Public Speaking With Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety and Public Speaking

Public speaking can be difficult for everyone but the difficulty is magnified for those who are suffering from social anxiety. Not only are you nervous but you can have physical symptoms that make you feel as if you are going to collapse before you ever begin to speak. There are fears that can be pinpointed and worked on to make it easier for you to speak before an audience. Try these steps to aid in overcoming your fear and make speaking before an audience becomes easier for you.

Prepare Fully Beforehand

Being unprepared will show in your speech. Was the topic assigned or are you picking your own topic? When picking your own topic make sure it is one you are comfortable discussing in public. You will likely stumble over your words making it harder for you to get your point across when you are not fully prepared which will increase anxiety. The more nervous you get the more you will stumble over your words and stutter making it nearly impossible for the audience to understand you. Write your speech in advance outlining key points you wish to make. This will make it flow more smoothly. You already know that you are going to be nervous, so brace yourself for it.

Embrace Mistakes

When you make a mistake while orating just keep moving without acknowledging it or turn it to your benefit by turning it into a joke as if you did it on purpose. The audience will get a laugh and you’ll begin to relax once you begin laughing with them. The audience will be more likely to go with the flow of things when you brush things off instead of being to dwell on what is going wrong.

Dress for It

What you wear can affect your confidence levels. Take time and care to pick something that makes you feel both comfortable and confident in yourself. It will show in your face. You want to put your best face forward in order to present yourself in the best possible light. This will make you feel better about yourself too. You will know beforehand what the particular dress code is for the occasion.

Practice

Stand in front of your mirror or record yourself making your speech. You can do both, watching the recording will help you identify areas that you need to work on. Are you stumbling over your words? Ask family and friends to watch you make the speech so that you can get comfortable in front of an audience. It is okay to read directly from your speech as you get used to talking in front of people. Getting them to give you feedback will help you understand how others see you while you are speaking. This knowledge will allow you to make changes in order to have the audience view you the way that you want to be viewed while you are speaking.

Do Your Research

Research is important even if it’s a topic that you know off the top of your head. Brush up on not only your topic but the venue and audience. Knowing what you’re facing will help you to prepare for the day you perform your public speaking engagement. It will give you the advantage to know how to approach the subject matter you will be speaking about during your engagement. You will also want to know if you will be able to read your presentation or if you will have to remember it.

Identify Fears

Are you aware of the things that trigger your anxiety? Identifying the triggers can go a long way towards helping you overcome them. Worrying what the audience thinks about your appearance, voice or that you are going to forget what you are talking about can make you experience physical symptoms of anxiety while you are on the center stage.

Grab Attention of Your Audience

You want to entice your audience from the start. Start with something that is sure to grab their attention whether it’s a story, a joke or something outrageous that you say just to make them take a second look. When you are engaged they will be engaged, you should come off as friendly and informative.

Speak Clearly

Enunciate and don’t rush. You speak clearly and slowly enough that you can be easily understood. Rushing is a result of nervousness but it can make you even more uncomfortable than you were when you started speaking. Ensuring the audience can understand you will increase the chances they’re paying attention. When was the last time you actually tried to listen to someone who you could not understand? You did not, you merely went on with what you were doing as if they were not in the room.

Stand Up Straight

Remember when your parents told you not to slouch? There was a reason, slouching makes you look bored, lazy or both. No one wants to listen to someone who is boring themselves. Standing up straight makes you look confident. The more confident that you appear the more appealing you will be to your audience.

More Than Your Voice

When it comes to speaking publically it is more than your voice that brings attention to what is being said. Body language is focused on more than what someone is saying in a lot of cases. Pay attention to your posture, how you hold your hands and how often you look at your audience. When facing the audience causes you to stress you can find focal points around the room to look at instead.

Not About You

While you are the one on stage, it is not actually about you but about what you are saying. The reality is that most people in the audience will not be looking at you, while it sounds rude, it is true. After all, when is the last time you focused solely on the one who was speaking when you attended an event. Those attending are there for the subject matter, not to see you personally. They want to gain knowledge, get entertained or just get out of the house so do not make the event about you.

Increase Exposure

Before the event slowly being increasing exposure to social situations. You can do this by going out to see others and make it a point to speak to strangers. Set goals that include doing at least one thing every day that scares you. You will find that not only do you survive the experience but you are more likely to repeat it.

Relax

It is easier said than done to relax when you are terrified but you can relax before the event that terrifies you. Take deep breaths and perform light exercises to calm your nerves. Take a walk around the neighborhood, or go sit somewhere quiet to be alone with your thoughts and get lost in your own world. Write your fears, anxieties, thoughts, and everything that comes to mind on paper. Distract yourself from thinking about your upcoming speaking engagement when you are not actively preparing for it.

It Takes Time

You will not get over social anxiety or fear of public speaking in a day. It is going to take time for you to become comfortable. You may have to talk to someone with experience in the area. Set goals for yourself, you might find that getting out more is the first goal you set. Start slow, you won’t be ready to speak in front of millions in a day but you can calm yourself down enough to give orating your best efforts easily. Start small, taking small steps to a larger goal will allow you to see the progress that you are making.

Remind Yourself

Speaking in front of groups no matter how large or small requires you to prepare, focus and engage with the audience. When you are not completely present your audience will be able to tell, and that is when you will begin to feel as if the entire presentation is falling apart. The more confident you are when you speak the more confident you will become.

Speaking in front of an audience can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be. Following these simple steps can make it much easier for you even if you are one of the many who is currently suffering from anxiety. The most important thing to do is be yourself instead of trying to be like everyone who has ever spoken publicly.

If you liked this article or you would like information on another topic, feel free to contact me. Also, check out this Ted Talk video about killing the fear of public speaking.