“How not to worry before speaking in public?” - This is a pretty topical issue for people of many professions and ages. For the first time we are faced with a similar problem at school, university or at work. And if in the process of learning, the fear of speaking to classmates was just discomfort, then tasks from the bosses, where it is necessary to convey certain information to professionals, could generally lead a person into a stupor.
But in reality, the fear of presentations in front of the public is something that can be eliminated. Below we will tell you in detail about how to stop worrying before the performance. So let's get started.
Reasons for fear of public speaking. Baby Phobias
On stage, the excitement is different. But many people fall into about the same state, which is quite difficult to overcome: the audience turns into a frightening crowd, the voice sounds different, it dries out in the mouth, knees and hands are shaking. To understand how not to worry before speaking and overcome fear, you need to find out the causes of its occurrence.
The first of them originates in childhood and is the most underestimated. When a small child speaks out loud for the first time in a public place, one of the parents silences him. Subsequently, this is converted into a phobia and a person at a subconscious level begins to fear the loud presentation of his thoughts in front of an audience.
When the speaker’s voice is pinched, it causes excitement and ultimately leads to fear. Oil can be added to the fire by school teachers who belittle skills, and classmates who can easily hurt the speaker's feelings without thinking about the consequences. All this provokes the appearance of social phobias and fear of performing on stage.
Fear of society
The second reason we cannot make our public speech fearless lies in the psychological component of fear. He used to be synonymous with the word danger. He went to the edge of the abyss - he got scared and walked away, felt the cold - he immediately started looking for a source of heat. Under the influence of daily stresses - studies, work, political and economic upheavals in society - the instinct for self-preservation has changed significantly. As a result, people begin to worry in unjustified situations, including during public speaking. There are several reasons that arouse this fear in them:
- Poor knowledge of the information needed to speak.
- Fear of making a reservation or saying stupidity.
- Confidence that listeners will closely monitor the performance and evaluate it in a negative way.
- Fear of people due to low levels of social activity.
Agoraphobia
This is the last reason for the fear of speaking to the audience. It is also known as the fear of the crowd. Unlike the fears of people mentioned above, this fear is much deeper. Some do not even realize that they suffer from this type of phobia.
To prove oneself
Having figured out why the phobia for public speaking appeared, you need to convince yourself that this fear does not exist and you should not worry.
People who know how not to worry before speaking have realized one important thing. For them, public speaking is an opportunity to show the best sides and evaluate their own skills of working with students. It is very important! Especially for professionals whose activities are related to communications. In this case, with poorly developed communication skills, their mood worsens, discomfort appears, productivity decreases, etc.
The benefits of speaking
Fearless speech on stage is the key to self-confidence. If you train your skills by expressing thoughts in front of an audience, then soon they will become automatic. Over time, discomfort when communicating with people will disappear. What useful aspects can be obtained by speaking in public? Below we list them:
- With the right methodology for preparing reports, over time, speech literacy will increase.
- At student summits or working conferences, there are business and influential people. They will hear your speech and, most likely, will make profitable offers in the future.
- In the process of preparation, you can significantly expand your knowledge that is related to the topic of the presentation.
- Communication experience, even with a small audience, helps to develop communication skills.
How not to worry before performing on stage and overcome fear
Of course, you can convince yourself that speaking to people is useful. The phobia will recede a little, but the fear itself will not disappear. Do not fight him. He must be present so that the audience receives returns from the speaker. Only now fear needs to be controlled and know reliable ways to overcome it. After all, if you are very nervous, then the report will be spoiled. Below, we’ll give some tips to help you cope with the fear of speaking.
1. Rehearsal
Spend enough time preparing for your speech. You need to clearly understand what you are saying, and never bring the knowledge of the text to full automatism. In this case, you can easily forget it as soon as stress occurs. It is necessary to thoroughly study the topic of the speech and get into the essence for a better understanding. In addition, you need to have an idea of how to present the text to the public. Speakers who know how not to worry before speaking will definitely work on this aspect. They understand how important the rehearsal of each step of a public speech. That is how confidence comes to the speaker on stage. There is a conditional rule: an hour of rehearsal is spent for one minute of performance.
2. Speech clarity
The report needs to be done at a moderate pace. The breath should be even. If you chatter, then the audience will begin to think that the speaker is not interested in the topic and seeks to finish the speech that is uncomfortable for him as soon as possible. Vowels and consonants must be pronounced clearly, without swallowing. It is also important to clear your speech of parasitic words, especially slipping in pauses. The latter should not be too long. Otherwise, the audience will have the impression that the speaker has forgotten his speech.
3. Relevance of the topic
You need to know in advance the composition of the audience and find out what information they are interested in. It is also worth considering how to engage the audience in the performance process. After all, any topic is easily covered from different angles and you can choose the one that will be relevant to the audience. Therefore, it is better to first ask the organizers of the performance for guest lists and study their areas of activity. And then everything is simple - you need to connect your topic with their work, formulating the main points of the report.
4. Conversation with the audience
To create a comfortable atmosphere for yourself and the audience, you can start a dialogue before starting a public speech, talk with those present on abstract topics. After establishing contact with the audience, it is worth moving smoothly to your report. This will help get rid of the excitement. And the audience will become much more relaxed.
5. Focus shift
Being on the stage, one must ask oneself: “Why am I standing here?” Excitement appears just when the speaker pays attention to himself, that is, he thinks how he looks, how his voice sounds, etc. It is worth getting rid of such thoughts. After all, the speaker does not enter the stage in order to show himself, but in order to convey useful information to the audience. Such an installation will help to overcome a groundless phobia.
How not to worry before speaking and stay confident
It sometimes happens that applying the above tips does not work because the event date is too close. In this case, a phobia may not give a person peace. If you can not get rid of it, then you should use the following methods:
- Just relax. This is one of the first tips from experienced speakers to those newcomers who are wondering: “What if I am very worried before the performance?” When the body is tense, you want to shrink and not be the center of attention. Therefore, it is necessary to relax so as not to reinforce psychological discomfort with physical stress.
- During the performance, the pose should inspire confidence : a straight back, an open position, both legs are on the floor. It is better to extend the supporting leg a little forward for maximum stability. Such a posture will provide optimal blood circulation, which will deliver more oxygen to the brain, thereby reducing excitement.
- To remove the body from stress, you need to normalize breathing. To do this, take a breath, count to four and exhale sharply. And so ten times in a row.
- If a voice during a speech often breaks down from excitement, then it is worthwhile to do speech gymnastics in advance: make a speech without opening your mouth, pronouncing the letters as clearly and expressively as possible. This exercise will help relax the muscles of the larynx and face, as well as cope with excitement. Be sure to bring water with you. Perhaps, at the most inopportune moment, the voice will disappear and you will have to interrupt the performance.
- If trembling appears on the knees during a public speech, then mentally direct attention to them. You can also deceive the brain, deliberately causing the knees to shake. After that, the trembling usually stops.
- To keep in touch with listeners, be sure to look into their eyes. So you show that public speech is aimed at their return and interest.
- If you make a mistake during the report, the best solution would be to continue the speech. No need to focus on her. Continue the speech as if nothing had happened. Indeed, in addition to conveying information, it is important to be able to focus on the main thing. Therefore, if we concisely omit the error, then none of the audience will notice it.
The cure for fear
Many novice speakers think about what to drink before the performance, so as not to worry. Perhaps the most common sedative is valerian. But here the psychological effect works more. Therefore, we do not recommend drinking any medicine before the presentation. Improve your communication skills - and over time, fear will disappear.
Conclusion
Now you know how to stop worrying before performing on stage. Be sure to use the helpful tips from this article. They will help to overcome fear, and fearless speech in front of listeners will become your habit. After that, you will never be wondering what to do if you are worried before the performance. The first time you feel confident in front of an audience, you will realize that the existing phobia has receded, and life has become much more relaxed and more beautiful.