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Public Speaking Phobia

Fear of Public Speaking Monster

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Public speaking phobia - or glossophobia as it is technically known - is no joke.

For many people, there's nothing more frightening or nerve-wracking than having to speak in public.
They would rather bury themselves alive than be asked to give a speech.

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a phobia is an exaggerated, usually inexplicable and
illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects or events.

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Therefore a public speaking phobia is a fear of speaking before an audience, also known as stage fright.
One way of overcoming stage fright is to understand the origins of the doubt. Let's look at some of the
common underlying causes.

Causes of Common Public Speaking Phobias

All people have an innate need for safety

We seek people, places, and situations that give us a sense of wellbeing and protection.

Standing before an audience often arouses a sense of anxiety and insecurity. In other words, public
speaking sometimes generates an illogical fear. Our primal instincts for dealing with fearful situations are
two: fight or flight.
You can either stay to defend yourself or run fast and far. Both situations induce specific effects in your
body - the adrenaline rush, quickened heartbeat, sweating, shallow breathing, stiff muscles, and flushed
skin, which prepares you to fight or run a mile.

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A bad public speaking experience

It could have happened to you, or you could have observed it happening to somebody else.

That unwelcome memory is so ingrained in your mind that it distorts your perception of public speaking
to a thing of dread and fear.

You fear making a fool of yourself, of being judged harshly, of being humiliated, of failing at your speech
objectives, and so on. All of these eat away at your confidence level, which is a crucial component for
good public speaking.

Public Speaking Phobia

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You might have unreasonable expectations of yourself

Perhaps you've watched elegant speakers and feel that you should be able to communicate precisely to
that style and standard.

Public speaking is not about imitating another person, but about nurturing your particular brand of
speaking skills. You can learn from the top speakers, but don't try to BE like them.
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Be yourself.

You assume the audience is your enemy

This irrational fear stems from assuming that people listening will judge you harshly.

In most cases, the audience wants you to speak well because they too will enjoy listening to you. An
exception would be when discussing an unfavorable topic or facing an overtly hostile group. But even in
such circumstances, there are skills you can learn for speaking under unwelcoming conditions.

Lack of the necessary skills

You may be nervous because you know you are unprepared for the 'limelight.' You may not yet have
learned how to control your nerves and build up your confidence. Or you have not yet developed
techniques that enhance your speaking abilities.

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How to overcome these fears

There are lots of ways to learn to either cope with or master these common fears.

Subscribe to this website and receive free tips and advice for speaking in public and doing it WELL.

Enroll in a public speaking course at a local college.

Hire a speaking coach or work with me.

Join a public speaking club - see if there is a Toastmasters group near you.

Gaining the confidence needed to deliver a speech will require time and effort on your part. But like all
things you value, you must be willing to work towards speaking success.

A public speaking phobia is not a terminal illness from which you cannot recover, even though you may
feel it is! It's just a temporary, illogical state of mind that you can quickly fix, allowing you to enjoy
speaking to an audience and giving you confidence that will open new doors.

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