Being afraid of public speaking is a common form of anxiety. The anxiety can range from a little nervousness to excruciatingly paralysing feelings of panic. While some apprehension can be good, the fear is so bad for many people that they avoid public speaking altogether.
Sometimes people take on the task of public speaking and suffer through the ordeal, their voice cracking and wavering, with shaking hands, even shaking bodies or feeling sick as they face the fear. If even the thought of the task creates anxiety symptoms, then fulfilling the task is easier said than done.
Sometimes public speaking is unavoidable. Maybe it’s at work or a presentation as part of a university course. Frequently clients come to me to prepare to speak at a wedding or want to read an eulogy at a funeral with confidence. Whatever the reason, a course of solution focussed hypnotherapy is the perfect way to turn the ordeal into a breeze by overcoming the fear and anxiety that surrounds speaking in public.
When you don’t have time for a course of treatment before the public speaking engagement, here are six other things you can do to help get through:
· Be organised
· Know the topic, or know what you want to say
· Highlight keywords in your notes
· Visualise yourself successfully completing public speaking
· Practice
· Take a deep breath before you start
Remember, some nervousness about public speaking is normal. You may know it as stage fright or performance anxiety? Whatever it is called or however it is labelled, if the nervousness is so severe that it’s an anxiety attack, then you need help to prepare. Imagine public speaking without anxiety.