Help with the Fear of Public Speaking

Article by Paul and Denise Douglass

The fear of speaking in public - Glossophobia

Glossophobia, which is the fear of speaking in public, is closely related to social phobia and stage fright.

The fear of public speaking is thought to affect as many as three out of every four people, and as such, is one of the most common phobias.

The fear of public speaking can exhibit itelf in many ways, such as:

• Actors, actresses and musicians finding shows and concerts extremely difficult.
• Businesspeople having a fear of making presentations
• The fear of making speeches at weddings
• The fear in anticipation of a public speaking event
• The avoidance of situations that might include public speaking
• Pilots and cabin crew feeling intensely uncomfortable having to make announcements to passengers during a flight
• Stuttering or stammering in public speaking situations

Ultimately, the fear of speaking in public can, in some cases, lead on to a full blown panic attack.

The causes of the fear of public speaking

Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, can be caused by a number of experiences in life, including:

• A traumatic event in early life, which may or may not be direcly linked to speaking in public, or having to perform.
• The 'under-socialisation' of a child, whereby the child doesn't build up confidence in his or her own ability. This can often be caused by an overprotective parent, for example.
• A low self esteem, where the person feels that what they have to say isn't important.
• The expectation of failure, sometimes due to being overly criticised in early life.

The fear of public speaking, and the associated problem of social phobia (social anxiety, or social anxiety disorder) is one of the most common phobias around.

Social phobia revolves around a fear of how others might see you, what they think of you, and feeling that whatever you're doing is getting noticed.

The fear of public speaking in the workplace.

In the workplace, the fear of speaking in public can manifest itself as the avoidance of situations involving making presentations with colleagues, for example, especially when involving figures of authority, such as supervisors and managers.

This can dramatically increase the effects of the social phobia / social anxiety, bringing with it the attendant dread and unease.

Having been stuck in the wrong bandwidth
for 28 years, thankyou so much for helping me
re-tune my radio
A public speaking client from Hertfordshire

How to overcome the fear of public speaking

The one thing we'd like to say right from the start, is don't worry, you CAN overcome the fear of public speaking when you know how.

This problem is, of course, is all about the fear that people may be judging you negatively, which is usually more of an assumption that you're making rather than being a fact, so if you can use some simple techniques to change those assumptions, then you're well on your way to overcoming it.

All you need to do, is use the right techniques.

What we've found over the years, is that there are a few simple techniques that you can use to overcome the fear of public speaking.

Sometimes, people who have the fear of public speaking can often feel quite out of control and negative about things, because it can sometimes feel like they're stuck with it, and there's nothing that can be done about it (which of course there is!).

So the first thing to understand if you're looking to get over your the fear of public speaking, is that that there IS something that can be done, and even that in itself can help you feel a bit more in control right from the start.

So, as we say, don't worry... we've found over the years, that there are a few simple techniques that you can use to overcome the fear of public speaking... you CAN overcome the fear of public speaking when you know how... it just might be that you need someone to show you how!

Next: What techniques can you use to overcome the fear of public speaking?

Related Links

• Social Phobia
• Stage Fright

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