95% of the population. Stage fright is one of the most common phobias, which not only causes inconvenience, worsens mental well-being and physical health, but also makes it difficult to implement job responsibilities, hinders further career growth.

Many prominent artists and musicians who regularly perform in front of large audiences are familiar with such fears. The actress experienced severe pathological stage fright Faina Ranevskaya, singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, musicians Pablo Casals, Glenn Gould, Arthur Rubinstein.

For many people, stage fright is significant. stressful situation, untimely, incorrect and incomplete therapy and correction of which can become a factor in accentuation of the personality and go into the category mental disorders. As a result of the influence of fear as a traumatic factor, a person resorts to so-called defensive behavior. This mechanism helps only for a while, and if the problem is not resolved in the future, and the person is unable to cope with the existing fear, it is defense mechanisms become an obstacle personal growth. They give rise to new emotional problems, creating a desire to escape reality into the “artificial world of simplicity” and are the cause of mental illness.

Therefore, it is extremely important to recognize the symptoms in time, analyze the cause, give a frank and, at the same time, optimistic assessment of what is happening, and take psychological correction measures.

Manifestation of glossophobia

In psychology, a pathological fear of public speaking is called glossophobia or peiraphobia. One should clearly share the natural excitement that any person experiences before an upcoming solo monologue aimed at a large crowd of people, both familiar and unfamiliar. Thus, a completely adequate reaction of the body - excitement, arises before the upcoming solo performance of a beginning dancer and musician, before oral entrance exams to the university. At the same time, this person will not experience anxiety, tension and fear when he has to demonstrate his talents or read a report in front of a familiar audience: colleagues, classmates, teachers.

Psychologists emphasize that a moderate amount of anxiety and excitement has its positive aspects. In anticipation of an important event, a person becomes more attentive, more collected, more energetic, and as a result, his performance is successful and of high quality. And a “solo” in public for those who don’t feel nervous at all often turns out to be a failure.

An individual suffering from glossophobia will experience an inexplicable and overwhelming fear during or before speaking, even in front of well-known audiences or in front of a small group of people. His fear is not selective, but constant when in public.

Symptoms of the disorder

Although the factors causing distress in phobic disorders are different, they all cause essentially the same, nonspecific biological reaction. Before or upon the onset of an unfavorable situation for an individual, in this case, in anticipation of being in public, emotional tension arises and increases. High level activity of the subcortical system, activating the cerebral cortex, motor centers, glands internal system, sympathetic autonomic system, changes the work internal organs. So, Common manifestations of stage fright:

Increased and tense muscles;
Changes in gestures and facial expressions;
Changing the timbre and tone of the voice;
Autonomic manifestations: excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, “jumps” in blood pressure;
Headache, unpleasant, pressing sensations in the heart area.

An attack of glossophobia may be accompanied by:

dry mouth,
trembling voice,
loss of ability to speak
involuntary urination.

In rare cases, in people with increased nervous excitability, such a phobia causes fainting. of different durations. Loss of consciousness is usually preceded by dizziness, weakness, nausea, pallor of the face and lips, cold extremities, and a weak, rapid pulse.

The strength of manifestation and number of symptoms are purely individual and depend on the characteristics of a person’s character, the method of responding to alarm signals, the functional state of the body, mood, fatigue and the nature of activity at the moment

Reasons for appearance

The main reasons for the formation of glossophobia:

Genetic predisposition;
Social factors.

Genetic inheritance has an individual tendency to specific types of fear, fear of society in general, and an innate level of anxiety. A person, as a constituent unit of society, is afraid of not being accepted, not understood, not appreciated by the community, afraid of being socially isolated. Among the hereditary psychological characteristics, it is worth highlighting the basis for further character formation: temperament, genetic accentuation and the degree of anxiety. The psychological characteristics of parents and offspring are quite similar: they have similar fears, a certain way of perceiving them, the same strength of reaction and the degree of “stuckness.”

Psychologists consider social factors to be the most significant sources of the formation of phobia before public speaking:

incorrect, overly strict education;
incorrect behavior of parents in the family: intimidation, prohibitions, threats in childhood;
excessive sensitivity to criticism from others and internal “censorship”, giving rise to anankastic timidity and humility;
negative attitude towards one’s own “I”, low self-esteem, due to adult pressure on the child’s psyche;
negative childhood experiences that were subject to significant criticism for the individual;
distortion of the strength of stress factors towards their intensification;

Peiraphobia can manifest itself due to a lack of confidence to be understood by the audience, which is associated with poor, insufficient preparation and lack of necessary knowledge. For many, performing on stage is difficult due to lack of sufficient experience.

A likely factor in the development of stage fright is the desire for perfection. Very often, glossophobia manifests itself in perfectionist people who strive for ideals and have the habit of valuing public opinion.

Also, people whose anxiety is accompanied by pedantic-type accentuation are afraid to be in everyone's sight.

Treatment: how to fight?

Of course, it is necessary to get rid of this phobia, and these fears can be successfully and completely eliminated by appropriate specialists. Professional help to get rid of glossophobia is necessary only for those whose fears turn into fears, the clear boundaries of which can only be determined by a psychotherapist. For all other speakers, lecturers, actors and musicians, you can overcome your phobia on your own.

Steps to overcome your fear of speaking in public include four steps:

awareness of the problem;
analysis of the causes of occurrence;
development of solution ideas;
testing ideas in practice.

Let us dwell in more detail on possible resolution methods designed to reduce anxiety levels, increase self-esteem and get rid of glossophobia.

Stage 1. Getting rid of unknowns

We carefully analyze the audience: numbers, social status, age, life positions, interests of the audience. It is necessary to clearly understand what society expects from your speech, and what kind of response you expect to receive. Your awareness will negate the factor of uncertainty and it will become predictable to obtain a certain result.

Stage 2. Taming the “monster”

Your nervousness is heightened by the public's endowment negative traits and fixation on the “minuses”, such as: a skeptical grin, gestures of disapproval, critical whispers, etc. that allegedly take place in the audience. You can change your perception of the public by creating thoughts of approval. Give the objects positive traits, pay mental attention to the pleasant little things coming from the audience: approving gestures, jubilant voices, interested glances. Great way overcome stage fright - visualization, when you imagine the outstanding result of your work in perspective.

Stage 3. Don’t allow the performance to fail

If stage fright causes fear of failure and failure, the best remedy will careful preparation. When a person is confident in his knowledge and sufficient elaboration of the topic, he will worry much less.

For example, you have a report coming up. The algorithm of your actions is as follows:

search, analysis and study of source data from several sources,
creating unique text,
taking notes on the main points,
drawing up a speech plan,
selection of compelling arguments,
memorization or close retelling of a compiled text,
studying possible questions and preparing answers to them.

Practice your report in front of a mirror or speak in front of your loved ones. Listening to text dictated in your own voice will have a good effect. Please pay attention special attention non-verbal part: your gestures, facial expressions and appearance. This preliminary presentation will help identify and correct possible mistakes and will give you confidence in your speaking abilities.

Stage 4. Recognize the possibility of error

It is necessary to reduce the often exaggerated importance of other people, logically evaluate criticism, recognize the presence of shortcomings in each individual, including: sarcasm, cynicism, skepticism, ill will and other disadvantages. Knowing that everyone can make mistakes, and that criticism is not always fair from well-wishers, will give you greater confidence.

It is necessary to regularly practice techniques aimed at developing objective self-esteem and increasing self-esteem. Affirmations on the topic of feeling your own worth and accepting yourself as a unique person give excellent results.

Stage 5. Fix on the positive

It is advisable to focus on the process itself rather than the expected outcome. It will be more productive to fixate on the course of action in the present, and not on the currently illusory future result. Imagine all the pleasant aspects of being in public, your success and recognition. The existing negative experience must be transformed into a positive one.

Besides, good methods to overcome stage fright are:

physical exercises for different muscle groups,
correct breathing,
activation of the left hemisphere, for example: mathematical calculations,
singing mentally or out loud a pleasant melody,
changing body position to a more open posture,
regular meditations,
use of self-hypnosis techniques.

A smile has fantastic power. Sincere smile will reduce mental stress and discomfort, deceive the subconscious (after all, it is not possible to be afraid and experience joy at the same time). Smile at the audience and when you receive a smile in return, you will feel your fears leaving you. Don’t avoid performing and interacting with the public, confidence will come with experience!

More resources on stage fright

Audio lecture on techniques for dealing with fear of public speaking.

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Glossophobia and its causes

Stage fright has a scientific name - glossophobia.

Phobia is different from anxiety and has specific symptoms that are explained by the predominance of the sympathetic system over the parasympathetic:

nausea;
dry mouth;
insomnia;
headache;
increased sweating;
increased heart rate and breathing;
increased blood pressure.

Causes of stage fright:

1. Lack of information in the subconscious or a recorded negative attitude. Usually the first public speech is accompanied by fear. If it goes well, a positive belief is formed, and further appearances on stage only cause excitement. The more positive experiences, the less negative emotions.
2. Poor preparation, unlearned speech, few rehearsals.
3. Feeling of personal inadequacy. A person does not believe in his own strengths and capabilities. As a result, an inferiority complex arises.
4. Comparing yourself with someone else. Next, negative beliefs are formed: “I cannot be better than someone else,” “I am worse than everyone,” etc.

4 personality types susceptible to phobias

There are personality types in which the severity of glossophobia varies.

1. Some people try to avoid public speaking not only for a certain period of time, but throughout their lives. They choose professions where they do not need to appear in public, even among a small number of people. That is, their choice of activity is based not on preferences, but on an escape from a phobia. This type is very difficult to treat. Long-term psychotherapy must be carried out here. Performances are first organized in a close circle of familiar people and gradually expand to a wider audience.

2. The next category of individuals does not allow fear to dictate which career to choose, but at the same time they try to “keep a low profile”: they avoid speaking at meetings, planning meetings, and are embarrassed to make toasts at holidays. Such people actively hide their phobia and find any way to avoid facing their fear, ignoring the problem for years. It is easier for them to overcome the barrier than for the first group. You should start speaking in front of a small amount people, engage in active activities.

3. People who face the need to speak in public in their work. These are professionals who would happily avoid speaking to an audience, but due to the nature of their work, they cannot do this. These include writers, doctors, teachers. Representatives of such types of activities should take time to learn public speaking skills, because their success in the profession largely depends on this.

4. Creative personalities - musicians, singers, actors, comedians, athletes, speakers. Even this group of people is susceptible to anxiety about speaking in front of an audience. The only difference is that their brain calls for going out in public, but their body resists. In this case, the question concerns the choice of what is more important: fear or career. If a person wants to reach the top of his profession, he will have to overcome himself.

The excitement is common feature for all people, regardless of type of profession or personality. The difference is that some people overcome their phobias, while others continue to avoid them.

Techniques for overcoming uncertainty and fear

First you need to determine the cause of glossophobia. What exactly is scary? If you had a negative experience in childhood, you should remember it, pull it out from the depths of the subconscious. And in the future, change negative attitudes to positive ones. It is important to remember that people who came to the speech want to receive benefit, knowledge or aesthetic pleasure, and not to accuse the speaker of all his shortcomings.

The following tips will help you calm down and not be afraid to speak:

Good preparation and repeated rehearsals are the key to self-confidence. You need to take time to study the issues that interest your audience and understand their desires and needs. Good knowledge of the topic will make you feel competent. It is worth considering possible additional questions and comments from listeners in advance.
Sense of humor. Appropriate jokes relieve tension, win over the audience, and help overcome fear. This is especially important if some kind of embarrassment has occurred, equipment has stopped working, etc.
Mastering public speaking skills. This strengthens self-confidence, helps you acquire the necessary speaking skills, interest the audience and keep their attention throughout the entire time. Mastery of words is a skill that can be improved. All great people started somewhere, learned and developed their strengths. Therefore, absolutely every person is capable of becoming an outstanding speaker. This is facilitated correct positioning goals and strong motivation.
Analysis of previous attempts. Every public performance, if possible, should be recorded on video so that you can later evaluate yourself from the outside. It is useful to watch talks by experts in the industry of interest.
Giving up the idea of perfection. All people are imperfect. The fear of making a mistake leads to the fact that its likelihood increases many times over.
Presentation of the desired result. Typically, people speaking for the first time tend to replay the moment of failure in their heads. It is necessary to replace this picture with a positive one, where at the end all the listeners give a standing ovation.
Focus on content and process. You need to focus on the report, the dance, the song, the role, the audience. But not on yourself or your shortcomings. If you relax and start enjoying the performance, the audience will feel positive energy.
Love for the audience. You can imagine that the closest people gathered in the hall and best friends, and perform in a way that pleases them.
Rest before the performance. You need to get a good night's sleep the night before important event and avoid stimulants. Caffeine, alcohol, and sedatives have only a temporary effect. It is unknown how the body will react to these substances and how this will affect the performance: a drunk and inhibited speaker will clearly not evoke positive emotions in the audience.
Appearance. A person who is satisfied with his appearance behaves confidently. If you have to go on stage regularly, you should resort to the help of a stylist and image maker. They will help create correct image, emphasize advantages and hide disadvantages. People performing in dance shows or vocal competitions should work out their stage image, hairstyle, makeup, and make sure that the costume for the performance matches the theme of the performance and looks appropriate.
Contact with the audience. It is important to address the listeners, to look them in the eyes. If the speaker is looking off into space and not making eye contact, there is a greater chance that people will lose interest in the talk.
Concentrate on breathing. Three or four deep, slow breaths - and you can go out to the audience. Deep breathing helps you not to worry and saturates the body with oxygen.
Vocals Fear can cause a change in the voice: it becomes creaky or, conversely, too thin. Special warm-up exercises will help improve it. vocal cords. Singing is useful not only for singers, but for all speakers.
Warming up A pianist, musician, dancer needs to warm up before going out. Warm-up will help you overcome fear, relieve muscle tension, and prepare your body. It is useful to do stretching exercises. They relax the muscles and physically prepare the body, protecting against possible injury. This is especially important for dance performances. Before going on stage, you can mentally play out the dance, concentrating on complex elements, this will help you stop being afraid.
Steps towards fear. Psychologists advise people with the first and second personality types to start speaking in small groups of people, in front of family members. To overcome a phobia, you can enroll in a theater group or acting classes, group sports training or dancing. This will help overcome stage fright.

Each of us at least once in our lives has encountered a situation where we need to speak in front of an audience: someone has gone through this school years in literature classes, and some still regularly have to prepare reports at meetings. How to overcome your fears and cope with the task “excellently” - further in our article.

Where do legs come from?

One of the strongest and most common social fears is glossophobia. Pathological fear of speaking in front of an audience is present to one degree or another in almost every person, periodically poisoning his life. Some experience symptoms of stage fright in anticipation of defending their thesis or speaking at a scientific council, while others even experience panic attacks if the need arises to ask directions to strangers on the street. Why is this happening?

According to experts, evolution is to blame for everything: the fear of speaking in public “migrated” to us from our primitive ancestors. In those days, surviving alone was something out of fantasy - the primitive world was particularly cruel to defenseless people. In order to survive and somehow feed themselves and their families, people needed the support of their fellow tribesmen. It is for this reason that today, on a subconscious level, we try to do everything possible to be “accepted into the pack” - we really need the approval of others and it is really important to us what others think of us.

But there is another culprit of our fears, which lives in our heads. from early childhood. The saddest thing is that glossophobia is instilled in us by those closest to us - our parents. And this happens at the very moment when a mother, for example, scolds her son for making noise when surrounded by strangers. After all, according to her, such behavior is extremely indecent - good boys must behave calmly and please adults only when they are not seen or heard. Therefore, it is not surprising that, having matured, we experience great fear when we are faced with the task of showing our true “I” in front of an unfamiliar crowd.

How does the speaker's body react to the speech?

When presented in front of an unfamiliar public, a person experiences fear, which immediately affects the work of almost everyone critical systems body.

First of all, the heart comes under attack: the pulse rises and reaches 130 beats per minute. Pressure surges also appear - it rises to 150/95 mm Hg. Art. Circulatory system loses approximately 20% of oxygen, and a change in tone occurs in the intestines - there is a high chance of encountering bear disease. In addition, a person instantly becomes wet: sweat begins to be released 2 times more intensely.

How to overcome glossophobia?

Sometimes this problem sits in our brain so deeply that awareness of the causes of our own fears practically does not help in the fight against self-doubt. And here more radical measures should be taken.

1. Get rid of anxiety in every possible way. Self-hypnosis is often underestimated: the more often you tell yourself that you will do a task perfectly, the more your brain will believe in victory.

2. Don't forget about rehearsals. The better you memorize the speech you will need to give in front of an audience, the fewer unpleasant surprises will happen to you during your speech.

3. Work on your gestures. When a speaker does not use body language at all, the audience becomes bored.

4. Approach your fears with humor. Imagine the scene as if your boss starts whistling and actively throwing rotten tomatoes at you. The main thing is that the picture in your head should look really funny to you: humor is an excellent cure for nervousness.

5. Remember that the people who came to listen to you are your friends. They don’t wish you anything bad and they certainly don’t expect your fiasco. Everyone present came here to listen to you speak, which means that they are really interested in your speech.

6. Find support in the audience. Choose an attentive listener from the crowd and speak as if you were addressing him personally. This way you will have every chance to turn an exciting speech in front of an audience into a calm conversation with an interested person.

Relaxing your body before performing

Psychological methods for getting rid of glossophobia will work many times more effectively if you combine them with physical ones.

1. High-quality morning exercises. After getting a good night's sleep before the upcoming event (this is also very important!), do proper exercises. Exercise “conscientiously”: the stronger the physical fatigue, the more happiness hormone your body will produce, protecting you from nervousness.

2. Correct breathing. Before going on stage, be sure to do a few breathing exercises. Don’t neglect them: this practice is successfully used by many world-famous stars. Inhale slowly while counting to ten. Hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale smoothly.

3. Smile. Firstly, a sincerely smiling person always attracts others. Even if the growing tension does not allow you to tune in to a positive mood, force yourself to smile: scientists have long proven that the facial muscles have feedback with the brain, and therefore an artificial smile very quickly develops into a real one, charging the person and the people around him with positive energy.

And most importantly, try to treat all your fears as simply as possible. This is life: we learn from own mistakes and improve even when we fail. Our every victory or failure is an experience, and as we know, it is priceless.