Fear of Public Speaking
Fear of Public Speaking
Remember the time when you counted which paragraph your classmate is reading to know what is your paragraph to read aloud to the class
Your first stage performance
Your first seminar
Your first Interview
what was common there???
PANIC
Isn’t it? Can you remember how confused and vulnerable you were?
Can you pin point why were you like that?
Let us see what happens when you are required to talk in Public
what do you think you can do ?
what you actually do
Believe it or not, this is Natural
That’s the well-known “freeze ,fight or flight response.” In terms of anxiety, the body releases a pair of stress hormones, Adrenaline and Cortisol.
These chemicals ready the body to freeze, fight the threat or to flee (flight), (if the danger is too great to fight). Symptoms are heart pounding, breathing faster, and maybe sweating and many more.
Our body doesn’t distinguish between the causes of stressful situations, so facing down an audience releases the same hormones as facing down a wild beast.
Fear is an emotion induced by perceived danger or threat, which causes physiological changes and ultimately behavioral changes, such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat or by freezing. These reactions are the result of natural chemical processes in the human body. When we perceive a situation as dangerous, certain physiological processes kick in instantly to help you escape the danger.
You do not want go to a high terrace building, fearing a fall. In this case the perceived danger is falling from the tallest building. Hence your brain doesn’t want you to go any where near the terrace.
When you have a near drowning experience, you develop a Aqua phobia and you do not wish to go towards a water body.
In both of the cases, your brain and body are working together to safe guard you from danger.
Unfortunately, your brain conceives public speaking as a threat and tries to help you with physiological changes. When presented with an opportunity to talk in public, your brain sees it as a threat and brings up apprehensive questions.
The stress hormones compel you to over analyze the questions and dwell on the repercussions (negative consequences).
The nearer you get to the stage, the superior the symptoms manifest.
- Increased heart rate
- Sweaty Palms
- Shaky voice
- Confusion
- Blurred Vision
- In extreme cases – vomiting / passing out
In short, your body reprimands you to stop taking that step towards public speaking to avoid humiliation, mortification, embarrassment etc.,
Resulting in
False start
aaa..hmm sounds
Thought Flow obstruction
Word Flow Obstruction
Redundancy
Abrupt ending
and many more
What can you do
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
Good News!!! You know that your Brain and Body go hand in hand, so, work on that.
OK.. BUT HOW ????
Mindful Practice ---
From Theory to Practice.
A small story here.
Imagine you are speaking at your college’s Annual Day. National and International Dignitaries were present. There are 4 speakers who precede you and your number is 5.
You are behind the stage and are nervous. You start questioning yourself..
- Can I do this?
- Will they laugh at me?
- Will I remember the speech?
- What if I shuffle the sheets?
- I will be blamed by my teachers and staff for making a fool out of me and the college.
Slowly, you start getting answers to your questions..
- I can not do this.
- They will laugh at me.
- I will forget the speech the minute I step on to the stage.
- I am to be blamed.
You Contact your program planners and ask them to drop your name or even worse, they may mess up the speech.
Reality??
If we go back to the story, except you, no one is really concentrating on you. Everyone is busy with their own matters. The dignitaries listen to the speech with a fresh mind. People want to listen to what you say.
People do not have time to concentrate on you.
Precise explanation about why people fear when it comes to Public Speaking. Particularly I liked ” Train Your Brain” method which can create wonders to the individuals if tried to own it, practice it and execute it when needed.
I personally well connected to the above words which I have expressed. I remembered my MBA Freshers Day Event, where that was the first ever of stage appearance to deliver a speech in welcoming the freshers to the college. Though I was little nervous at the beginning, but then gradually I took things under control as I have been practicing the method of ” Train Your Brain” since couple of months before it. And it really worked for me and will for sure to the people who try to understand it’s importance which brings a great change in shaping up one’s personality to a new level.
My heartful thanks to you as you bring such useful and life changing articles to the people. Wish ur articles reach hundreds and thousands of people out there who look upto someone who can train them in any of the means. Once again thank you so much for ur valuable tips and advises.
Thanks Shobhin for your good words. I am glad you liked the article. I am planning to upload a lot more. Please keep following.