There are different kinds of anxiety and one of them is public speaking anxiety. Public speaking anxiety also known as stage fright or speech anxiety is one of the most common worries reported by most people around the world. Although some degree of anxiety is an expected part of public speaking, making a speech in public is extremely difficult for many.
This fear is mostly accompanied by physical or emotional reactions that can severely affect a person’s ability to give a speech.
The Effects of Public Speaking Anxiety
There are many ways public speaking anxiety can limit people’s activities and interfere with their day to day life. People who experience this kind of anxiety feel isolated because they avoid certain social gatherings. They may also avoid enrolling in various classes, turn down career opportunities or job promotions because public speaking is required. Public speaking anxiety varies greatly from person to person. Nearly everyone fears about potential embarrassment and appearing foolish to other people.
Some Common symptoms
When confronting the situation in public, a lot of people experience physical symptoms also associated with anxiety. These symptoms include sweating, shaky voice, trembling, clammy hands, shortness of breath, confusion, blushing, and rapid heart rate.
While some people feel that anticipation and anxiety are abnormal, the truth is they are normal. Most of the world’s best speakers still experience a bit of nerves prior to making a speech. The sole difference between yourself and them is there ability to give a speech in spite of the feelings.
When an individual is anxious about speaking in public, it often becomes uncontrollable. We’ve all felt physical symptoms and mental strain. Nonetheless, the good news is that public speaking anxiety can easily be helped. As occupational, social and academic success demands the ability to effectively communicate, people who experience anxiety should not suffer as there are various ways to combat the situation.
Causes and Solutions
The fear of public speaking is more of the mental problem than any other body part. When you strengthen your mind, you will be in a better position to effortlessly deliver your speech more confidently in front of the audience. It is vital to always remember that the audience is not different from you. Therefore, you should not worry too much about public speaking anxiety. You only need to give a speech with logical flow and relevant to the audience.
There are many great natural remedies, for example before giving a speech try meditation. These days, meditation is increasingly gaining popularity as a way to combat stressors. It a great way to relax your body as well as your mind and relaxation can fix public speaking anxiety.
If you meditate for some time prior to standing in front of the public, you will find a relaxation point that will enable you deliver your speech with that confidence you’ve always desired. Meditation is also used for different conditions like lowering blood sugar levels. Closing your eyes and thinking about the subject is a great anxiety fix.
Help for public anxiety sufferers can take different forms based on the wants and objectives of the individual. However, almost all interventions share common features. To start overcoming public speaking anxiety, you have to face all your fears. The act of speaking in public will help you overcome the fear over time.
For instance, you might start by giving brief contributions in social gatherings and then advance to more challenging tasks like group discussions and other social gatherings. This way, the pattern of isolation will be broken over time and you will easily be able to confront fear situations, gradually and systematically. This however doesn’t mean an individual who is anxious about public speaking can deliver a lengthy speech right away. Instead, an individual should find exposure to the feared situation more often.
