Public Speaking:
Overcoming Stage Fright
The fear of public speaking, also known as stage fright, is one of the
most common challenges of public speakers. Fear or stage fright is an
expression of anxiety and worry, which could be noticed physically by
trembling, panic attack, or loss of words. Stage fright has a
considerable influence on self-confidence and self-esteem and has cost
some people good opportunities, a promotion at work, a new job and
other good stuff. Most times, it is due to a failure mindset or a
perceived lack of capacity to speak to groups of people.
Fear can make a speaker prepare even more for the presentation than
necessary, but it can also be a distraction and make them forget their
words, anecdotes or sequence. As a result of fear, a presentation can be
rushed or be at a slow pace. Generally, fear rarely contributes to the
success of a good speech; instead, it makes the speaker look and sound
unintelligent, unreliable, and unprofessional.
Causes of fear/stage fright:
Fear of the unknown: Uncertainty on the kind of engagement
to expect from the audience. The speaker may already have the
mindset that the audience will not like the speech and it’s not
going to be good, so they speak with this same energy and fear in
their mind and don’t end up doing well.
Fear of making mistakes: The desire to be perfect at all costs
can contribute largely to stage fright. Mistakes are bound to
happen, but when they do, pick up from wherever you stopped,
correct yourself immediately and move on.
Lack of preparation: Inability to prepare appropriately for a
speech can also cause fear because you feel you’re going to mess
up. It is advisable to prepare adequately for any presentation or
speech. Learn all you can about your topic, the event and your
audience; this helps to strengthen your confidence.
The mere fact that you are about to do something
new: The fear of taking on a new challenge contributes to this as
well. It is okay to be nervous because you’re doing something for
the first time, but it’s not okay to allow anxiety feed off you and
deprive you of actually doing it well for the first time.
Past failure and self-consciousness: Being overly conscious
of your inability to do well the previous time you gave a
presentation can take a massive toll on you when you eventually
want to do it again. Mistakes are for learning and growth. Learn
new skills from your mistakes.
Anything is possible, as long as you are committed to a change, and
you are taking practical steps to bring about this change. Regardless of
the type of fear you have for public speaking, there’s always a solution.
It is possible to overcome stage fright permanently, but it depends on
how much time you put into it, the kind of techniques you apply, and
how consistent you are.
Simple ways to overcome stage fright:
Learn new skills, watch videos of people that do it well and have
been able to overcome fear as well.
Hostile audience contributes largely to stage fright. If you have
such an audience, find out why they are like that — it could be
hunger, stress or boredom. Try as much as possible to lighten
them up and make them feel better, so you feel better as well.
Practice more and prepare better. Know your facts, figures, tips,
and framework, and be more confident in your knowledge; this
will aid proper delivery.
Don’t mistake silence or straight faces from the audience for
boredom or lack of interest in what you’re saying. They might be
busy listening to you and focused on the speech.
Practice alone in front of the mirror and pay attention to your
gesture, comportment and facial expressions. This could be
hilarious, but it’s beneficial.
Practice how to breathe calmly because it can reduce stress, lower
the chances of a panic attack, and generally improve clarity
It is safe to say that most experienced speakers have learned how to
manage or overcome stage fright. For a lot of them, it doesn’t take
them a minute or two to snap out of it, because they have practised
techniques consistently. You too can overcome it by getting committed
to preparing as much as you can for every speech you have to give. Do
not overwork yourself, and rest in the fact that you have prepared.
Arrive early to the venue to catch up on all you can, and motivate
yourself with pep talks. The more effort you put into overcoming fear,
the less afraid you become and closer to perfection.
