Why are we afraid of public speaking?
The anxiety before performing on stage can be different, but we feel the same state, which is extremely difficult to overcome: our hands and knees are shaking, our mouth is dry, our voice sounds as if from the outside, the audience turns into one frightening mass. To understand why fear controls us so much and how we can cope with it, let’s find out its causes.
Perhaps the first and most underestimated cause of fear of public speaking begins in childhood. The first time a young child speaks loudly in a public place, the parent will silence him. Subsequently, this will be the explanation of why a person has a phobia of expressing thoughts loudly in front of an audience.
When the voice is suppressed, it leads to anxiety, and ultimately to fear. Of course, school teachers who belittle abilities and classmates who can hurt feelings without thinking about the consequences will not forget to add fuel to the fire. These moments are the causes of social phobias, including those that provoke fear of public speaking.
The second reason why fearless public speaking eludes us has to do with the psychological component of fear. Fear used to be synonymous with the word danger. I felt cold - I tried to warm up faster, went to the edge of the abyss - I was afraid of heights and walked away. Under the influence of everyday stress: work, study, economic and political changes in society, the instinct of self-preservation has undergone changes. As a result, we begin to worry in unjustified situations, including before performing on stage. The reasons that awaken this fear in us are the following:
- Fear of people as such due to low social activity.
- Fear of saying something stupid or slipping up.
- Constantly telling yourself that the listeners are negatively disposed towards you and will closely evaluate your performance.
Another reason is not having the information necessary for the presentation. And the last one is agoraphobia or fear of crowds. Unlike the fear of people described above, this fear is deeper, and people do not even realize that they are afraid of large crowds of people and suffer from this type of phobia.
During the performance
Control your speaking speed
Avoid speeding up your speech, even if you are pressed for time. Experts recommend feeling what you say, and not doing it mechanically, quickly reciting a memorized text.
Take breaks
Pauses will help you catch your breath and emphasize an important point. “It is necessary to take short pauses so that the audience can perceive and analyze the information,” experts add.
Find a visual comfort point
When speaking, you should find your visual comfort point. As Leila and Laura explain, everyone individually chooses a calming object for themselves. For example, this could be someone you know in the entire audience or an imaginary point in the middle of the hall. Of course, “the ideal is when you communicate with everyone present, and eye contact occurs with as many people as possible.”
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Be honest with your audience
If you are nervous while on stage, which is natural, you can calmly tell the audience about it. “This kind of recognition will help resonate with the public, as everyone has experienced stress during public speaking at one time or another. Most likely, they will understand you and will treat you more leniently.”
Watch your gestures
“If you start to tremble during performances, it is highly recommended not to hold something in your hands, as your fear will immediately become noticeable,” experts say. Also, be sure to watch your gestures. “Nonverbal communication with the audience is no less important than competent speech. Don’t cross your arms, straighten your hair, or jerk your leg—these are signs of insecurity and embarrassment.” When you don't know where to put your hands, just lower them down.
Show yourself
Having figured out why a phobia of public speaking appeared, you need to convince yourself that this fear does not exist and is not worth worrying about.
People who know how not to worry before a performance have realized one important thing. For them, public speaking is an opportunity to show their best sides and evaluate their own skills in working with listeners. It is very important! Especially for specialists whose activities are related to communications. In this case, with poorly developed communication skills, their mood deteriorates, discomfort appears, productivity decreases, etc.
Rehearsal
Spend plenty of time preparing for your speech. You need to clearly understand what you are saying, and never bring your knowledge of the text to complete automatism. In this case, you can easily forget it as soon as stress arises. 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 are sure to work on this aspect. They understand how important it is to rehearse every step of a public speech. This is how a speaker gains confidence on stage. There is a conditional rule: one minute of performance requires an hour of rehearsal.
Speech clarity
The report should be done at a moderate pace. Breathing should be smooth. If you chatter, the audience will begin to think that the speaker is not interested in the topic and is trying to finish the speech, which is uncomfortable for him, as quickly as possible. Vowels and consonants must be pronounced clearly, without swallowing. It is also important to clear your speech of parasitic words, especially those that slip through pauses. The latter should not be too long. Otherwise, the audience will get the impression that the speaker has forgotten his speech.
Fear of performance: who experiences it?
Most people have experienced anxiety, panic, or fear before a performance at least once in their lives. And some experience fear of performing all the time.
Performance involves more than just concert activity. This includes giving a report at an educational institution, speaking at a meeting, giving a presentation, giving a toast at a gala event, or reciting poems by heart by students at school.
When a person experiences fear before performing, the body responds:
- Hands, knees, voice begin to tremble;
- The heart begins to beat faster;
- Heat rushes to the cheeks, which can cause red spots to appear on the face;
- The pulse also increases;
- The voice grows stiff, and the person cannot put two words together.
Excitement can manifest itself in different ways, depending on the personal qualities of the person, the audience in front of whom one has to speak, and the importance of the event.
Many people believe that fear of speaking is experienced by timid people. However, it is not. Even those who are professional speakers may experience anxiety to a greater or lesser extent.
Important: Fear of performing is one of the most common phobias in the world.
Therefore, you should not think that you are the only person who does not know where to place his eyes during a performance. In this article we will try to help you gain confidence in your abilities and overcome anxiety.
Performance Fear
Learn from the best
This is the very case when copying someone is possible and even necessary.
To improve your oratory skills, watch lectures by famous people who often speak in front of the public. Pay attention to their gestures and facial expressions, the construction of phrases, and the techniques they use to communicate with listeners. If you are especially taken by a certain gesture, try to screw it in as well when the opportunity arises. You may notice that experienced speakers do not stand still, but move around the room from time to time. This makes it possible not to tire the audience and to rest a little yourself - anything is better than awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. In addition, they do not forget to smile slightly to win over the audience.
The best way to learn public speaking is through real-life examples—for example, attending professional conferences. There you can listen to cool speakers, expand your horizons, and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the event.
Image: Anastasia Zagardinova
For example, you can plan a trip to the “404 Festival” - it will take place from September 25 to 26 in Samara. This year, representatives of Ecwid, Yandex, Raiffeisenbank, MTS Cloud, Tinkoff and other large companies will speak at 404. They will talk about mobile applications, front-end and back-end, product and project management, UX, management, marketing and content - in general, about everything that is interesting to those who have already entered IT or are just planning to do so. And the first day of lectures will end with a powerful afterparty with host Denis Kolesnikov, the creator of the Courage-Bambey project.
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Create a strong beginning and ending
The start sets the tone for the entire performance. You'll only have a few seconds to grab everyone's attention: if you don't captivate viewers right away, they'll be glued to their mobile phones. Try starting with an interesting statistic or a powerful quote. You can ask a rhetorical question or tell a compelling story related to the topic of the speech. It is advisable that this be a real incident that happened to you or someone you know, but if nothing comes to mind, feel free to fantasize - after all, absurd stories can be quite captivating.
The ending also needs to be well thought out: towards the end of the lecture, the audience’s attention will again reach its maximum. You can summarize your speech by repeating the main points, or save a surprising fact for closing. Another option is a mystery ending. Ask a question or show a photo at the beginning of your speech, and explain what you mean at the end.
How to overcome anxiety, fear of performing on stage, in public: results
Let's summarize what you still need to do to overcome the fear of speaking:
- Increase your self-esteem.
- Ensure a flawless appearance.
- Don't focus on the importance of the audience.
- Look for a response in the eyes of grateful listeners and spectators.
- Train, develop oratory in a practical way, speak again and again.
- Prepare carefully for a speech, study your speech.
- Get a good night's sleep before the performance.
- Don't focus on the outcome of the performance, instead enjoy the process.
- Before performing, warm up your facial nerves, body, and vocal cords.
- Learn breathing exercises that will help you perform successfully.
- Learn to behave on stage, position your hands, eyes, and smile correctly.
- Do not drink alcohol or sedatives before the performance. It is also important not to drink a lot of liquid before a performance, not to eat low-quality foods, so that no incidents happen on stage or behind the podium.
Important: After you have performed, be sure to analyze your performance. Highlight and work out your shortcomings.
We hope we were able to help you. If you managed to overcome your fear of speaking, write your ways in the comments.
