Introduction
I used to be afraid of public speaking. I would get butterflies in my stomach, feel like I couldn’t make eye contact with the person at the front of the room, and would panic if someone asked me a question without giving me time to prepare.
But then I discovered this powerful technique that helped me conquer my fear of public speaking — and now it can help you too!
STEP 1: DEFINE YOUR FEARS
The first step of this technique is to identify your fears. Fear is an emotion, so it can be difficult to clearly define what you’re afraid of or why it’s bothering you so much. For example, if I tell myself “I’m afraid my speech will be boring,” then that’s a form of fear because I know that people are going to think badly about me—but what does “boring” mean?
Is it simply not interesting enough? Or does boring mean not being able to get through one sentence without stammering over every word like some kind of idiot?
How would these two types of “boringness” differ from each other in terms of how much embarrassment and stress they cause me? Maybe my goal for speaking publicly isn’t merely having fun; maybe instead it’s simply trying out new ideas and sharing them with others so that we might learn something new together.
In any case, identifying our fears will help us get started on working through them!
STEP 2: GAUGE YOUR FEAR LEVEL
Now that you know what your fear level is, it’s time to measure it. Here are the best ways to do so:
Before you start speaking in public, take a deep breath and assess how nervous or anxious you feel about performing before an audience.
- Are there any specific aspects of speech-giving that make your palms sweat?
- Do other parts of your body get cold when talking publicly or asking questions at work meetings?
If so, this is another sign that something needs attention; it could be something as simple as being able to project a voice clearly over large crowds (like standing behind a podium) or wearing clothes that make sense for giving presentations (e.g., slacks instead of jeans).
What does all this mean? It means if someone wants us to speak well and confidently from day one—and especially if they tell us we don’t have anything nice enough to say—we must pay attention!
STEP 3: IDENTIFY A MANTRA FOR PUSHING THROUGH PANIC
You’re going to repeat a mantra to yourself. This is a short phrase that you repeat over and over again in your head (or out loud if that works better for you). A good mantra should be something positive, like “I can do this” or “I am strong”. It should also be something that feels true to you because there will probably be times when we need our own strength more than ever before.
The reason I suggest using the word ‘mantra’ instead of ‘mindfulness’ or ‘positive thinking’ is that these terms tend to make people feel stifled by their own limitations; they don’t want anyone telling them what they should think about themselves as individuals, especially if it’s not going anywhere good!
STEP 4: VISUALIZE BEING A SUCCESS
Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you conquer your fear of public speaking by helping you visualize yourself being a success.
If you’re like most people, seeing yourself as successful will make it easier for you to overcome any anxiety or nervousness about speaking in front of others. When we picture ourselves doing something, our brain releases dopamine which makes us feel good and happy!
So when we imagine ourselves being successful at something, our body literally reacts with happiness – which helps us get over any fear of taking action on the thing we want to achieve.
STEP 5: REHEARSE TALK IN FRONT OF PEOPLE YOU TRUST
In the fifth step, you should rehearse your speech in front of people you trust. This can be a family member or close friend who is honest and won’t tell you if they think it’s bad. You should also find someone who will give you constructive feedback after the rehearsal has ended. These are two crucial parts of this process because they allow for an outside perspective on what works and what doesn’t work for us as speakers.
When I started my business, I had no idea how much practice would help me become more confident when speaking publicly!
STEP 6: AVOID FEAR TRIGGERS
If you’re like me, you may have a fear of public speaking that is triggered by several things. For example, I get nervous when I am in front of other people because I am worried about my voice is too high or too low and how they will perceive me.
Another trigger for me is the sound of laughter from my audience; it reminds me of past experiences where I felt embarrassed at what others thought about me so I avoid doing anything that might make people laugh.
There are also external triggers like thinking about some past event where someone made fun of my speech skills or made fun of their own public speaking abilities (e.g., “I can’t believe he told us all this!”).
These kinds of thoughts often keep us from even trying out new things because we don’t want to risk being ridiculed by others who may have watched our performance beforehand!
The key here is not really so much avoiding these specific situations but rather knowing how they come up inside your mind so that when they do arrive unexpectedly during an actual performance—or even just before one begins—you won’t freak out and become paralyzed with fear!
This means avoiding thinking about them as much as possible until after each session has ended; instead, spend time planning ahead for what might happen next week so there won’t be any surprises waiting around corners once again.”
STEP 7: INCORPORATE POSITIVE INSPIRATION BEFORE TALK
Now that you’ve learned the basics of how to use this technique, let’s talk about how to incorporate it into your life.
Firstly, make sure that when you are speaking in public or in front of people, you have something positive and inspiring on hand for yourself. Even if it is only a quote from an inspirational book or movie (or even just a song), it will help keep your mind off what might be going through their heads while they listen to what you have to say.
STEP 8: BREATHE RIGHT
Breathing is the foundation of all life. It’s a skill that can be learned, and it’s also an essential part of relaxation. Deep breathing has been scientifically proven to help reduce stress, anxiety, and panic attacks.
It’s a simple technique you can practice before starting any work you are afraid of.
STEP 9: KNOW WHEN TO GET HELP
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help. And if you’re not sure what to do, ask for help.
I know that when I first started using this technique and started public speaking, it was hard for me. But by getting the support of my friends and family members who were there with me on stage—as well as the audience members who came up after me—I was able to get through it!
Believe That It’s Completely Possible To Conquer Your Fear Of Public Speaking.
It’s not easy, but it can be done. There are many techniques that can help you conquer your fear of public speaking. You need determination and persistence, as well as a strong belief in yourself.
If you don’t have these things, then this technique probably won’t work for you. But if you do have them—and especially if they’re high school students like me—then I’m confident that my method will work for anyone who wants to learn how to overcome their fears and be successful in front of an audience (or even just one person).
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve discussed a number of ways to overcome your fears of public speaking. But remember, every person is different and will react differently to these techniques. What works for one person may not work as well for another. That’s why it’s important to try out different strategies until you find something that works best!
One thing is certain: overcoming your fear of public speaking can be a long, difficult journey—but only if you don’t have any help along the way. And if all else fails, who knows? You might even be someone who does great things in front of big crowds after all!
I’m linking up to Mel Robbins’ technique (5-second rule) that helped me overcome fear as an additional source of information.
