Fear of Public Speaking

Most Common Fears Percent

1. Speaking before a group 41

2. Heights 32
3. Insects and Bugs 22
4. Financial problems 22
5. Deep water 22
6. Sickness 19
7. Death 19
8. Flying 18
9. Loneliness 4
10. Dogs 1
 Fear of Public Speaking --
Statistics
20 - 85% of people experience
anxiety when they need to
speak in public
 Reasons for getting nervous

There are five main reasons why one

becomes nervous before a speech:
Unfamiliar situation
Lack of confidence
Sense of isolation
Fear of looking foolish
Fear of the consequences
 Unfamiliar Situation
One enters into an environment that
is strange or foreign
People who are not known to the
speaker
Not having the right equipment
Missing equipment
Broken microphone
Bad seating arrangement
 Lack of confidence

When you are

not fully assure of yourself or the topic
self-consciousness
not confident and something is bothering
you
tense and have a frog in your throat
unaware of your audience
 Sense of Isolation
Most fears come
from the fact that
you will be the
center of attention
 Fear of looking foolish
the fear of forgetting your lines
being worried that people will find
you non-competent
 Fear of the consequences
This is the fear of being judged
Lacking in ability
Lacking in insight or intelligence
 What causes nervousness?

The cause of anxiety for everyone is universal

 Think Positive
What am I thinking?
Am I thinking negative?
What worst can happen?
What is the likelihood of it happening?
What is the evidence supporting it?
Has this happened in the past?
How did I cope with it?
What worked out/didnt work out?
What can I do differently?
 Steps to overcome nervousness

Steps to lower your sense of nervousness:

Prepare your speech to be effective
Know how to react to your stress
Try calming practices
 Preparing an effective speech

Being prepared for a speech should calm

your anxiousness and nervousness the
most
Follow the 3 Ps:
Planning
Preparation
Practice
 Practice...PracticePractice
Practice alone
Use a mirror
Stand in the corner
Record your practice
Use a friendly audience
 And the speech begins
Look around for familiar and friendly faces
Make eye contact
Smile
Practice breathing again
Slow down your speech
 Freedom to Walk

Walk around as you make some

of your points, instead of
standing at one point

Movement relieves tension, and

it helps to hold the
audiencesattention.
 Understand your Physiology
Try to schedule the speech at a time that is
psychologically best for you
Warm up and relax your body and face.
Shake your leg
Shake your hands...
Warm up your face muscles by chewing in a
highly exaggerated way
Drink Luke warm water
 Permission

A Permission is a sentence that

gives you life and energy together
with a good warm feeling.

You have the potential to speak confidently

in front of people.

You can be a successful speaker.

 Affirmations
A positive affirmation is a statement
which, through the act of repetition,
becomes implanted in the subconscious
mind and influences external forces to
manifest this positive change in your life
 Creative Visualization
Visualization strategies that can be used anytime
Concentrate on how good you are at public speaking
Pretend you are just chatting with a group of friends
Close your eyes and imagine the audience listening,
laughing, and applauding
Remember happy moments from your past
Think about your desire to help the audience.
Picture the audience in their underwear
 Self-Disclosure
Let the audience know your feelings
Ask their cooperation
Use humor intelligently