Our Greatest Fear: Public Speaking
By Laura West. Posted on .
Some people think the greatest fear is fear of death, but the number one fear is anxiety to speaking in public. Three out of every four individuals suffer from speech anxiety. Up to 5 percent of the world population, hundreds of millions aged between 18 and 54, experience this kind of social phobia in any given year. Women and men are equally affected.
Did you know that most of our fears of speaking in front of others comes from our elementary days at school when we were called upon to recite or read in front of the class. And you would probably not be surprised to hear how many actors and performers suffer from stage fright, such as Florence Henderson and Barbra Streisand.
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So here are some hints that will make your next speech more comfortable.
First, know your topic. If you need to write out your speech, you are in trouble already. Make only an outline with the highlights of your topic. Remember you are the expert and others are coming to hear your information.
Second, practice your speech thoroughly before doing it live. Visualize standing in front of the group and talking with confidence and self assurance. See yourself being successful, talking smoothly and fluidly.
Thirdly when you are in front of your group, find a couple people in the audience to talk to. Act as if you are having a conversation with them. There may be some in the audience that are pre-occupied, don’t take it personally, something other than your topic may be on their mind.
And lastly anytime those funny feelings in your stomach come up, do some EFT.
There are many You-Tubes about EFT, so I will just demonstrate my way of doing
it.
Even though I am nervous I deeply and completely accept myself and I choose to let it go. Even though I am nervous I deeply and completely accept myself and I choose to let it go. Even though I am nervous I deeply and completely accept myself and I choose to let it go. Tap along the various points saying “nervous”.
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Laura West, MCHt
