Are you afraid of public speaking?
Well, in that case, you’re not alone. Most adults suffer from the fear of speaking in public. In fact, famous personalities like Julia Roberts and Harrison Ford, too, suffered from public speaking anxiety. The good news, however, is that just like Julia and Harrison you too can easily overcome it if you really want to.
Some people think public speeches are meant only for public figures. But the problem is that you’ll have to give a public speech someday or the other even without being a public figure. This can be in your school, at work, or even at a social event.
You may run from it once or twice, but it will only prevent you from growing professionally and on a personal level. If you don’t want that to happen, you have to overcome this fear now.
So here are 3 powerful ways to help you conquer your public speaking fear.
1. Start Small
Not everyone is confident enough to give a great public speech without feeling nervous or anxious. And it’s okay to feel that way. But in order to overcome this fear, you have to force yourself to do it no matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel.
A good way to get started is to start small. Keep your audience group small and include people you know like your family or friends. It can be easier to talk in front of people you’re already familiar with because you know that they won’t judge you. You can start with a smaller audience and keep building it up from there.
It is also a great idea to pick easier topics that you’re passionate about. You should also consider keeping your speech short when you’re just starting out. The longer your speech is the more nervous you tend to be. By keeping it short you can ensure that you deliver it confidently.
2. Practise Practise Practise
The above tip won’t work if you don’t spend some generous time practicing the speech you have prepared. Take your time to read it out loud. This will help you listen to your speech and you can correct yourself if there’s anything wrong with your pronunciation or punctuation. To make this easier, you can record yourself on your mobile phone and then listen to it once you’re done.
Another good way to improve your speech is to practice infront of another person. This will help you in two ways. First, they can give their feedback and you can use it to improve your speech. And second, you can treat this person as your audience. This will help you feel more confident and help you prepare yourself for the final day to talk in front of a bigger group of people.
3. Watch Yourself Speak
Another brilliant way of improving your speech is to watch yourself speak in the mirror. This has several benefits. When you watch yourself in the mirror, you are less motivated to look at your notes. It also teaches you to connect with the person looking back at you.
And that’s not all. Speaking infront of the mirror also helps you correct your body language. Your body language has a lot to do with your overall performance. It doesn’t matter how powerful your speech is if you don’t have impactful and confident body language when you speak. But with the right body language, even an average speech can make a lot of difference.
So these are some of the most powerful ways to conquer your public speaking fear. What’s more important to remember is that you might need some time and effort to overcome your fear and anxiety for public speaking. But this shouldn’t dishearten you. Just keep practicing and you’ll definitely be more confident and composed about giving your speech.