Fear of Public Speaking, Please Help!
As I was watching Michelle Obama speak at the Democratic Convention tonight, it reminded me of how bad I am at public speaking. How do people like Michelle Obama get up there with such poise and such calmness and pull off a speech in front of such a huge audience? I get nervous talking in front of a small group at work. I can’t imagine how I would feel in front of such a large crowd.
Most of my posts on this blog are written as a way for me to give tips I think will benefit my readers. Well, for this post I have decided to switch things up. I am a horrible public speaker! I sweat, I shake and my voice trembles. Anxiety takes over my body. I need your public speaking advice! For those of you who are comfortable and confident making public speeches or who have overcome a fear of public speaking, how did you do it? I want to become a better speaker and the best way to learn how, is to ask those that are.
A good friend of mine will be getting married within the next year. I have a feeling I will be the best man and will need to make a speech or at least a toast at the wedding in front of a fairly large crowd. What tips have you used that will help me overcome my fear of public speaking? Oh and by the way, I’ve tried the “picture everyone naked” thing and it didn’t work for me, but it was fun.
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Aug 26th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Choose 2 or 3 and attend them as a guest. Even when someone asks about our club (and we have a great club), I always suggest to attend 1 or 2 others.
Second, I teach about transcending one’s fear of speaking in front of an audience. I explain that the fear is very positive and natural because without fear, the human race would have been extinct eons ago. Fear protected our primative ancestors from real danger.
Now fear is based on the unknown. 1500 years ago, on a bright sunny and balmy day in a small village, if it began to get darker and darker and the villagers looked up and saw the sun disappearing, all the villages would most like huddle together in fear. Today, thousands flock together, but not in fear, but to water a rare experience of a solar eclipse.
Likewise, by understanding fear and realizing all your symptoms such as “I sweat, I shake and my voice trembles,” is a very natural process of preparing our bodies to defend ourselves. For example, the shakiness and trembling voice happens because oxygen and energy in the form of glucose rushes to the muscles. Thus a simple way to minimize these symptoms is simply shake your legs and arms (off stage) prior to speaking to release the energy. Also, don’t eat just prior to speaking because the digestive system shuts down, thus that’s why you may feel nauseated. By understanding the process of the fear and by getting used to speaking (by practicing), your fear will lessen. But how do you practice? Join Toastmasters!
Having been educated as a chemist, I had to take classes and laboratory. I tell the attendees of my workshops and classes that what they are doing is taking classroom. Toastmasters is the laboratory of communications and leadership where you can practice what you learn in my classes.
BTW, Toastmasters has an advanced manual of speeches, “Special Occasions,” and one of the objectives is to give a toast.
If you are ever in So. Calif. come take my class/workshop, but wherever you may be located, join Toastmasters. FYI, the most it will cost you is $39.00 per ———- six months and a one time fee of about $20.
If you need any assistance, please feel free to contact me. Take care.