How to overcome fear on stage when performing. How to Overcome Stage Fright: The Science of Public Speaking

Human life in society, one way or another, involves interaction with other people. Often this interaction is the need to speak in public. And it doesn’t matter if you are a politician, a theater artist or a 5th grade student who has to read a poem at a matinee - you may be seized with fear that will make your performance a failure.

There are several types of phobias associated with public speaking.

Logophobia (from the ancient Greek λόγος - word and φόβος - fear) is an obsessive fear of speech. Often this fear is inherent in people suffering from logoneurosis, that is, stuttering.
Peiraphobia (from the Greek peira - test) - an irrational fear public speaking.
Glossophobia (from the ancient Greek γλῶσσα - language) - fear of the stage, a large audience. According to experts, such fear is inherent in the vast majority of people.
Verbophobia is the fear of speaking specific words that cause stuttering. If a person has speech defects, words with unpronounceable letters for him can cause panic.
Lalophobia is the fear of stuttering during a speech.

All these terms in some cases can be synonyms, however, there are still some differences. Fear of the public may be an adequate response, because it is normal to be nervous about a situation on which your reputation depends to some extent. If anxiety is gaining momentum and turns into a phobia, it is worth considering.

The consequences of a pathological fear that causes a refusal to communicate with a small audience can be sad. Avoidance of public places, refusal of good work (if it requires speaking with the public), as a result of a drop in living standards and self-esteem. And then - the narrowing of the comfort zone to the nearest people, the risk of addictions and mental problems.

All of these consequences, of course, relate to phobic anxiety disorder, and not to ordinary stage fright.

I would like to note that the majority of well-known, professional and very experienced artists admit that they are afraid of going out to their audience. This is natural and is even considered an indicator that the artist continues to create art, and has not become an artisan, calmly fulfilling his duties.

The reasons

The fear of public speaking is genetic and social. Fear can be inherited from anxious parents. The character and temperament of the child is also formed as a result of genetic prerequisites, thus, similar accentuations of the child and the adult provoke similar fears.

The social factor implies our acute fear of being rejected by society. This is based on an intuitive level. An ancient man could not survive alone, so being rejected by society was considered tantamount to death. It is these "instincts" that wake up at the wrong moment.

A person can be aware that nothing serious in his life depends on the utterance of a particular speech, his reputation will not be trampled, however, an uncontrollable irrational fear seizes him, squeezing his throat.

Low self-esteem often appears among the causes of stage fright. It can be formed as a result of incorrect parental upbringing: excessive severity, criticism of the child, suppression of his personality.

Among other things, stage phobia arises from pathological perfectionism. The pursuit of perfection can play a cruel joke even with experienced speakers.

The desire to look perfect causes a person to be distracted by HOW he speaks and gestures, instead of focusing on WHAT he says.

Superfluous thoughts knock down, provoke "dipping" and the use of unnecessary verbal heaps. Such cases add excitement to the upcoming next public performance.

Symptoms and signs

The moment we enter the stage, our body perceives it as a danger. The hypothalamic-pituitary system is triggered, the adrenal glands are stimulated and adrenaline is released into the blood. As a result of this, a person feels stiffness in the muscles of the neck and back, you automatically slouch your shoulders. Otherwise, if you correct your posture with the effort of your muscles and keep your head straight, your limbs will begin to tremble and get cold.

The pupils dilate, making it difficult to see up close. At the same time, you cannot make out the text on the sheet, but you can clearly see the faces of the audience. The stomach is reduced, there may be nausea or a feeling of "butterflies" in the stomach, the mouth dries up. Children experience involuntary urination. Blood pressure may rise, there may be a pulsation in the temples, redness of the face, tachycardia.

The reverse reaction is also possible - low blood pressure, pallor, in extreme cases, loss of consciousness. Legs can give way, active sweating occurs.

And most importantly, characteristic of glossophobia is the inability to control the voice. The ligaments are compressed, and the person cannot squeeze out a single word.

How to overcome the fear of speaking in public

Much attention is now being paid to studying the problem of schoolchildren's fear of public speaking. This tactic is very reasonable, because most of the problems in adult life originate in childhood.

It is schoolchildren who can cruelly ridicule an already insecure classmate, giving rise to new and nourishing old complexes. Therefore, explaining many points from childhood, helping the child overcome his inner clamps, you can save him from serious problems in later life.

So, there are several ways to overcome the fear of public speaking, depending on the severity of this fear. With a very high level of fear, that is, definitely a phobia, the best solution would be to contact a psychotherapist. If your fear borders on obsessive-compulsive disorder, then a visit to a specialist is definitely necessary.

It happens like this: long before the upcoming performance, scenarios of your failure are scrolling in your head, you can’t get distracted and think about it again and again. It's pathological. In other cases, most of the usual fears can be overcome on their own.

Radislav Gandapas, an expert in oratory, shares his methods for overcoming the fear of public speaking. He emphasizes that speaking in front of an audience is a natural overcoming for any person. But a well-trained speaker, confident in himself and his report, able to behave in front of people, enjoys overcoming himself. And vice versa, poor preparation, lack of rehearsals and self-doubt - instead of enjoying the performance, it will cause only discomfort and can provoke psychological trauma.

conclusions

According to statistics, 95% of people have a fear of speaking in public. This is genetic: standing in front of a crowd is scary - you are alone, but there are many of them. But there are ways to overcome this feeling. It is necessary to be psychologically prepared for the debut. Do not devalue yourself and do not overestimate the importance of others is very important. In addition, it is worth preparing well for going on stage. It is advisable to rehearse all your movements and know the material perfectly.

A person who wants to achieve some success in modern society, you have to constantly talk to other people and perform in front of small and large audiences. The profession of a teacher and a politician, a scientist and an ordinary manager requires developed communication skills. Stage fright (peiraphobia, glossophobia,) which almost 95% of the population has can prevent a person from revealing oratorical talents.

Glossophobia: symptoms

Fearpublic speakingfamiliar to everyone: trembling limbs, slight excitement, insomnia that appears only on the eve of that most important day, and confused thoughts. However, it is enough to speak in front of the audience, to see approval and understanding in the eyes of the audience, and the newly minted speaker becomes more confident and relaxed. Peiraphobia causes a person much deeper anxiety and anxiety; it is just one of the variants of the fear of speaking at all. In medicine, the fear of talking to people associated with stuttering is called logophobia or glossophobia. If stage fright is connected precisely with how you start stuttering in public, this variant of the disorder is called lalophobia. There are situations when panic fear makes it necessary to say some specific words, the pronunciation of which causes a person to stutter. This form of the disorder is called verbophobia.

Logophobia in any of its manifestations causes characteristic symptoms:

high blood pressure and pulsation in the temples;
tachycardia and increased sweating;
dry mouth and "wadded" legs;
sometimes the voice disappears, its timbre may change: it becomes squeaky or chesty, too loud or quiet;
in other cases, the person panics so much that he cannot get a word out of himself.

If the patient is emotional and sensitive, then at the moment when he is in front of an audience, his face may turn pale, nausea appears, dizziness, limbs may become cold. Such a speech will end quickly enough, because in most cases the speaker either gathers his courage and calms down, or loses consciousness. In young children who are forced to recite a rhyme in front of a crowd of relatives or answer in front of a whole class, sometimes lalophobia is accompanied by involuntary urination. In adults, this symptom is rarely observed.

Stage fright as a result of upbringing

Lalophobia develops more often in children brought up by strict and authoritarian parents. It is enough for mom or dad to tell the child that you can’t talk loudly on the street or in public places and attract attention to yourself so that he eventually develops stage fright. They try to bring up other children as intelligent and modest, they inspire that it is better to sit in the audience than to try to take the place of a lecturer.

Fear of public speaking often haunts people who at a young age were banned, intimidated, who were physically or psychological abuse. The atmosphere of constant pressure and depreciation of any achievements contributes to underestimation of self-esteem. When a speaker is not sure of his mental abilities, external data, or the significance of the proposed idea, it is more difficult for him to pull himself together and overcome his fear of the audience.

Children who have been instilled with ambition and the need to always be first suffer from perfectionism and inflated self-esteem. It makes them value the opinion of society, which is why the fear of speaking is formed. A person is frightened by the possibility of being ridiculed or hearing criticism from the audience, which will hurt his pride and make him doubt his own abilities.

Fear of public speaking: genetic memory

Some psychologists argue that logophobia is a genetic problem. In primitive society, man tried not to separate from the masses, so as not to be rejected. Exile in most cases meant death by predator or starvation. Modern speakers are quite adapted to survive in splendid isolation, but subconscious instincts and fears can play a cruel joke with them.

The reason for the development of a phobia is also considered the presence bad experience in the past. For example, when a schoolboy or student was publicly ridiculed, making him feel worthless. Memories deeply cut into the subconscious if not only classmates, but also the teacher himself took an active part in the persecution. Strong personalities try to get the maximum benefit from such situations, use the experience gained to train willpower and character. People who are sensitive, prone to self-criticism and depressive states, withdraw and simply refuse the opportunity to share their thoughts with others.

Logophobia appears in patients with speech defects. They are quite comfortable in the company of friends, but a large audience scares them, because listeners can ridicule his speech impediments. Such people are recommended treatment, which is aimed at improving diction and increasing self-confidence.

Fear of blushing as the cause of glossophobia

Patients with erythrophobia refuse public speaking due to the characteristics of their own body. Experiencing excitement or other strong emotions, they blush. Among the causes of a traitorous blush, there are problems with the nervous and vascular systems, hormonal disorders and the consequences of stressful situations.

More often, glossophobia in this form is diagnosed in blue-eyed and fair-haired patients with thin and pale skin. Erythrophobes try once again not to appear in public, because the accumulation of strangers makes them worry and panic, blush and be embarrassed even more.

Erythrophobes refuse high positions, because a director or a successful lawyer will have to take part in conferences, speak to subordinates or juries. For some patients, breathing exercises and self-hypnosis treatment help to get rid of the fear of public speaking, while others have to work with psychologists for a long time. If treatment with drugs and psychotherapy does not help, the person is offered surgical ways to overcome the problem. They simply pinch certain nerve endings, and the patient gets the opportunity to communicate with other people, speak in front of huge audiences and not blush.

How to overcome the fear of public speaking?

Someone considers stage fright a trifle, but neglected logophobia can develop into a serious problem. The patient at first avoids public speaking, after that he is shy of friends, and over time he tries to isolate himself from society as a whole so as not to get into awkward situations.

The classic advice given to all new speakers is to mentally undress the audience or dress in ridiculous costumes to relieve tension. Others recommend making friends with the audience, focusing on the listeners who follow every word spoken with interest and admiration. A smile, gestures of approval and support help to cope with stress.

To overcome panic and excitement, it is recommended to carefully prepare for the performance. Select interesting and reliable material, rehearse your speech several times in front of a mirror or a pet. You can dictate a speech on the phone, then listen to it in order to find mistakes and get rid of them before the speech.

Perfectionist, pedantic people should relax a bit. Give yourself the right to make one or more frivolous mistakes, because no one is perfect, even opponents who try to find inaccuracies in the given facts with a satisfied smirk.

Getting rid of negative memories

It is more difficult to cope with the memories of the past, which prevent you from relaxing and make you expect the worst. Psychologists give some advice on how to overcome stage fright and believe in yourself. Useful to do at home special exercises and master breathing exercises that will help normalize the heartbeat and muffle fear.

Meditation can overcome the tension that lalophobia causes, but it takes at least a few months to do it. A couple of hours before the performance, it is helpful to solve simple or complex mathematical equations in order to activate the left hemisphere of the brain. Then it will be easier to concentrate on the topic and answer all the questions of the audience.

Toovercomepanic, you should tune in to a positive result. Imagine the audience jumping up from their seats and giving a standing ovation, amazed by the performance. How the proposed idea will turn the world upside down or make people's lives easier, and bring universal recognition and fame to its creator.

You need to watch your body: do not cross your arms or legs, do not close yourself from the audience. Muscles and gestures should be as relaxed as possible, and postures should be open. In serious cases, when peyraphobia interferes with career advancement, and you cannot get rid of the problem on your own, you should consult a psychologist and undergo a course of treatment. You may need to take sedatives or tranquilizers.

Treatment by a specialist will help you relax and reveal your oratorical potential. But the main weapon of all successful lecturers, lawyers and business coaches is a smile. Sincere, broad, confident and disarming. After all, sometimes it is enough to smile at the world for it to smile at you.

Almost every person at least once in his life had to speak in front of an audience. And many professions are associated with the need to constantly speak to people. These include: a teacher, a politician, an artist, a manager, a training leader, a lecturer and many other activities.

Most people working in one of these areas have a strong fear of public speaking. In psychology, this fear is called glossophobia. Other names are logophobia, peyraphobia. Let's see what this phobia is and how to overcome it.

called glossophobia mental disorder, in which a person is panicky afraid to speak in front of other people. The audience can be large (spectators in the hall) or small (colleagues gathered for a meeting in the office), but the need to speak in front of it frightens a person, causing a number of unpleasant mental and somatic reactions. The fear of speaking is called verbophobia.

A person can be a good specialist in his field and know the material with which he is to speak, but when he is in front of an audience, he is completely lost, forgets the words, and cannot concentrate. All this significantly worsens the quality of life of a glossophobe, prevents him from moving up the career ladder, and reduces self-esteem.

Schoolchildren and students also often experience strong fear of the audience. For this reason, they cannot respond normally in class, take exams, even if they know the material well. Naturally, this negatively affects the performance of the student or student.

According to psychological research conducted in this area, 95% of people suffer from stage fright to one degree or another. That is why many are interested in this problem and how to deal with it.

Why is stage fright dangerous?

Every person, going on stage, is a little worried. This is a natural state that is inherent in everyone. It has some positive effect, because it helps to gather, concentrate during a speech. However, this natural excitement has nothing to do with glossophobia.

Glossophobia is a pathological fear of public speaking that cannot be overcome. At first glance, it may seem that this phobia is harmless and incapable of causing serious harm to a person. Actually it is not.

An individual suffering from peyraphobia experiences constant stress when he has to speak in front of an audience. If a person works in an area where you do not need to contact the audience, then he can live with his fear. But if his profession is connected with frequent public speaking, then it will be difficult for him. Constant stress can undermine physical and mental health.

A person loses self-confidence, his self-esteem falls, complexes develop, he closes in on himself. Fear makes him quit the profession associated with public speaking, even if he really likes it.

Often, glossophobes try to drown out their fear with alcohol, drugs, or strong sedatives. Abuse of such substances can lead to the development of alcoholism or drug addiction. Therefore, all public people suffering from peyraphobia must definitely fight their illness.

Symptoms of glossophobia

Fear is expressed by a set of typical symptoms that are characteristic of all types of phobias:

a person's voice begins to tremble, his timbre changes;
arises muscle tension;
the heartbeat quickens, the person feels a feeling of squeezing in the chest, he does not have enough air;
there is increased sweating, tremor of the limbs, hands and feet become cold and weak;
possible dizziness or headache, nausea;
a person feels dry mouth, it is difficult for him to speak.

The listed symptoms at different people are shown with different intensity. Particularly impressionable persons may even faint. Children may experience involuntary urination. In rare cases, this phenomenon is observed in adults. Of course, in such a state, it is not possible to speak in front of people.

If logophobia is not too pronounced, a person can muster up the courage and still hold a speech, suppressing his fear. With a strong phobia, this fails, and the speaker either loses consciousness or runs away from the stage.

Causes of glossophobia

Psychologists identify two reasons why a person has stage fright:

genetic factors;
social factors.

In the case of genetic causes, a phobia develops under the influence of increased emotionality, a high level of anxiety, individual characteristics of character and temperament.

An emotionally unstable individual is afraid of being rejected, afraid of condemnation and rejection. These fears gradually grow into a real phobia. Heredity also plays a significant role in the development of pathological stage fright. If either parent suffered from a similar disorder, the child could inherit it. Psychologists have noticed that parents and children very often have the same fears and their identical manifestation.

In the case of social causes, Peiraphobia is provoked by upbringing. Most often, stage fright occurs in children raised by strict and despotic parents. If a child is scolded for talking loudly on the street, forced to behave quietly and inconspicuously in society, he may begin to be afraid of public attention.

Excessive prohibitions, intimidation, suppression, psychological and physical violence form numerous fears and self-doubt in the child. Growing up, such a person strives to be inconspicuous, modest, tries not to draw attention to his person, is afraid of public condemnation.

Perfectionist parents who demand that their child be the first in everything also run the risk of raising a glossophobe. From childhood, a person is taught that one must always be the best, and he makes every effort to achieve admiration and recognition from others. But it is impossible to be perfect always and in everything, so sooner or later such an individual faces failure. This failure can undermine his self-confidence and cause fear of rejection.

Often the cause of the development of glossophobia is the experience of an unsuccessful speech in front of the public. For example, a schoolboy or student spoke to the audience, and he was ridiculed, humiliated. The situation is aggravated if the humiliation came not only from peers, but also from adults. Such an incident can leave a deep imprint on the soul of the insecure, shy person, influencing its further development.

People with speech defects are also often afraid to speak in front of the public. This condition is called logoneurosis. Such people feel quite comfortable in a circle of close friends, but the need to speak in front of an audience unsettles them. They are afraid that other people will make fun of their lack. Most often, such fears are quite justified, because in any society there are individuals who are intolerant of other people's defects.

How to overcome stage fright?

Many celebrities have suffered from stage fright, however, they have overcome their fears and achieved success in the profession. This suggests that peyraphobia can and should be fought. If you are afraid of speaking in front of an audience and want to get rid of stage fright, the advice of psychologists will help you.

Prepare your presentation carefully

In order not to embarrass yourself in front of the audience, prepare well for your speech. For example, you need to make a presentation. Collect all the necessary information, outline the material and memorize it well. Make up short plan, in which indicate the main theses of your speech.

Think about what questions the audience might have and prepare the answers to them in advance. Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror, or even better, record it on a voice recorder to listen to how it sounds from the outside. Identify errors, stutters and get rid of them. Read your report to close people, let them evaluate it and tell you what needs to be corrected. Such preparation will definitely not let you fail at the performance.

Get rid of the unknown

An unfamiliar audience always inspires fear, because you do not know what reaction you can expect from them. Before speaking, analyze the audience - the number of people, their age, gender, social status, interests. Think about what these people expect from you, what will be interesting to them. Perhaps you should choose a humorous approach, or, conversely, make the performance as interesting as possible. Work through these nuances, and your confidence on stage will increase significantly, because you will know in advance who you will have to communicate with.

Don't take the audience as strictly criticism

Logophobes are very afraid of criticism from the audience. They pay attention to every chuckle or disapproving look, and from this they increasingly lose confidence in their own abilities. To avoid this, you do not need to focus on a negative attitude. Remember: the opinion of the audience is never unambiguous. There will always be critics and grateful listeners in the hall. Focus on the latter. Catch every nod of approval, every smile or exclamation of delight. Do not try to please everyone, work for those viewers who show you their location.

Allow yourself to be imperfect

Give yourself permission to make mistakes. Even high-class professionals make mistakes, so do not worry about this. Don't take criticism to heart. It is not always objective. The viewer may simply Bad mood or he does not understand the topic of your speech at all. Learn techniques that increase self-esteem and apply them.

Tune in to the positive

Going on stage, set yourself up in a positive way. Do not think about the outcome of your speech, but focus on the current moment. Consider every word, every gesture. Feel like a person doing important work. Feel how nice it is to be in the center of attention of many people.

To overcome the strong excitement before the performance and not feel constrained on stage, learn to relax. Learn breathing techniques and special relaxation exercises. Avoid tight, closed postures. Another important point- smile. Be sure to smile at the audience and get smiles in return.

What to do if nothing helps?

If you have tried all the methods to help overcome the fear of speaking, but have not achieved a positive result, seek help from a specialist. Perhaps your phobia has reached a stage where you cannot do without the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Feel free to ask for help, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Many public figures work with psychologists to help them overcome stage fright. The specialist will select effective psychotherapeutic techniques and prescribe sedatives that reduce anxiety.

Everyone can get rid of logophobia. If your career and professional activity depends on the ability to speak in public, do your best to overcome your fears and gain self-confidence. Believe me, the result is worth it!

The professional activity of many individuals is associated with public speaking. Their goal is to connect with their audience. But there are people who have pronounced stage fright. For them, communicating with an audience is a huge stress.

Glossophobia - fear of public speaking and stage

The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia. Recognized as one of the most common social phobias. There are many ways to get rid of the fear of speaking quickly and effectively.

Causes of glossophobia

Hereditary predisposition is one of the reasons for the manifestation of fear of publicity. Its development is influenced by temperament, character, degree of anxiety. Glossophobes are often negative about speaking. They worry that no one will listen to them or that the prepared speech will be boring and uninteresting.

A person is afraid of being misunderstood. He believes that his performance will not be perceived as it was intended. He seems to be misrepresenting the information.

In psychology, social factors for the appearance of glossophobia are distinguished:

strict upbringing;
improper behavior with a child in the family (threats, intimidation, prohibitions);
negative attitude towards low self-esteem, excessive demands, excessive self-criticism);
excessive susceptibility to someone else's criticism, etc.

Another important factor is the negative childhood experience: fright on stage during a performance, ridicule of a child, excessive negative criticism of a teenager.

In addition, people who have various speech defects have difficulties. Despite working on their pronunciation, they may feel embarrassed and nervous about going on stage. There are people who are ashamed of their own voice, consider it disgusting and ugly. They begin to seriously complex, and for them public speaking becomes a real torture.

Another category of people has complexes about their appearance. Such people are very carefully preparing for going on stage: they choose a costume for a long time, control the quality of the created hairstyle or makeup, try on a lot of looks. If the reflection in the mirror does not satisfy them, it can even reach hysteria.

Neurotic diseases do not allow a person to control emotions and movements. Shortly before going on stage, they begin to panic and hysteria.

Know that there is nothing good in excessive perfectionism. The desire to be the first, to perfectly master various performance techniques, to interest the audience from the first seconds is ambition. They are achieved through constant practice and careful work on oneself.

Symptoms of glossophobia

Finding out a person who is nervous before a performance is quite simple. The night before, he cannot sleep due to excessive excitement. He scrolls the words many times in his head, he is afraid to oversleep. The person is in stressful condition. His habitual actions change, the activity of all muscles increases. He is unable to fight himself.

A few hours before the performance, he begins to walk nervously from one corner of the room to another, constantly repeating his speech and adjusting his costume. Facial expression frightened.

Common symptoms of fear of public speaking include:

atypical facial expressions;
gestures unusual in a calm state;
muscle spasms;
increase in tension;
change of voice to quiet and muffled;
increased sweating;
rapid pulse;
nervous tic;
headache;
feeling nauseous or hungry;
high or low blood pressure, etc.

Some glossophobes do not know where to put their hands while on stage. They often change their location, nervously walk around the stage. They feel thirsty, the throat begins to tickle, and speech worsens. There is a tremor in the voice.

Sometimes there is an emotional stupor. A person forgets the words of a report or song, dance movements. He is speechless, unable to utter a single sound. For some, this manifests itself as an inability to connect thoughts in the head. A person does not understand what he is saying, the logic of the text is lost, he can repeat the same thing several times.

Then fear and tension builds up, and the speaker may lose consciousness. Before that, his hands are covered with cold sweat, the skin becomes pale. There may be gagging or a slow pulse. In another case, the patient may simply run away from the scene. At this point, he considers this the only right decision.

Keep in mind that symptoms vary from person to person. It depends on the type of nervous system, physical and emotional state. If a person does not get enough sleep, feels tired, then the probability of a good performance is low.

Unnatural gestures and facial expressions are symptoms of a phobia

Stages of self-treatment of glossophobia

Everyone can overcome the fear of speaking. Someone is able to cope with fear on their own, and someone needs the help of a psychologist. There are many great techniques to overcome the fear of speaking. Most of them are aimed at individual work on oneself.

Getting rid of glossophobia without someone else's help is quite real. Such treatment is carried out in several stages:

Recognition of the presence of the disease. After several unsuccessful attempts at speeches, a person must admit to himself the presence of glossophobia. There is nothing shameful in this. After all, in order to deal with the problem, it must be recognized and accepted.
Analysis of the prerequisites for the development of the disease. The speaker will have to work hard to find the primary sources of stage fright. It is necessary to review all possible causes and determine which of them influenced the development of a phobia of public speaking.
Drawing up an action plan. Depending on the causes of glossophobia, a detailed plan of struggle should be developed. It should consist of individual techniques that will help overcome stage fright.
Implementing the plan is the hardest part. It is possible to draw up an action plan quickly enough, but its implementation can take a long time. It is important not to give up and work hard on your problem.

This treatment option is suitable for people for whom performing on stage is their main occupation. These are musicians, singers, choreographers, actors, etc. They can easily cope with the problem on their own.

Ways to get rid of glossophobia on your own

It should be remembered that everyone has the right to make mistakes. One unsuccessful performance is not a reason to put an end to this kind of activity. Working on yourself will give the desired results.

Autotraining

Start with auto-training. This is a psychotherapeutic technique. Her mission is to bring nervous system in a state of balance after stress. It is based on the application muscle relaxation and self-indulgence.

The person must say out loud the phrases:

I will succeed;
I'm not worried, everything is fine with me;
fear recedes, harmony comes;
I have prepared well, so there is no need to be afraid.

This will help the speaker feel positive. It should be remembered that there are no perfect people in the world. Even on live television broadcasts, presenters and correspondents make mistakes in pronunciation of words.

Meditation

Give yourself some time before your presentation. 30 minutes of silence and calmness will be enough. It is necessary that a person be alone with himself.

Breathing technique is important in meditation. Deep inhale and slow exhale. The average duration of the exercise is up to 10 minutes.

Clear knowledge of the text of the speech

Fear of speaking often arises from the speaker's frivolous attitude towards him. Preparation is the key to the success of any public speaking. Even professionals rehearse a lot before presenting their speech to the public.

When a person is confident in the knowledge of the text, there will be no panic. If these are dance moves or a song, you can memorize them to automatism.

If this is a presentation as a webinar or seminar, you need to be well identified in the topic. It is difficult to take such a person by surprise with any question. It is easy for him to improvise and to direct clear, interesting examples. An ordinary story can turn into a discussion where the audience will take part.

Creating an image

The appearance of the speaker also matters. The audience wants to look at a beautifully dressed person. If this is a woman, you should pay attention to hair and makeup. The whole image should correspond to the theme of the speech.

Such a simple maneuver will give confidence to a person. He will stop worrying about his appearance and fully concentrate on the report.

elaborate appearance help you overcome your fear of speaking

Bad habits have no place on stage. It is necessary to constantly work on their elimination.

Drinking alcohol before going on stage is a bad decision. A person will not be able to control his own speech, and the performance may fail. Psychologists and doctors do not recommend the use of sedatives. They blunt the activity of the nervous system.

Self-discipline will not let bad habits ruin the performance

Stress avoidance

A healthy 7-9-hour sleep the day before will help eliminate the fear of going on stage. If this rule is neglected, the person will be irritated, tired and nervous. It will be difficult for him to control his emotions or focus on anything.

Appearance also suffers. Circles under the eyes are not a very pleasant sight. The slurred speech of the speaker is a guarantee of a failed speech.

If insomnia still does not recede, drink a solution based on plants (chamomile, lavender, mint, lemon balm). Take a relaxing bath.

Light an aroma lamp with oak root, lavender or coconut oils. Remember that stress is the main enemy before going on stage.

Positive emotions

Help to overcome the fear of the public positive emotions. Remember a funny joke, review a funny correspondence with a friend.

You can watch funny videos with animals or read jokes. The main thing is to force yourself to smile and forget about panic.

Video with funny animals will help you relax before going on stage

Speaking in front of an audience is scary not only for beginners. Even experienced speakers often experience fear. But they have their own secrets for quickly overcoming stage fright.

Tips from successful speakers:

Rehearsal. It does not matter if the number of spectators will be equal to tens of thousands or will be limited to a hundred people. You need to prepare for any performance. This is especially important for students before the defense of diplomas, for deputies who will lead the discussion or TV presenters. Everyone has a tendency to fear. Think through every step of your presentation. If it's a meeting at work, create a multi-slide presentation. It will help to structure the information and reproduce it one by one.
Work on diction. There will always be tongue twisters the best way work on your pronunciation.
Breathing correction. A frightened or hoarse voice is clearly not what the audience expects to hear. They came for valuable information or to enjoy the spectacle. Pay close attention to your breathing. Take deep breaths in and out as you speak.
Presentation of the future result. Remember, the audience does not go negatively or strongly against the speaker. Their goal is to get the necessary information. Imagine their happy faces after the performance.
Contact with listeners. A very important aspect in any speech. The most difficult thing for a speaker is to interest the audience. Make sure that he is not distracted by anything, but only follows the movements or speech of the speaker. Ask questions or answer questions from the audience. Show your openness towards them.
The originality of the presentation of the material. Monotonous lectures are a bad idea. Fill your presentation with visual material, such as an unobtrusive melody in the background or a video sequence. You can make lyrical digressions that are directly related to the topic of the speech. Humor works great, which should also be relevant and understandable to everyone.

Do not forget about the boomerang method. It happens that listeners ask a question that the speaker cannot answer. In order not to appear incompetent, redirect it to the audience. A discussion will be created and everyone present will be involved.

Communicating to the public about your experience will help overcome the fear of speaking. Most people will be sympathetic. There are spectators who can cheer up the speaker with applause.

Don't forget to smile. A gloomy face will not cause joy in the audience. The energy in the hall depends on the speaker. The main thing is not to overdo it with emotions and overcome nervousness.

Focus on a friendly audience. During the performance, look at the audience, which evoke positive emotions. This will give confidence and enthusiasm.

Be sure to eat before going on stage. A well-fed speaker will speak confidently and loudly. After all, when a person is hungry, he thinks only about food.

How to properly prepare for a speech?

Preparation is a very important stage when entering the stage. It will help to remove stiffness, give confidence. It is necessary to foresee possible incidents. If it's a report or a defense thesis, be prepared for questions in advance.

Typical preparation algorithm:

analysis, search, study of various sources of information on the topic;
development of a unique text;
writing abstracts;
planning;
selection of arguments and counterarguments;
retelling or memorization of the prepared material;
compiling answers to possible questions.

Speaking in front of a mirror or relatives is an old but effective technique. Ask loved ones to provide criticism. Let them share what they heard. Sometimes they may advise you to edit the text, change the position of the hands, reduce the time of the report, etc. Correct the mistakes to be confident and get rid of the fear of speaking.

Psychologists advise you to shoot a video of each of your performances. This is the easiest way to analyze your mistakes.

Conclusion

Fear of public speaking is common. People don't understand or don't know how to behave on stage. When they are on stage, they sweat, their voices tremble, and their blood pressure rises. Therefore, they begin to look for all sorts of ways to overcome glossophobia.

Many successful speakers share tips on how to overcome stage fright. It is necessary to tune in to success, focus on positive viewers, ask questions from the audience, fill the presentation with visual material, etc. But the main thing is preparation. If you follow all the tips and constantly work on yourself, it is quite possible to eliminate the fear of public speaking.

Public speaking causes excitement in everyone, even the most daring speaker. But it happens that going on stage is accompanied by a panic attack, a person gets the feeling that everyone sitting in the hall is evaluating him, looking at him, etc.

Fears can be formed in childhood - an unsuccessful performance at a matinee, reproaches from parents, teachers, or ridicule from peers lead to the formation of a subconscious attitude. Going out in public, a person is faced with the influence of his subconscious, when he sees “monsters” everywhere. This phobia is especially burdensome for those whose work is associated with constant performances - musicians, singers, dancers, etc.

Glossophobia and its causes

Stage fright has a scientific name - glossophobia.

A phobia is different from anxiety and has specific symptoms that are explained by the predominance of the sympathetic system over the parasympathetic:

nausea;
dry mouth;
insomnia;
headache;
increased sweating;
increased heart rate and breathing;
increase in blood pressure.

Causes of stage fright:

1. Lack of information in the subconscious or a recorded negative attitude. Usually the first public performance is accompanied by fear. If it goes well, a positive belief is formed, and further appearances on the stage cause only excitement. The more positive experiences, the less negative emotions.
2. Poor preparation, unlearned speech, few rehearsals.
3. Feeling of own insolvency. A person does not believe in his own strength and capabilities. As a result, an inferiority complex arises.
4. Comparing yourself to someone else. Then there is the formation of negative beliefs “I can’t be better than someone”, “I am the worst”, etc.

4 types of personality prone to phobia

There are personality types in which the severity of glossophobia varies.

1. Some people tend to avoid public speaking not only for a certain period of time, but throughout their lives. They choose professions where they do not need to appear in public even among a small number of people. That is, their choice of activity is based not on preferences, but on an escape from a phobia. This type is very difficult to treat. Long-term psychotherapy should be carried out here. Performances are first organized in a close circle of familiar people and gradually expand to a wider audience.

2. The next category of individuals does not allow fear to dictate which career to choose, but at the same time they try to “keep a low profile”: they avoid speaking at meetings, planning meetings, they are embarrassed to make toasts at holidays. Such people actively hide their phobia and find any way not to face the fear, ignoring the problem for years. It is easier for them to overcome the barrier than the first group. You should start performing in front of a small number of people, engage in active activities.

3. People who face the need to speak in public in their work. These are professionals who would gladly avoid reports in front of an audience, but due to the nature of their activities, they cannot do this. These include writers, doctors, teachers. Representatives of these types of activities should take the time to learn oratory skills, because their success in the profession largely depends on this.

4. Creative individuals - musicians, singers, actors, comedians, athletes, speakers. Even this group of people is prone to anxiety about speaking in front of an audience. The only difference is that their brain calls for going out in public, and the body resists. In this case, the question concerns the choice, which is more important: fear or career. If a person wants to achieve the heights of the profession, he will have to overcome himself.

Excitement is a common trait for all people, regardless of the type of profession or personality. The difference is that some overcome their phobias while others continue to avoid them.

Techniques for overcoming uncertainty and fear

First you need to determine the cause of glossophobia. What exactly is scary? If there was a negative experience in childhood, it should be remembered, pulled out of the depths of the subconscious. And in the future, change negative attitudes to positive ones. It is important to remember that the people who came to the speech want to receive benefit, knowledge or aesthetic pleasure, and not to convict the speaker of all his shortcomings.

The following tips will help you calm down and not be afraid to speak:

Good preparation, repeated rehearsals are the key to self-confidence. You need to take the time to study the issues that interest the audience, understand their desires and needs. Good knowledge of the topic will allow you to feel your competence. It is worth working out in advance possible additional questions and comments from the audience.
Sense of humor. Appropriate jokes relieve tension, put the audience at ease, and help overcome fear. This is especially important if there was some embarrassment, equipment stopped working, etc.
Mastering public speaking skills. This strengthens self-confidence, helps to acquire the necessary speaking skills, to interest the audience and keep their attention throughout the entire time. Mastery of the word is a skill that can be improved. All great people started somewhere, learned and developed their strengths. Therefore, absolutely every person is capable of becoming an outstanding speaker. This is facilitated correct setting goals and strong motivation.
Analysis of previous attempts. Each public performance, if possible, should be recorded on video, so that later you can evaluate yourself from the outside. It is useful to view the speeches of experts in the industry of interest.
Rejection of the idea of perfection. All people are imperfect. Fear of making a mistake leads to the fact that its probability increases many times over.
Presentation of the desired result. Usually people who perform for the first time tend to replay the moment of failure in their head. It is necessary to replace this picture with a positive one, where at the end all the listeners applaud while standing.
Focus on content and process. You need to focus on the report, the dance, the song, the role, the audience. But not on themselves or their shortcomings. If you relax and start enjoying the performance, the audience will feel positive energy.
Love for the audience. You can imagine that the closest people and best friends have gathered in the hall, and perform in such a way as to please them.
Rest before performance. Get a good night's sleep the night before important event and avoid stimulants. Caffeine, alcohol, sedatives have only a temporary effect. It is not known how the body will react to these substances and how it will affect the performance: a drunken and inhibited speaker will obviously not cause positive emotions in the public.
Appearance. A person who is satisfied with his appearance holds himself confidently. If you have to go on stage regularly, you should resort to the help of a stylist and an image maker. They will help create correct image, emphasize the advantages and hide the shortcomings. People performing in dance shows or vocal competitions should work out the stage image, hairstyle, make-up, make sure that the costume for the performance matches the theme of the performance and looks appropriate.
Contact with viewers. It is important to address the audience, to look them in the eyes. If the speaker is looking somewhere in space and not making eye contact, the likelihood that people will lose interest in the speech increases.
Concentration on breathing. Three or four deep slow breaths - and you can go out to the audience. Deep breathing helps to calm down and saturates the body with oxygen.
Vocal. Fear can cause a change in voice: it becomes creaky or, conversely, unnecessarily thin. Special exercises that warm up the vocal cords will help improve it. Singing is useful not only for singers, but for all speakers.
Warm up. A pianist, musician, dancer needs to warm up before going out. Warming up will allow you to overcome fear, relieve muscle tension, prepare the body. Stretching exercises are helpful. They relax the muscles and physically prepare the body, protecting it from possible injury. This is especially important for dance performances. Before going on stage, you can mentally play the dance, concentrating on difficult elements, this will help you stop being afraid.
Steps towards fear. Psychologists advise people with the first and second personality types to start performing in small groups of people, in front of family members. To overcome a phobia, you can enroll in a theater group or acting classes, group sports training or dancing. This will help you overcome stage fright.