Speaking in public can be one of the most exhilarating experiences you ever have. If you have ever seen someone speak on stage like on TED, then you know that it can be a very powerful opportunity to meet new people and share your ideas. 

Unfortunately, many people will avoid this at all costs because they have a great fear that comes with this. When you first experience the fear, it is challenging if you are not equipped to deal with it. In fact if you don’t have the skills you can become very challenged. Not knowing how to overcome public speaking fear if you have it is bewildering and feels beyond comprehension and out of control.

This lack of understanding understandably creates a sense of helplessness which then causes additional stress. Your initial fear then escalate because you are trying to deal with what you don’t understand.

This speaking anxiety often spirals, unless you begin a Speaking in Public Training Program and arm yourself with some basic coping skills. Speaking in Public Fear can become so serious you find it difficult, or impossible speak.

According to the editor of Keynote Speakers, coping with this fear you need help to deal with the issue. The usual strategy is to try to squash your symptoms. We try to stop the knees shaking, the voice wavering, chest pains or any other symptom you might have.

The instinct for this strategy  is understandable but counter to what needs to be done.

Trying to Overcome Public Speaking Fear by ridding yourself of the symptoms means you are focusing on something you are already not coping with instead of seeking to understand the original reasons for symptoms. You need to find and deal with the cause of your physical or mental symptoms.

Knowing Speaking in Public Fear

When attempting to stop Speaking in Public Fear we are suppressing it. Remember it is the Fear we are suppressing. When you try to stop laughing it wants to fight back. Squashing Speaking in Public Fear Symptoms does the same thing.

Fear is part of your flight or fight response and has a life saving importance for you in certain situations. This life saving role causes it to want to fight back, to warn you that this is a life threatening situation.

Speaking in Public is not life threatening but for some reason your fear does not understand this. What we need to know is that by suppressing fear and anxiety you are making things worse. You provoke and grow the speaking in public fear instead of learning to reconcile it.

Accept Your Speaking Fear

If you look at the statistics of public speaking fear, you will see that many people have fear or anxiety of public speaking. It is common and it can be cured.

Reconciliation begins by accepting fear and anxiety as having some legitimacy. They actually need to be refocused. We need shift them from fear and anxiety into transformation and excitement.

This happens by understanding what causes them and you can use this knowledge to re-frame your attitudes and habits as you prepare, practice and perform your speech.

There are a number of areas you may need to reframe: including dealing with who you and your audience are and understanding how to construct, rehearse and deliver your presentation or speech.

The combination of developing speaking in public skills and developing strategies to overcome your public speaking fear through a speaking in public training program will provide an opportunity for transformation.

Reconciling is actually accepting, working with and refocusing current attitudes about your: speaking skills, personal appearance, relationship to audience and other issues that may disturb you.

Reconciling your areas of concern simply requires skills be learned and then of course some time and effort grounding them. The reward for reconciling and refocusing is fear and anxiety becoming excitement and anticipation.

Anticipate Speaking in Public Excitement

Anticipation emanates from your solar plexus, which you could describe as a gut response to things.  Anticipation wants to release itself. Fear and anxiety will have the feeling that they are blocking you, holding you back or tightening you up.

Speaking in Public with excitement, nerves and anticipation will still feel a little uncomfortable but places you in the right balance, between the fight and flight responses.

With anticipation replacing fear you become:

• Excited and focused
• More alert in the mind and body
• More involved in your speech
• More connected to your audience
• Clearer with your memory

When you make a mistake you are able to recover easily and improvisation is more enjoyable.