Fear of Public Speaking – Glossophobia
Glossophobia occurs in numerous situations such as being on stage and presenting a paper, or a speech, or another example, delivering the weekly report in front of a team at the morning meeting. For many people these are benign events yet for the person with a fear of public speaking, it can set off a whole host of reactions and sad to say, this is a very common phobia that many people experience.
Fearful Reactions and Responses
These reactions are triggered by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and may include: dry lips, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, excess saliva, sweaty palms, racing heart, jelly legs, a mind that goes blank, difficulty speaking, and erratic breathing where it feels hard to take a breath.
Triggers for Fear of Public Speaking
Fear of public speaking may be triggered for a number of different reasons.
For example, a child who grows up feeling anxious, and then has a teacher who insists that he or she speaks in front of the class despite their pleas to the contrary, may find that in later years they are highly fearful of speaking in front of others.
If the speaker has a speech impediment such as a stutter, or facial or jaw problems that affect their speech, this may contribute to the fear of public speaking. Or, if the speaker feels powerless or incompetent or simply uncomfortable in a new situation, then they may also develop a fear of public speaking.
Incorrect mental rehearsal may do a lot of damage to confidence, as the would-be speaker imagines forgetting their words, not being able to speak, the words coming out mumbled or jumbled, forgetting their place, or not knowing an answer to a question.
This kind of mental practice makes it very difficult to feel confident and relaxed by the time the speaker gets to speak. Not only that, there is often a critical inner voice, saying how bad you look, how no-one will listen to you, how awful you’ll be, etcetera, etcetera, and this further undermines confidence.
What can be done about these fears?
Deep breathing is a very effective tool for reducing those feelings of being threatened, or endangered, and has been well-researched from a physiological and psychological standpoint. Physiologically, deep breathing encourages the decrease of cortisol and adrenaline, which are the stress hormones that kick in when anxious, fearful or phobic of some thing or event.
By practising at least three slow deep breaths in and out, using the tummy muscles to help release the breath and to draw in the breath, the body can be trained to slow down and thus positively affects the mind as the stress levels reduce. The more one is overwhelmed with emotion, the less able one is to be able to think clearly. Emotion up, cognitive ability down.
Follow the Boy Scout’s motto of “Be Prepared”
Breathing, Script Preparation, Verbal Rehearsal
Know what you want to say, have prepared notes or a script and rehearse the words aloud so that the vocal chords get practise in speaking. If someone doesn’t talk very much, then the vocal chords don’t get a workout. This is why singers practise deep breathing and the scales prior to a performance to warm up their vocal chords. Imagine speaking clearly, hear yourself speaking confidently, and filling the space with a magnetic presence.
Let your inner voice whisper positive and powerful suggestions to boost your confidence.
Fingertips Together
Another tip is to put your finger tips lightly together to make a relaxed basket out of your hands. This is a position that brings together the opposing electrical polarities of the fingertips and helps energy to settle and relax, and also your mind to slow down.
Stop Those Wild Imaginings
Finally, take control of those thoughts because the more the thoughts run wild and the person sees and hears mistakes in his or her imagination, the more potential there is for increased fear. Panic may set in when there is fear of the fear occurring so stopping those thoughts as quickly as possible is often very helpful.
