A recent Gallup poll found that 40% of adults have a fear of public speaking, and as Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once observed, most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy! Like many others, I often suffer from stage fright. I am guilty of avoiding public speaking at all costs. I would rather work a twelve hour shift then speak for 3 minutes in front of a crowd.
If you suffer from Stage fright here are 10 Key Principles to Keep in Mind:
1) Speaking in public is NOT inherently stressful.
2) You do not have to be perfect.
3) You just need 2 or 3 main points.
4) You need a purpose.
5) Best way to succeed is to NOT consider yourself a Public Speaker!
6) Humility and Humor can go a long way.
7) Nothing “bad” can ever happen.
8) Do not try and control the audience’s behavior.
9) In general, the more you prepare the worse you’ll do.
10) Your audience truly wants you to succeed.
Here are some tips that I found to help me overcome my fear of public speaking:
Visualize your performance ending well.
Eat a healthy snack/meal before hand.
Focus on your breathing. Breathe deeply in and out.
Chew gum before you take the stage to help relieve jaw tension
Imagine everyone in the audience as the same person (a family member or friend).
Rub your hands with lavender or vanilla lotion before going on stage. Pleasurable scents can help relieve stress.
References:
• Smith, Taylor. "Fear of Public Speaking". 4/13/2009
• Orman, Morton. "How To Conquer Public Speaking Fear". 4/13/2009
Lavender or vanilla lotion...never heard that one. Thanks, Kristina.
ReplyDeleteI wish I would have know about the lavender before I had to give two oral presentations last week. very interesting info.. great job!
ReplyDeleteIan
I love your picture for this post. I am sure that at one point in time everyone has felt just like the person standing alone in this picture. I have heard the laverdar trick... Watch out because it is also used to help put you to sleep at night! lol GREAT post.
ReplyDeleteThey do say that public speaking is one of the largest phobias in the country. You are also right when you say you do not have to be perfect, because no one knows if you made a mistake or not! (Unless they have a copy of your speech, which is highly unlikely...)
ReplyDelete