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How to overcome the fear of public speaking. Coping with Stage Fear: The Science of Public Speaking

Professional activity many personalities are associated with public speaking. Their goal is to connect with their audience. But there are people who have a pronounced stage fright. For them, communicating with the audience is a huge stress.

Glossophobia - fear public speaking and scenes

The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia. It is recognized as one of the most common social phobias. There are many ways to get rid of your fear of performing quickly and as effectively as possible.

Causes of Glossophobia

Hereditary predisposition is one of the reasons for the manifestation of fear of publicity. Its development is influenced by temperament, character, degree of anxiety. Glossophobes are often negative about performing. They worry that no one will listen to them or that the prepared speech will be boring and uninteresting.

A person is afraid of being misunderstood. He believes that his performance will not be received as intended. It seems that he will convey the information incorrectly.

In psychology, social factors in the emergence of glossophobia are distinguished:

strict upbringing;
improper behavior with a child in the family (threats, intimidation, prohibitions);
negative attitude towards yourself ( low self-esteem, excessive demands, excessive self-criticism);
excessive susceptibility to other people's criticism, etc.

Another important factor is the negative childhood experience: fright on stage during the performance, ridicule of the child, excessive negative criticism of the teenager.

In addition, people with various speech defects have difficulties. Despite working on their pronunciation, they can experience shame and excitement when they go on stage. There are people who are ashamed of their own voice, consider it disgusting and ugly. They begin to seriously complex, and for them public speaking becomes a real torture.

Another category of people has complexes about their appearance. Such people prepare very carefully for going on stage: they choose a suit for a long time, control the quality of the created hairstyle or make-up, try on many images on themselves. If the reflection in the mirror does not satisfy them, they may even go hysterical.

Neurotic diseases make it impossible for a person to control emotions and movements. Shortly before going on stage, they start to panic and hysterics.

Know that being overly perfectionist is not good. The desire to be the first, to perfectly master different performance techniques, to interest the viewer from the first seconds are ambitions. They are achieved through constant practice and careful work on oneself.

Glossophobia symptoms

Recognizing a person who is worried before a performance is easy enough. On the eve, he cannot sleep due to excessive excitement. Scrolls words in my head many times, afraid to oversleep. The man is in stressful condition... His habitual actions change, the activity of all muscles increases. He is unable to fight himself.

A few hours before the performance, he begins to walk nervously from one corner of the room to another, constantly repeats his speech and straightens his costume. The expression on his face is frightened.

Common symptoms of fear of public speaking:

atypical facial expressions;
unusual in calm state gestures;
muscle spasms;
voltage build-up;
change of voice to quiet and muffled;
excessive sweating;
rapid pulse;
nervous tic;
headache;
feeling nauseous or hungry;
high or low blood pressure, etc.

Some glossophobes do not know where to put their hands while on stage. They often change their location, nervously walk around the stage. They feel thirsty, the throat begins to tickle, and speech deteriorates. A tremor appears in my voice.

Emotional stupor happens. A person forgets the words of the report or songs, dance moves. He is speechless, unable to utter a single sound. For some, this manifests itself as an inability to connect thoughts in the head. A person does not understand what he is saying, the logic of the text is lost, he can repeat the same thing several times.

Then fear and tension builds up and the speaker may faint. Before that, his hands are covered with cold sweat, the skin becomes pale. There may be gagging or a slow pulse. In another case, the patient may simply run away from the stage. At this moment, he considers this to be the only correct decision.

It should be remembered that the symptoms are different for each person. It depends on the type nervous system, physical and emotional state... If a person does not get enough sleep, feels tired, then the likelihood of a good performance is low.

Unnatural gestures and facial expressions are symptoms of a phobia

Stages of self-treatment of glossophobia

Everyone can overcome the fear of performing. Someone is able to cope with fear on their own, while others need the help of a psychologist. There are many great techniques to eliminate your fear of performing. Most of them are aimed at individual work above oneself.

It is quite possible to get rid of glossophobia without someone else's help. Such treatment is carried out in several stages:

Recognition of the presence of the disease. After several unsuccessful attempts to perform, the person must admit to himself that he has glossophobia. There is no shame in this. Indeed, in order to deal with a problem, it must be realized and accepted.
Analysis of the prerequisites for the development of the disease. The orator will have to work hard to find the origins of stage fright. It is necessary to reconsider all possible reasons and determine which of them influenced the development of the phobia of public speaking.
Drawing up an action plan. Depending on the causes of glossophobia, you need to develop a detailed control plan. It should consist of individual techniques to help you overcome stage fright.
Implementing the plan is the hardest part. It is possible to draw up an action plan quickly enough, but its implementation can take a long time. It is important not to give up and work hard on your problem.

This treatment option is suitable for people for whom performing on stage is their main occupation. These are musicians, singers, choreographers, actors, etc. They may well cope with the problem on their own.

Ways to Get Rid of Glossophobia on Your Own

It should be remembered that everyone has the right to make mistakes. One unsuccessful performance is not a reason to give up on this kind of activity. Working on yourself will give the desired results.

Auto-training

Start with auto trainings. This is a psychotherapeutic technique. Her task is to bring the nervous system into a state of balance after stress. It is based on the use of muscle relaxation and self-hypnosis.

A person must pronounce the phrases out loud:

I will succeed;
I'm not worried, I'm fine;
fear recedes, harmony comes;
I prepared well, so there is no need to be afraid.

This will help the presenter feel positive. It should be remembered that there are no ideal people in the world. Even on live broadcasts on television, presenters and correspondents make mistakes in the pronunciation of words.

Meditation

Give yourself some time before speaking. 30 minutes of peace and quiet will be enough. It is necessary that a person be alone with himself.

Breathing technique is important in meditation. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. The average exercise duration is up to 10 minutes.

Clear knowledge of the text of the speech

Fear of speaking often arises from the speaker's frivolity. Preparation is the key to the success of any public speaking. Even professionals rehearse a lot before presenting their speech to the public.

When a person is confident in knowing the text, there will be no panic. If it's a dance move or a song, you can memorize it to the point of automatism.

If this is a presentation as a webinar or seminar, you need to be well identified in the topic. It is difficult to take such a person by surprise with any question. It is easy for him to improvise and direct understandable, interesting examples... An ordinary story can turn into a discussion where the audience will take part.

Image creation

The speaker's appearance also matters. Viewers want to look at a beautifully dressed person. If this is a woman, you should pay attention to your hair and makeup. The whole image should correspond to the theme of the speech.

Such a simple maneuver will give the person confidence. He will stop worrying about his appearance and concentrate entirely on the report.

A well-thought-out appearance will help you get rid of the fear of speaking.

Bad habits have no place on stage. It is necessary to constantly work to eliminate them.

Drinking alcohol before going on stage is a bad decision. The person will not be able to control his own speech, and the performance may fail. Psychologists and doctors do not recommend using sedatives... They dull the activity of the nervous system.

Self-discipline won't let bad habits derail your performance

Avoiding stress

A healthy 7-9-hour sleep the night before will help eliminate the fear of going on stage. If this rule is neglected, the person will be irritated, tired and nervous. It will be difficult for him to control his emotions or focus on anything.

The appearance will also suffer. Circles under the eyes are not a very pleasant sight. A slurred speech by a speaker is a guarantee of a failed speech.

If insomnia still persists, drink a solution based on plants (chamomile, lavender, mint, lemon balm). Take a relaxing bath.

Light the oil burner with oak root, lavender, or coconut oil. Remember that stress is main enemy before going on stage.

Positive emotions

Positive emotions can help overcome the fear of the public. Remember a funny joke, review a funny correspondence with a friend.

You can watch funny videos of animals or read anecdotes. The main thing is to force yourself to smile and forget about your panic.

Videos with funny animals will help you relax before going on stage

It's not just beginners who are scared to perform in front of an audience. Even experienced speakers are often intimidated. But they have their own secrets for quickly overcoming stage fright.

Tips from successful speakers:

Repetition. It doesn't matter if the number of viewers will be equal to tens of thousands or limited to a hundred people. You need to prepare for any performance. This is especially important for students before the defense of their diplomas, for deputies who will lead the discussion or TV presenters. Everyone has a tendency to fear. Think through each stage of your presentation. If this is a meeting at work, create a multi-slide presentation. It will help you structure the information and play it back one by one.
Work on diction. Tongue twisters will always be the best way to work on your pronunciation.
Breathing correction. A frightened or hoarse voice is clearly not what viewers expect to hear. They have come for valuable information or to enjoy the spectacle. Watch your breathing carefully. Take deep breaths in and out as you perform.
Presentation of the future result. Remember, viewers do not go negative or categorically against the speaker. Their goal is to get the information they need. Imagine their happy faces after the show.
Contact with listeners. Very important aspect in any performance. The most difficult thing for a speaker is to interest the viewer. Make sure that he is not distracted by anything, but only follows the movements or speech of the speaker. Ask questions or respond to audience requests. Show your openness towards them.
The originality of the presentation of the material. Monotonous lectures are a bad idea. Fill your presentation with visual material, such as a subtle background melody or video footage. You can make lyrical digressions that are directly related to the topic of the speech. Humor works great, which should also be relevant and understandable for everyone.

Do not forget about the boomerang method. It happens that listeners ask a question that the speaker cannot answer. To avoid sounding incompetent, redirect it to your audience. A discussion will be created and everyone present will be involved.

Communicating your experience to the public can help overcome your fear of speaking. Most people will be understanding. There are spectators who can cheer the speaker with applause.

Remember to smile. A gloomy face will not make the audience happy. The energy in the hall depends on the speaker. The main thing is not to overdo it with emotions and overcome nervousness.

Focus on a friendly audience. During the performance, look at the audience, who cause positive emotions... This will give you confidence and enthusiasm.

Be sure to eat before going on stage. A well-fed speaker will speak loudly and confidently. After all, when a person is hungry, he thinks only about food.

How to properly prepare for a performance?

Preparation is a very important stage when going on stage. It will help to remove stiffness, give confidence. It is necessary to provide for possible incidents. If this is a report or a defense thesis, be prepared for questions in advance.

Typical preparation algorithm:

analysis, search, study of various sources of information on the topic;
development of a unique text;
writing abstracts;
planning;
selection of arguments and counterarguments;
retelling or memorizing prepared material;
preparation of answers to possible questions.

Speaking in front of a mirror or family is old, but effective technique... Ask loved ones for criticism. Let them share their impressions of what you heard. Sometimes they can advise you to edit the text, change the position of your hands, shorten the presentation time, etc. Correct mistakes to be confident and get rid of the fear of speaking.

Psychologists advise you to shoot a video of each of your performances. This is the easiest way to analyze your mistakes.

Conclusion

Fear of public speaking is common. People don't understand or don't know how to behave on stage. When they are on stage, they sweat increases, their voices tremble, and blood pressure rises. Therefore, they start looking for all sorts of ways to overcome glossophobia.

Many successful speakers share tips on how to overcome stage fright. It is necessary to tune in to success, focus on positive viewers, ask questions of the audience, fill the performance with visual material, etc. But the main thing is preparation. If you stick to all the tips and constantly work on yourself, it is quite possible to eliminate the fear of public speaking.

Glossophobia: How to quickly and comfortably overcome fear of public speaking

Each person is a social being, and it is impossible to imagine a person outside of interaction with other members of society. Contacts with others like you cannot be limited to correspondence in social networks, sending emails and sending SMS. Communication means personal meetings and conversations, empathy and understanding.

From early childhood, each of us learned the basics oratory and performed in front of an audience, albeit on an impromptu stage. Growing up, our social circle changes and expands: we have to convince teachers of knowledge of their subject, not to fall face down in front of fellow students at the institute, to defend our opinion in front of the authorities. Those of us who have chosen a public office are directly among those who should not faint, being in the center of the crowd, and be able to clearly state our views even to an uninterested audience.

What to do when going on stage is akin to climbing the fire of the Inquisition? When, instead of fiery speeches, you cannot utter even a quiet sound. When your will is paralyzed by panic and your legs give way. To endure fear and suffer, giving up pleasure and giving up on prospects? Is it agonizing to fight this ailment by forcing yourself to speak? It turns out that there are quite comfortable ways to get rid of glossophobia - this is the scientific name for the obsessive fear of public speaking.

To successfully get rid of the irrational fear of the public, we need to study the nature of anxiety-phobic disorder. Here are some facts.

Not only children and adolescents, but also respectable adults are afraid to appear in front of an audience. Sociological research show that over 90% of the Earth's population at least once felt discomfort or inner tension before the upcoming speech. At the same time, about 50% of the planet's inhabitants made volitional efforts to get rid of the fear of solo performance. It is worth pointing out that glossophobia has managed to overcome even outstanding historical figures, ranging from the famous orator Demosthenes and ending with the high-ranking politician Margaret Thatcher.

Glossophobia occupies a strong position in the five most common anxiety-phobic disorders. Irrational obsessive anxiety significantly impairs the quality of life of the subject, giving painful physiological sensations, depriving spiritual harmony and changing the character of a person. Glossophobia, which is severe, can initiate the onset of depressive disorders, provoke persistent compulsive actions (protective rituals), contribute to the development of logoneurosis (stuttering) and cause persistent insomnia.

Glossophobia: when to sound the alarm

Glossophobia in most cases manifests itself as severe panic attacks. At the moment when the human brain receives information about the upcoming public speech, a subconscious program is activated, which marks the development of a cascade of biochemical reactions. The main culprit for physical discomfort is excess production of adrenaline, which, once released into the bloodstream, triggers stress responses. As a result, the subject's heart rate increases, and the blood pressure, respiratory function is inhibited.

If the serotonergic system (the bundles of neurotransmitters that provide the sensation of "pleasure") fails to neutralize stress responses, the person continues to be in a state of panic. Having memorized such experiences on a subconscious level, the brain in the future by all available means will protect a person from the onset similar situations by forcing the individual to avoid public speaking.

It is important to distinguish the natural excitement of a person before trying himself in new role from obsessive fear, paralyzing consciousness. Light, short-term anxiety in front of an unfamiliar situation is a normal defense mechanism that mobilizes the body's resources. Such excitement and excitement concentrate a person's attention, provide concentration on the actions being performed. As a result, the person's report becomes more interesting for the audience due to the special emotional atmosphere... At the same time, the tirade, devoid of any emotions, is perceived by the public as boring, dry, unattractive.

The main difference between glossophobia and the state of normal excitement is as follows: the phobia manifests itself regardless of the number of listeners, the place of the presentation, the frequency of speeches and the importance of the event. Therefore, an uncontrollable obsessive fear of the upcoming routine performance in the community is a compelling argument to take emergency measures to reorganize your destructive program of thinking and behavior.

Manifestations of glossophobia

In anticipation or expectation of an upcoming performance in front of an audience, a person's psychoemotional stress increases, the work of the autonomic nervous system is activated, and the activity of the endocrine glands is accelerated. As a result:

skeletal muscle spasms are observed;
are recorded high values blood pressure;
due to a spasm of the bloodstream, a headache occurs;
sweating increases;
heart rate increases;
motor restlessness is determined;
there are sensations of chills, internal tremors, hot flashes;
there is discomfort and a feeling of compression in the thoracic region;
difficulty breathing;
overwhelmed by the urge to urinate.

V severe cases a person with glossophobia feels like "legs give way", dizzy. Fainting may occur.

Of the changes in the psychoemotional sphere, the most common sign of glossophobia is a change in the patient's character. Subject becomes irritable, hot-tempered, angry, overly picky. He is distinguished by high conflict and quarrelsomeness in the team.

Change frequently food habits, the quality of sleep worsens. A person with glossophobia has difficulty falling asleep at the usual time, often wakes up at night from nightmares, and feels overwhelmed in the morning.

Glossophobia: Why Fear of Performing Occurs

Most people with glossophobia cannot independently determine when exactly they started to develop panic fear, and even more so they are not able to establish what circumstances served to form the disorder.

As clinical practice shows, the prerequisites for anxiety-phobic disorders are congenital features of the nervous system and inherited high level personality anxiety. To acquired negative factors include a special personal constitution, in which the dominant features and properties are suspiciousness, impressionability, indecision of the individual, his lack of confidence in own forces... Negative circumstances are the problems of childhood: growing up in an asocial environment, the wrong strategy for raising a child, censure of his slightest mistakes.

Those who are victims of physical, psychological or sexual abuse during childhood are at particular risk of developing glossophobia. The basis for obsessive fear of performances is the excellent student's syndrome - a person's tendency to perform tasks perfectly. Another feature that predisposes to glossophobia is the dependent style of personality behavior, when the subject in his activity relies on the opinion and assessment of other people.

Glossophobia: Options for Overcoming Obsessive Fear

In addition to drug therapy, which implies the intake of strong pharmacological drugs, which, in addition to the benefits, cause colossal harm to the body, there are two adequate ways to solve the problem of glossophobia.

The first option is to use psychotherapeutic techniques focused on eliminating the rational component of fear. Through psychological education and training, the individual begins to understand the origin of his negative feelings. Starting from short reports in a circle of close people, gradually increasing the duration of their speeches and expanding the number of listeners, the intensity of unpleasant physiological symptoms in a person decreases. He becomes able to control his own emotions and control behavior. That is, in essence, psychotherapeutic techniques are a method of gradually "accustoming" the patient to a collision with his object of anxiety, as a result of which the fear decreases in size.

However, this option does not guarantee complete deliverance of the individual from obsessive fear, since psychotherapy techniques affect the consciousness of the individual and cannot influence the unconscious sphere. Namely, the subconscious is the keeper of the personality's life programs, which controls thinking and behavior. Therefore, for a complete release from glossophobia, it is necessary to act directly on the subconscious.

To date, only hypnosis techniques are able to open access to such deep parts of the psyche. The effectiveness of hypnosis is based on two phenomena:

on the client's stay in a trance - a favorable and healing state in which the activity of all body systems is stabilized and the process of self-healing of organs is stimulated;
on the conduct of suggestion - verbal constructions aimed at identifying the nature of glossophobia and motivating a person to change the destructive components of thinking.

As a result of hypnosis sessions, the sphere of the subconscious is freed from the imposed mechanisms of "protection", the psychoemotional field of the personality is cleared of irrational fears, and the person simply ceases to experience illogical anxiety. A special advantage of hypnosis is the achievement of lasting results, that is, after eliminating the fear of performing, a person does not threaten to find a new enemy or become a victim of depression.

Another advantage of the techniques is the comfort of manipulation: the person is not subjected to any external violence, and he does not need to force himself to act against his feelings. Hypnosis sessions are safe and pleasant, atraumatic and effective, as evidenced by the recognition of the method in scientific circles as the most effective option for getting rid of anxiety-phobic disorders. The no less benefit of hypnosis is that instead of spending resources on the logical suppression of fear by efforts of will, a person can direct life energy in a positive direction - for self-improvement, disclosing his own potential, and developing new abilities.

Even those who are not at all afraid to perform can feel somewhat insecure on stage. Stage fright is a common thing, both for actors and for speakers at conferences. If you have stage fright, then, speaking in front of an audience, you may feel nervous, be afraid, tremble for some reason, or even feel like a complete idiot - and all this in front of strangers! But don't despair, because stage fright can be overcome by teaching your body and mind to relax with a few simple tricks. And this article will explain to you exactly what to do.

Steps

How to deal with stage fright on performance day

Relax. There are a couple of things you need to do to cope with stage fright, which is important because the less tension in your voice, the calmer your mind, the easier it is to perform. Here's how you can do it:

Use a low hum to calm your voice.
Eat a banana before performing. This will alleviate the unpleasant feeling of nausea in your stomach.
Chew gum to loosen tight jaws. Don't just chew it for too long, or you'll get mild stomach upset.
Stretch. Stretching with everything you can - with your arms, legs, back and shoulders - is great way reduce tension in the body.

Read your favorite poem out loud. The sounds of your favorite rhyme are soothing, fact, and even more - after that it's easier to perform in public.

Common ways to deal with stage fright
1. Pretend to be confident. Even if your hands are shaking, and your heart is beating so that it is about to jump out of your chest, pretend that you are no less than the quietest person on the planet. Above your nose, a wide smile on your face and do not tell anyone, not a single living soul how you are really worried now. Pretend until you leave the stage.
  - Look not at the floor, but in front of you.
  - Don't slouch.
2. Get yourself a ritual. You need a ritual to guarantee good luck! And here already - anything, from jogging to singing in the shower or a "happy" sock on the right leg. Do whatever, as long as it sets you up for success.
  - The amulet will work too. Here, too, by analogy - even a ring on the finger, even a plush toy in the room.
3. Think positively. Focus on what amazing results you can get, not how badly you can screw things up. Thought bad thought? Crush her with 5 good ones! Keep motivational flashcards handy and just do whatever will help you focus on the good, not the bad.
  
  Get professional advice. If you know someone who is not afraid of the stage and performs well, ask him for advice. There is a chance that you will learn something new or find out that the scenes are, in fact, more or less afraid of everyone, no matter how confident they look.
How to deal with stage fright as an actor
1. Rehearse as much as possible. Rehearse until the words of the role begin to bounce off the teeth. Remember whose lines come before you, whose after. Rehearse in front of loved ones, acquaintances, friends, but even in front of scarecrows in a museum or in front of empty chairs - you need to get used to performing in front of people.
  - The stage fright of an actor often manifests itself in the fear of forgetting words and not knowing what to do. The best way to get rid of this fear is to teach, teach, and learn the words again.
  - Performing in front of an audience is not at all like rehearsing in private. Yes, you may know the role brilliantly, but that can change when you take the stage. Get ready for this.
2. Enter the role. If you really want to cope with stage fright, then enter the role as believably as possible, so that even Stanislavsky shouted - “I believe!”. The more you get into the role, the less you worry about yourself. Imagine that you are your hero.
3. Rehearse in front of a mirror. Honestly, this will add confidence to you, because this way you can see yourself from the outside. Continue rehearsing until you enjoy literally everything, and this will greatly increase your chances of success on stage.
  - See yourself from the outside - cope with the fear of the unknown. If you know how you look and how you behave in the role, then on stage you will be calmer.
  - Pay attention to the mannerism of your style, watch how you accompany the speech with gestures.
    - Note: This is of course not an option for everyone. Yes, it will help someone, but there are those who will only get more excited about it.
4. Learn to improvise. improvisation is what each of the actors must master perfectly. It is with the help of improvisation that one can prepare for any, even a completely non-ideal situation that may arise on stage. Many actors and performers are often worried - they say, what if I forget or mix up the words? At the same time, they forget that other actors are also people and can also make mistakes. Improvisation will turn any mistakes into a plus!
  - Improvisation is best for letting you know that you cannot control every aspect of the performance. After all, the question is not about performing perfectly, but about being able to respond to any development of events and to any situation that has arisen on the stage.
  - Don't get lost if something unexpected happens. Remember that the audience does not have copies of the script in their hands, so they will only notice something amiss if you yourself let them know, and in the most obvious way.

The ability to speak in public is the most valuable skill of the modern business person. Representatives of many professions, due to their responsibilities, are faced with the need to speak to an audience quite often: a top manager needs to motivate his subordinates, a sales representative needs to convince a client to buy a product from his company. - the basis of social connections, without oratorical skills it is very difficult to achieve a positive result for yourself in working with other people. Given the importance, the responsibility for the outcome also increases. This rightly explains the fear of public speaking, but many oratory teachers believe it can be overcome. In this article you will find useful tips how to overcome and overcome the fear of public speaking, even in front of the most discerning audience.

Fear

WikiHow claims fear of public speaking ranks high on residents' list of phobias North America... In psychology, there are even special terms that denote fear of public speaking and fear of the stage - peiraphobia or glossophobia.

To combat fear, you need to understand its cause. Journalists would write: “You need to know the enemy by sight,” and they would be absolutely right. Genetic predisposition to fear of public speaking (temperament, accentuation, and neuroticism) actually plays a minor role. A number of factors of social origin have a significantly greater influence on the fear of speaking in front of an audience: upbringing, negative experience, and others. Since childhood, many are taught not to shout, but to speak softly so as not to attract too much attention. This attitude persists and leads to discomfort when it is necessary to speak in front of a large audience. Negativity also provokes attitudes towards performing at school. Think how often Hollywood teaching films are full of scenes where the primary school children defend home projects by speaking to the class. Whether this problem is solved or not, we will leave it to the teachers to figure it out, but such a practice has only recently begun to be used in our country and in a rather limited form.

Scientists have noticed that as a result of public speaking, some people release the same amount of adrenaline as those who jump with a parachute. It is difficult to curb such a surge of emotions, especially when you are not in flight, but in front of other people who, moreover, tend to appreciate you. But here the well-known principle works - the first time is much more difficult than the next. Based on this, it can be argued that that constant practice helps to reduce fear.

Methods for Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

Identify the source of the fear. We are not afraid of the speech, but of how the audience will react to it. Uncertainty scares: what happens after going on stage? Here, a very important factor is the understanding that almost always the absolute majority of people hope to benefit from your speech, respectively, they are sincerely interested and want you to succeed.

Don't deny your fear. If you are perfectly ready to speak, have a command of the topic, you have nothing to be afraid of. Fear is just a defense mechanism against a situation that you may find yourself in during a performance, but most likely never will. Think of it as an added challenge and motivation. How to deal with fear, anxiety and stress is detailed in our course.

People don't see your nervousness. Only a few outward appearance can determine how worried the other person is. It is a mistake to assume that the audience sees how worried you are. This means that there are at least one less reasons for fear.

Improve yourself in. There are many books and hands-on training available to help you prepare to speak, engage your audience, maintain contact and, as a result, make your speech more comfortable.

The most important thing is preparation. Confidence arises when everything is under control. Make sure you know the material, try to anticipate the questions. Make a detailed outline of the speech and break it down into the main points to remember. Make it fun, include a couple of jokes, quotes, stories.

Make yourself smile as soon as they entered the stage. Psychologists are confident that smiling relieves stress. Moreover, on a subconscious level, this will position part of the audience in relation to you.

Relaxation. There are many techniques for relaxation, self-hypnosis, based on meditation or breathing exercises. The following exercise can be used as an example. Concentrate all your attention on inhaling and exhaling. Breathe deeply, holding your breath for a few seconds. As you exhale, count mentally from 1 to 5. Focus for at least 5 minutes to relieve tension.

1. No fake. Insincerity is easy to guess.

2. During your speech, do not take anything personally (questions, comments, etc.)

3. Remember: every time you go on stage, you are learning something new.

4. Try to avoid any physical barriers between you and the audience (lecterns, tables, podiums), unless specified by the organization.

5. If you do not know the correct answer to the question asked, don't answer wrong. Use a formula like "We'll come back to this question later."

6. You can also redirect this question to the audience. This will allow you to both understand the answer and strengthen interaction with the listeners.

7. It is good if there are your friends or acquaintances in the hall. Make eye contact with them. This will give you the opportunity to feel in the circle of loved ones and to cope with anxiety.

Instructions

A person who is afraid of the stage and speaking in front of an audience is like a person who is caught in a frying pan. Emotional temperature rises, he gets hot, palms sweat, arms and legs tremble with tension, his breath catches. Thoughts are confused, and the voice becomes hoarse from a suddenly dry throat. Plus a strong heartbeat, lip tremors are often accompanied by nausea and dizziness.

Thought level

It is at this level of assessing the situation that stage fright arises. You imagine a situation where everyone is laughing at you. Or you think that you are sure to go astray or stumble at the most inopportune moment of the performance and go nuts. Change your assessment of the situation in front of an audience, then your emotional reaction will also change.

Psychologist's advice on how to overcome the fear of speaking at the mental level. First, find the opposite image or thought to your initial assessment. Then use the pain shock method to build this new assessment into consciousness. To do this, put your non-dominant hand on your wrist (if you are right-handed - on left hand) bank gum. As soon as the thought of a bad performance or shame on stage arises, pull back the elastic and click on your wrist. At the same second, with a willful effort, focus on a new thought and image of a successful speech. Click until your mind automatically switches to new thoughts.

Bodily level

At the behavioral level, stage fright manifests itself in the form of muscle tension and shallow and rapid breathing. The best way to release unnecessary tension in the body is with abdominal or abdominal breathing. It is characterized by a short inhalation and a long exhalation, so that the muscles of the diaphragm relax. This way of breathing is best learned beforehand so that when stressed before a performance you can easily switch to belly breathing.

As soon as you have "embedded" a new thought with the rubber band, immediately begin to breathe deeply. Moreover, to inhale and exhale, you need to add a self-hypnosis formula, which will tune your consciousness to the desired, confident mood. This relaxation technique is called signal relaxation. For example, while inhaling, think "I-I-I-I", while exhaling - "I-I-I-I-I". Or "I'm calm." Come up with a self-hypnosis formula that gives you confidence and calms you at the same time.

Emotional level

Your general mood before going on stage, your feelings, ultimately determine in what state you will perform. By changing your mental assessment of the situation, you have already shifted your emotional response towards positive. And yet, let's add another technique to overcome stage fright.

Use the anchoring technique to control emotions desired state... It also takes time and works on the principle of substitution. negative emotions, in this case fear, to positive ones, such as confidence or calmness. First, build up an "anchor" and anchor it at the sensory level.

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