How to Beat Glossophobia
Glossophobia affects one out of every four people worldwide. It makes you feel a sense of nervousness just at the thought of public speaking. You will experience some emotional and physical symptoms such as sweaty palms, anxiety, and nausea. In extreme cases, you may suffer from a panic attack. While you may want to be a fearless public speaker, the reality may be different from your expectations.
Once fear takes over, you will find yourself forgetting your lines, stumbling as you head to the stage, or even getting a blackout on stage. While fear may get in your way of public speaking, you do not necessarily have to get rid of it entirely since it never really goes away. You have to find ways to dial down your fears and up your confidence.
One of the sure ways to beat glossophobia is by making adequate preparations before the speech time. Practicing your speech over and over again is one of the best steps to tone down your fears. Make sure you can recite your speech without reading from anywhere. Practicing in front of a mirror may be a confidence boost, but a crowd gives it a realistic feel. You can enlist help from your friends or family to act as the audience and provide you with feedback on the areas you are not doing right.
Before you go to give your speech, make sure you understand your audience. The type of audience should determine your choice of words, humor, and presentation style. You, therefore, need to understand the audience you are speaking to in detail. You can research the members in attendance, or the type of content other speakers are presenting before creating your content. By understanding who you are speaking to, you will have enough confidence to deliver your speech.
Ensure you do not memorize your script at all costs. Many speakers use scripts in their speeches since they fear to forget what to say before a large crowd. However, a script does not prevent you from forgetting. When you are anxious, it may not be of help. The best approach to using a script is not reading from it word by word. You may lose your connection to your audience, making you panic and forget what to say next. The right approach is having a list of themes on your script or connecting sentences. When your speech is from your heart instead of your mind, it becomes more authentic and shows you are passionate about the topic.
Another mistake you should avoid is trying to be perfect. Trying to make everything perfect is what wakes the fear of public speaking. Remember, we are all humans and can make mistakes. Rather than focusing on the worst things that could happen on stage, once you make a mistake, you need to focus on the best thing that can happen. You will get to show people that you are also human and are can make mistakes. By being realistic about your fears, you can reduce their effect as deliver your speech.
Glossophobia is something that you can easily tame by getting yourself together and trying these simple tips.