Glossophobia, also known as the fear of public speaking, is one of the most common fears that around 77% of the population are affected with. Having a moderate level of anxiety which can be overcome with constant practice may not cause serious stage fright issues, but once it exceeds a certain level, individuals may encounter different struggles in different social settings. School or the workplace often requires public speaking skills to carry out different tasks. It could range from presentations to reports.
Numerous factors exist causing glossophobia. It may stem from unpleasant experiences of public speaking which may lead individuals to be reluctant when given the opportunity to speak publicly. Another factor involves people’s beliefs about public speaking and about themselves as speakers. The fear often arises when people overthink about how the audience views them. Negative views of oneself as a speaker such as “I am not a good public speaker.” or “My speech is dull.” may also raise anxiety and the fear of public speaking.
With the reasons presented in mind, some tips and suggestions to overcome glossophobia are as follows. First, it is important to be comfortable speaking in public. Baby steps such as speaking in front of close friends or family members would make the action feel familiar. As one develops self-confidence around familiar people and surroundings, it is important that they view themself from a third person perspective. Practicing in front of mirrors and constantly correcting areas which need greater attention may boost one’s self-confidence. Another way is to take a video of themselves speaking and watch it numerous times. This way, the speaker can see how they speak and make revisions to make their speaking better. When these steps are done simultaneously, it allows individuals to encompass bigger audiences and slowly overcome the fear of public speaking.
On top of this, the most basic yet important thing is to be prepared ahead of time. Nothing is more crucial than knowing the topic being discussed. This allows the quality of both the content and presentation to be improved. Another basic step is to take deep breaths. Taking two or more deep, slow breaths before getting up to the podium may help the speaker to calm down during their speech. They may also visualize their success. This means to imagine that their presentation will go well. Positive thoughts help decrease negativity about social performance and may relieve anxiety. Lastly, one should not fear the sound of silence. The few mispronounced words occupy only 1% of the whole presentation prepared. It is the manner in which one could casually move on to the next part with an apology or two that will help make the speech move more smoothly.
Public speaking has become part of everyday lives, ranging from school to the workplace, and a huge part of it depends on how people prepare themselves. There are several ways in which people can equip themselves and some of them include exposing oneself to familiar surroundings first, documenting oneself to check for areas which need attention and improvement, preparing ahead of time, taking deep breaths, visualizing their success and not fearing the sound of silence. These handful of tips, when carried out gradually on a regular basis, may not only help but may also enhance one’s public speaking skills.
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