Everyone has to perform some form of public speaking at some point in life.
Even if one is not some sort of stage performer or news presenter, it becomes unavoidable for a person to have to address an audience or a large group.
She could be a student who has to read aloud in class. He could be a professional who has to give a presentation at work. She might have been called upon to say a few words at a party or an event. Especially for leaders and managers, they to need speak up to influence, persuade and direct their group.
Fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, is one of the most common types of fear.
Many well-known people, including celebrities who speak or perform publicly on a regular basis, have this fear. Yet these people somehow manage to overcome their apprehensions of speaking in front of a group, and are able to perform as expected or required of them. Have you ever wonder how they did it?
This article takes a look at some of the causes of stage fright and the fear of public speaking, as well as what happens in the mind and body during an attack. But more importantly, methods for addressing the fear will be discussed.
Why we fear public speaking
As with other types of fear, the fear of public speaking may have deep-seated causes that go beyond conventional nervousness or desire for social approval. A person may have an embarrassing experience as a child—perhaps he was laughed at by his peers during a pre-school play. That person could then develop an aversion to public speaking or performance in an unconscious effort to avoid experiencing such embarrassment again.
Some people focus too much on their own performance. They want to make sure they make no mistakes, and in their pursuit of perfection they either hesitate to begin, or have difficulty continuing. The fear of failure kicks in.
Some people become anxious from imagination of what could go wrong while they are speaking or performing even before the actual performance. This anxiety will exacerbate into fear during performance. Furthermore, this feeling of anxiety may not only stem from one’s personal experiences but also from witnessing the experiences of others.
In anticipating what could happen socially during a speech or performance, a person might also anticipate what could happen physically, which in turn exacerbates the fear.
If a person knows that speaking in front of a group makes them palpitate, sweat or tremble, his body could already be preparing itself to react accordingly.
People who have experienced stage fright, or fear of public speaking are familiar with the physical effects. Apart from the effects mentioned above, a person may also experience chills, dry mouth, stuttering, dizziness and nausea. These effects may be brought about by the body’s “fight or flight” mechanism, when the group or audience in front, or their anticipated reaction, are being viewed as the threat to be fought or escaped from.
How we can face the audiences with confidence
When faced with a situation where one is required to speak or perform publicly, some people are able overcome the fear to do what is expected of them.
How do they do that?
Well, they ritually prepared themselves for the moment.
Some people pump up their adrenaline with physical activities (jump up and down, push ups, scream, deep breathings … etc.). Some keep repeating encouraging words to himself, or picturing himself in a less intimidating situation—speaking in his empty living room. Some just sit quietly and keep themselves calm in meditation. Some practice Self-hypnosis to remain calm, focused, in control and draw strength from their inner resources.
For some people, the above preparation will not be sufficient, especially when the fear reaches the level of panic and anxiety.
In that case, hypnotherapy can offer a more thorough and lasting solution.
Hypnotherapy can help the person not just overcome the fear, but will in fact help the person to become more calm, more confident, more focused, and more in control during speaking and performing. Therefore, they tend to perform much better.
During the hypnotherapy sessions, the initiate causes of the fear will be addressed,
the person will learn to deal with anxiety, learn to draw upon their inner resources to remain calm, confident, focused and in control.
If you want to be an impactful and confident public speaker, get touch with the professional consulting hypnotists at Mindlife Hypnotherapy today.
Stage fright and glossophobia are among the most common challenges we help people to overcome.
Call us at +65 9785 6255, drop us a line at [email protected], or click here to schedule your free initial consultation now.
At Mindlife Hypnotherapy, we regularly conduct hypnosis training course:
- National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) Hypnotists Certification Course.
- 7th Path Self-Hypnosis Course.
For more details visit our website:
http://www.mindlifehypnotherapy.com
