The fear of public speaking or stage fright is a state of anxiety that affects people who have to expose themselves to an audience , from artists and actors, to speakers, gatherings or students in front of an oral exam. This state reduces the effectiveness and capacity of communication and prevents those affected from expressing or acting to their full potential.
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SYMPTOMS OF SCENIC PANIC
Among the physical symptoms of fear of public speaking and stage fright are rapid breathing, sweating, muscle tension, pain in the stomach or head, dry mouth, chills or nausea. Sometimes these symptoms are often accompanied by forgetfulness, pessimistic thoughts, confusion, or lack of concentration. These symptoms arise as a consequence of being self-demanding with ourselves or by emotional thoughts such as fear of rejection, making mistakes, failing or making a fool of ourselves .
All of this leads to behavioral behaviors that result in nervous tics, the need to flee or escape, stuttering or a reduction in the volume of the voice.
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HOW TO OVERCOME THE FEAR OF SPEAKING IN PUBLIC?
Not only can the fear of public speaking be controlled, it can be overcome forever. To do this, we must understand that stage fright is overcome before we get in front of our audience or listeners . We have to learn to prepare adequately for those situations in which we have to speak in public.
Here are some tips to overcome fear of public speaking and stage fright :
- You should not be obsessed with obtaining perfect results, since you will be aware of it and it will increase your level of stress and anxiety that will be perceived by the audience much more than your message.
- The public is probably what worries you the most when it comes to exhibiting in public. Before starting, try to know who will be and how many will be, as this will make you know what you are facing before starting. Another important point regarding the audience is to fixate on the smiling faces that are nodding their heads, rather than those that are shaking their heads or while they are entertaining with their mobile phones.
- Learn to laugh at yourself. We can all make mistakes, we are human, so if you make a mistake or forget something it is better to recognize it with a smile or a joke than by blushing and getting nervous.
- Stay in control of worries. The word worry is written with the prefix “pre” which means that what we do is take care of something before it actually happens. It is said that 80% of our worries never happen. Our challenge, then, is to fill our minds with how positive that experience will be, how new we are going to learn, and how valuable it will be to help our audience.
- Breathing, relaxation and concentration techniques are essential for public speaking. Practice diaphragmatic breathing before going out to speak, mindful of what you are doing. You will oxygenate your body and you will feel calmer.
- Come with enough time on the day of the presentation, so you will have time to solve all the technical problems that may arise.
As we well know, if we wanted to learn to swim it would be necessary to get into the water several times to master the technique . The same happens to learn to speak in public , it is necessary to face the public, audience or listeners as many times as necessary until the stage fright is bearable, controllable and manageable.
If you are looking for a psychologist to lose the fear of public speaking and overcome the panic stage , do not hesitate to contact us. We also serve online .
Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.