How to calm yourself before speaking in public. How to deal with anxiety before public speaking
Once upon a time the Master lived and lived in this world. Which one is this? Master of the matter. What it was like, we don’t know. He knew a lot - he was a real craftsman... Oh, yes! He worked in a forge.
- So you were a blacksmith?
- Yes! The fame spread throughout the area, saying that he could shoe any animal, even a flea.
- Wow, a flea!
And a crowd of students gathered around that Master: “Tell me, uncle, how did you shoe a flea?!”
The Master assumed a proud manner. He wiped his hands with a grimy rag, grabbed his beard with his hand and took the position of a teacher. He looked around at everyone... I saw many eyes, curious and pleading, interested and inquisitive... and I was slightly taken aback: there are so many of you! I inhaled again - there was not enough air. I want to say something, but my voice is trembling. My legs felt like they were made of cotton. What a responsibility! God forbid I make a mistake or tell something wrong! Then they will spread it all over the world!...
STOP! Friend storyteller, let's leave the poor Master alone for a while and turn to the listeners...
A familiar situation, isn't it?
In our business, you and I can often shoe any flea - but God forbid we talk about it in public! It's better to let someone else go.
Yeah. And someone else will gain fame, money, success instead of you.
Aren't you tired? It's time to forge your fear with the Master!
10 Simple Tricks to Reduce Anxiety
Working with the body
Technique 1. Release the flea.
Let's answer a few questions:
What is fear? How does it feel? What? Where is it located in the body?
Yes, yes, something like this: there’s a lump somewhere in the throat, your legs are shaking, your hands are trembling, your breath is catching. Everyone may have their own opinion, but the fact remains: there is no time for convincing here. We very often hear such phrases: fight, win, overcome!
Friends, who said that you need to fight fear? Does it lead to positive consequences fight against bad habits? For example, you show willpower, proudly announce to everyone that you have enough patience and diligence. And you often break down. Not just often. Constantly.
It’s the same with fear: if you rely on willpower alone, fight it, forbid yourself to worry, keep YOURSELF IN YOUR FIST - and everything is under complete control - it will take immeasurably more strength and nerves than if you simply master your fear. To meet him. Describe him and mentally greet him (“Hey, hello, flea! You’re very small, although unpleasant!”). And don't fight, just let go.
What to do when before public speaking Does fear keep you from relaxing?
Technique No. 2. Shake off the flea.
Remember: fear sits in your stomach. He gets in by the collar. Runs down my legs. A thin string trembles in my back. Brrr! Give me a physical shake! To remove any tension in the body that prevents us from thinking sensibly and speaking normally, it is useful to give the load even more, and then relax. Therefore, tension-relaxation of large muscle groups (calves, knees, hips, buttocks, stomach, back, chest, shoulders, neck, face - and they dropped it!) will come in handy. You can do squats or push-ups behind the stage, or yawn widely.
Technique No. 3. Add energy.
But fear is not enough. It runs over the skin, treacherously cooling the skin, creating an atmosphere of thickened tension around. What to do? All you need is a simple energy exercise that anyone can do. Spread your feet shoulder-width apart, feel how the flow of Earth's energy rises from bottom to top, flows through your body and bursts out like a fountain. In the same way, imagine how a downward flow of sky energy penetrates you from top to bottom and flows out like a fountain below. Stay like that for a while. Absorbing energy that releases clamps. Connect the energy of the fountains around you, condense it mentally. Forward - to performances!
Technique No. 4. Breathe freely.
What is the breath of a person whose anxiety is taking him by the throat? Right! Intermittent. Fear, with its slippery hand, is groping for something else to attach itself to. Everything is okay with the body, he takes up his breath... But that’s not the case - we resist in the most ordinary way = childishly “by contradiction”. Fear speeds up - we slow down our breathing (pair deep breaths, double inhalation and exhalation). Fear interrupts us - we respond in kind. For example, using a great technique called Balloon Breathing.
Professor Herry Herminson from New Zealand trained athletes for various extreme situations and proposed this method for relieving fear and moving from a negative future to the present. It was this technique that he taught to the world famous climber Hilary, who was one of the first to conquer Everest. During his climb to the top of the world, Hilary repeatedly used it to relieve fear. Close your eyes and imagine a light tennis ball in front of you. Inhale - and the ball slowly and smoothly rises from the center of your abdomen to your throat. Exhale - and the ball also smoothly falls down.
When we are worried or afraid, the ball either freezes at one point or moves quickly, in jumps. If we are calm and confident, the ball moves smoothly and rhythmically. In a situation of anxiety or fear, you need to ensure that the ball moves exactly like this.
In a word, it is WE who IMPOSES OUR BEHAVIOR ON FEAR. It is WE who play with him. We don't fight. We simply allow it to calmly leave the body.
Managing emotions
Reception No. 5. Positive phrase.
I can!
I will do it!
I am the best!
I will succeed!
Charismatic speaker - that's me!(how can you not praise yourself?)
Everyone can do it. Am I a redhead?(pulling my competitive streak)
Stay calm and carry on!(can be tougher)
Everyone will applaud me!
Catchphrases:
Fate helps the brave.
Happiness is always on the side of the brave.
Lines from songs:
I drink to the bottom for those who are at sea! For those whom the wave loves! Behindthose, to whomlucky!
We are the champions, my friend!
Such internal phrases should be scrolled through in your head before a performance, before going on stage, and even during it. The name affirmation perfectly reflects the essence of the technique: toaffirm in English means “to affirm.” These positive affirming phrases will help you get in the mood for success and perform brilliantly! Create a piggy bank of the best for yourself!
Reception No. 6. Positive gesture.
Paired with an internal phrase that helps you cope with anxiety, with difficult situations when speaking (a difficult question, difficult listeners in the audience, etc.), the so-called inciting or positive gesture goes hand in hand.
Remember how joyfully you throw up your hands at the sight of a person you have known for a long time (clap)! How you relishly record: “Yes!” when something has been done brilliantly (the arm is bent at the elbow and sharply pulled down and back). How you rub your hands with pleasure, anticipating something delicious!
Our body remembers the pleasant moments associated with these and dozens of other gestures! Our body is like a form for emotions that we can release at the right moment by using certain exciting gestures!
Here are some similar ideas.
Chop the air with your hand like a saber.
Fix your hands in the chest area with tightly clenched fists (For luck, they say).
shouting “Hhha!” throw your hand forward, then the other - and alternate this several times.
Get up, put on the so-called. “corset of confidence”: straighten your shoulders, lift your head up, smile on your face. Stay like this for a few minutes. And into battle!
Reception No. 7. Smile.
Tune in positive emotions You can also use facial expressions.
Among the best Taoist techniques there is a very simple and effective exercise: “Laughing Qigong”: start smiling at yourself in the mirror (at least a minute), then laugh cheerfully (even if you don’t feel like it), intensify the laughter, let it be exaggerated (5 minutes), finish the exercise with a light smile that will now not leave your face faces until the end of the day!
Of course, the reader will say, it’s easy for you, you have so much experience in performing. Why should I laugh? But you have to start somewhere, for example, with a smile! This technique will at least bring you good mood, at most - a brilliant performance.
One day at the airport a man came up to me and said that he had been watching my emotions all the way. He was amazed that I smiled affably all the time. “I will follow your example!” - he muttered, broke into a cheerful smile and was like that. I thought about the fact that I don’t even control the process - a good mood comes with every new day. And, of course, with every new public appearance!
Let's use our imagination
Technique No. 8. Rewrite the script in +
I went on stage. Everyone looked at my appearance. I critically assessed that the suit I was wearing was from last season’s collection, and not the most expensive one at that. They narrowed their eyes skeptically. They started whispering when I said the first phrase. Someone was clearly yawning, someone was openly chatting on the phone, someone was shouting rude things from the audience. In the middle of the speech, they began to ask me confusing questions, inappropriate and unclearly formulated, and then they began to file out of the audience, disappointed...
Unpleasant? So why picture worst-case performance scenarios in your head? Oh, everything will be bad, I’ll forget the text, lose the papers, won’t answer the questions!
Positive scenarios are the best way to relieve anxiety. And we are again mastering the “flip-flop” technique upside down.
Now we will draw only rainbow pictures:
I went on stage. Everyone applauded me. Their eyes were shining. The listeners listened with bated breath. I answered questions brilliantly, giving a lot useful information even for professionals. A whisper of admiration ran through the hall when I finished my speech and summed up the results. Hooray! Shine! I succeeded!
It is worth noting that the scenarios presented here are described as having happened. Can be spoken in the present ( I'm going on stage...) and future ( I'll go on stage...), but the effect of simply dispassionately recording future success as a fait accompli is immeasurably higher! By drawing such a positive scenario, you are already launching the mechanism of successful public speaking. And you take the first step onto the stage.
Technique No. 9. Change your focus
What should you do if your anxiety doesn’t go away at the very beginning of your speech or presentation? You look at the audience and meet the gaze of that same “difficult” listener who doesn’t care. He yawns, looks at his watch, arms crossed on his chest... Inexperienced speakers continue to look at this very face, sucking the energy out of them.
The secret is simple: shift your gaze to those who are in this moment positive attitude, nods, smiles, supports. Maybe these are friends, acquaintances, or just those people with whom you managed to talk BEFORE the performance began.
A few minutes - and the whole hall is at your feet. Truly so. No wonder they say: “Look more often into the eyes of the people you care about. In them you will find the answer." An experienced speaker looks for an answer in the eyes of grateful listeners.
Technique 10. Change the significance.
We are afraid of the public because: “They are so cool (professionals, rich, experienced, etc.).”
We are afraid to go out in public, because: “I have little experience, I know less than them, I am such a small person in front of these great people.”
We are afraid of the performance itself, because: “This is such an important-important-important-important-important-important event for me!” Exactly.
And with the triple lock of significance we lock every opportunity to perform on stage successfully, with dignity and with joy. Why? Because we overestimate the significance of the event, the importance of the listeners, and underestimate our own.
Reception is at three simple steps: increase your importance, reduce the importance of the audience, reduce the importance of the event.
Who can I imagine myself to be? Say the phrase inside yourself: “I walk into the hall - and EVERYONE listens to me very carefully!” Now ask a riddle: “Who am I in this case?” Yes, yes, it’s useful to imagine yourself... as the Queen of England, the Prince of Wales, the president in the end. Or maybe the Terminator or Batman? No matter who - main idea: I am more important!
Who can I imagine the audience to be? Internal test phrase: “They are so sweet, dear.” Riddle-challenge: “Who are they?” Most likely children. In 100% of cases in all the trainings I conduct, people give this option. Children love to listen. Listen. Be interested. Laughing is easy and relaxed. In each of us, the most serious and businesslike, polished and expensive, well-fed or slender, there lives a child! Let's use this image and henceforth we will not be afraid of the public!
And about the event: you know that the sun shines happy. But it also CONTINUALLY shines on those who did not complete something, failed something, or did not perform very well. Look around: what terrible thing will happen if you go out of your way? Will someone die? Is he getting thin? Going wild? Will this passionate sun go out? No. So don’t be afraid to move forward, having first reduced the importance, and be satisfied with yourself and life!
When asked about my occupation, my answer is always: “I help people have fun...” The pause lasts about three seconds. The phrase is intriguing and arouses interest, after which I modestly add “...on stage.”
Therefore, our task, Master, is to shoe the flea. Contain your fear. And finally, HAVE A FUN ON STAGE.
Results. How to shoe a flea
1. Getting to know fear.
2. Physical shaking.
3. Energy charging.
4. Breathwork.
5. Positive phrase.
6. Positive gesture.
7. Smile.
8. Positive scenario.
9. Change of focus.
Many people confuse excitement with fear. These are different things. I wrote about the fear of public speaking and how to overcome it.
In this article we will talk exactly about how not to worry before a performance and what to do about it. I’m sharing my 15 years of experience, so take it into account.
Excitement is a feeling familiar to all beginning speakers. But in essence, there is nothing wrong with being worried. On the contrary, the presence of excitement is an indicator that you are responsible for your performance. If you didn't care, you wouldn't worry so much. I am sure that all great speakers are nervous at the beginning of their speech. And the larger the audience, the greater the excitement. Despite the fact that I have to perform often, I feel nervous every time before going out. Personally, my knees are shaking. But this trembling goes away 3-5 minutes after going on stage. One speaker said about this: “Two minutes before going on stage it’s easier to shoot me than to go out into public, but five minutes before the end of the performance it’s easier to beat me with a whip than to kick me off the stage.” The excitement goes away as soon as we start performing, we start talking. The main thing is to endure the first 3-5 minutes. Then it becomes much easier. But more about this below.
Why do we get nervous before a performance?
At one of my trainings, I heard a story about how in one city they announced recruitment to a public speaking group. Two people came. One of them later became prime minister, the second a millionaire. Of course, I am far from the illusion that they achieved such results solely thanks to their oratorical abilities, but many entrepreneurs note that it was the ability to perform on stage that allowed them to achieve high results.
So, one company manager, whom I once interviewed, answered my question: “How did you manage to build a huge organization?” replied, “Thanks to presentations.” This is my favorite way of working. It’s very easy for me to “get contracts” at presentations.” Many successful people they say that their ability to work with an audience contributed to their success.
As you know from Dale Carnegie’s books, Philip D. Armor, already a millionaire, once said: “I would rather be a great speaker than a great capitalist.”. Chauncey M. Depew states: “No other ability available to anyone will allow you to make a career and achieve recognition so quickly as the ability to speak well.”.
Anyone who has read Frank Bettger's books will remember what he advises: “If you want to overcome fear and quickly develop courage and self-confidence, sign up for good public speaking courses.”. But although the ability to perform on stage allows you to achieve success in business and in life in general, many avoid situations where they need to be the center of attention and speak in front of an audience. The reason for this behavior is not fear, as most people think, but excitement.
Causes of excitement
Let's consider two main reasons for anxiety before public speaking:
1) focus on yourself;
2) not self-love.
Focus on yourself or what they will think of me
The reason for anxiety is focusing attention on yourself at the time of performance. What happens when a person goes on stage? At this moment he begins to realize that they are looking at him. And the speaker begins to smile embarrassedly, laugh, hold his breath, and feel a strong desire to do something: chatter, gesticulate, wink, comment on what is happening, although there is no need for this. He has nowhere to put his hands (I’ll tell you where to put his hands during a speech in a separate article). It seems to him that something needs to be corrected in his hairstyle and clothes. In a word, unnecessary stress or fuss arises. “They look at me, they evaluate me.” And then the speaker begins to think about himself, and not about the audience.
Once I met a girl who works in a large publishing house. She said that once a week they have meetings where everyone makes a presentation on a specific topic. “When the editor-in-chief of a publishing house comes to my speeches,” my friend admitted, “I think about how I shouldn’t say something stupid, and I will definitely say something that makes the editor-in-chief confused...”
At the moment of focusing attention on oneself, all the symptoms we have listed, a state of discomfort, arise. We suddenly start thinking about our hands, and because of this we don’t know where to put them; We start to think about how smart we are talking, and this makes us even more confused.
As you know, in nature, animals look into each other’s eyes only when they want to attack or defend themselves. It turns out that when we encounter the views of listeners, our biological nature awakens and adrenaline is released. As a result, our hands begin to shake, we jump from one thought to another, and so on.
When I conduct training on public speaking, “Learning to speak in public,” I ask the participants, “Please tell me, if you are busy doing something and no one is looking at you, how do you feel?” They usually answer: “Good, confident, comfortable.” In this situation we feel confident: there is no reason to be afraid.
Next question: Please tell me, if you are busy with something and they start looking at you, does something change in your condition?” The answer is, as a rule, something is changing. In this situation, there were reasons for concern: “What will they think of me? What if something is wrong?”
Third question: “Please tell me, if you are busy with something and they are looking at you, but you don’t know about it, is something changing?” As a rule, the answer is that it’s nothing. In this situation there is no reason to worry, and we feel confident.
And the last question: “Please tell me, if you are busy with something and no one is looking at you, but you decide that they are watching, does anything change?” As a rule, the answer is that it changes: in this situation we begin to experience excitement.
Thus, it turns out that we ourselves create the ground for the manifestation of excitement. And since we know how to put ourselves into a state of excitement, then most likely we will be able to bring ourselves out of the state that holds back our actions and actions.
Not self love
Another reason for anxiety before performances may not be self-love. Many people evaluate themselves for the result, for what they did, and not for the process itself. If I got the job done, well done. If you didn't, no good job. Handed in the waste paper, well done. Didn't pass, not great. Passed the test, well done. Didn't pass, not great. So, it is important to learn to value yourself not for the result, but for the actions, for the process.
Love the process of performing, love yourself for going on stage, performing, preparing for a performance, and so on. And the result from the performance will appear immediately as soon as you begin to enjoy the process itself and stop depending on the result. Remember, behind the excessive desire to get results is actually the fear that it won’t work out. And the law of cause and effect works: “What a person fears is what he gets from life.”
How does anxiety manifest before performances?
Let's list the external and internal symptoms that a person experiences before going on stage and at the beginning of a performance:
- Redness of the facial skin
- Shiver
- Palms, forehead, back sweat
- Dry mouth
- Feeling of a “lump” in the throat
- Cardiopalmus
- Extra movements, fussiness
- Bondage
- Irritability, anger, aggression
- Quick text pronunciation
- The desire to run away and not perform...
These are the main symptoms of anxiety noted by participants in public speaking trainings. Interestingly, experienced speakers also experience these feelings. Anyone who has read Dale Carnegie remembers the story of how Mark Twain first took to the podium. It seemed to him that his mouth was full of cotton, and his pulse was like that of a participant in a race for a prize cup.
When the English Prime Minister Lloyd George spoke for the first time, he was in a terrible state: his tongue “stuck” to his larynx, and he could not utter a word.
Disraeli, for example, admitted that it was easier for him to raise the cavalry to attack than to decide on his first public appearance. His debut was very unsuccessful.
I remember my very first performance very well. There were about twenty people in the hall. I greeted everyone, said what I would talk about, and... happily forgot the rest of the text.
One of the participants in my training had a similar experience of her first performance. When she worked as a nurse in kindergarten, the head asked her to give a lecture to her parents about hardening. She was well versed in the topic, but when she saw on stage that the audience’s attention was focused on her, she forgot everything.
Hello Duke
There is a funny acting story on this topic.
The aspiring actor, who had just graduated from theater institute, was given a tiny role. He had to go on stage and say: “Hello, Duke!” While the performance was going on, the newcomer stood behind the scenes and continued to search for the image, intoning this phrase in every possible way. Suddenly they suddenly shouted: “Vasily, your way out.” The actor walked onto the stage, walked up to the Duke and stopped.
“Hello, Duke,” whispered the prompter.
The actor looked with crazy eyes and was silent.
- Hello, Duke! – the prompter hissed irritably.
Vasily looked at him like a beaten dog and was silent.
- Hello, Duke! – covering his face with his hand, the Duke exhaled.
- Hello, Duke! – the fireman boomed from behind the scenes. The actor turned to the wings and smiled stupidly.
And then a theater regular stood up from the front row, adjusted his pince-nez and barked:
- Hello, Duke!
As you can see, anxiety is common to everyone. The first performances could be unsuccessful even for people who went down in history as outstanding speakers. The difference is how they behaved after these unsuccessful performances.
Frankly speaking, I have not met people who are absolutely not worried. And the sages say that brave people are not afraid to be afraid. And don’t imagine that your case is particularly difficult. Even those who later became a recognized speaker experienced fear and shyness at the beginning of their career. And Demosthenes, as you remember, generally lisped. But did this stop him from becoming a great orator? The presence of the above symptoms in a person only indicates that he is a living real person
If you have thin and crooked legs, if you have three hairs and bulging eyes, if you have no voice, be proud - you are a MASYANYA
I also experienced and continue to experience some of them even now, although I have been performing for more than 15 years in a row.
My first big flop
I remember very well my first performance before large audience. I went on stage and barely found the microphone. Although, as it turned out later, there were four of them on stage. I tried to remove the microphone from the tripod. After 2-3 minutes I realized that nothing was working for me. I left this matter and looked into the hall. Despite the fact that there were seven hundred people in the hall, there was a complete fog in front of me; I couldn’t see anything beyond the first row. And this is not the worst thing that happened to me during that performance. 9 minutes after I started my speech, I realized that I had said everything, although my speech was designed for an hour and a half. Despite the first unsuccessful experiences, I continued to conduct trainings and give lectures, and the result of my further presentations exceeded all expectations.
How to deal with anxiety
Admit your anxiety
The easiest way to reduce anxiety is to admit it. Tell the audience about it honestly, because the most easy way get rid of something - allow yourself to do it. Once I attended lectures by a professor on psychology. And at the very beginning, he warned the cadets: “Turn off your mobile phones or put them in vibrate mode, otherwise when they ring, I get lost, I forget what I was talking about.” And indeed, when someone’s phone rang, he was lost, jumping from one thought to another. But we took it for granted. He warned us right away. And those who forgot to turn off their mobile phone, felt awkward as the lectures were very interesting and useful.
As long as the speaker tries to hide his excitement, he becomes even more excited. He doesn't allow himself to relax, and the performance turns out worse. The speaker’s energy at the moment is not directed at the audience, but at “appearing” confident. But it turns out the other way around. The more a speaker tries to appear confident, the more ridiculous he appears. But as soon as he admits his anxiety, he now does not need to fight this condition and waste energy. He is free and internally liberated. The speaker can already pay attention to people, and not to his excitement.
For example: “You know, this is my first time speaking, and I feel a huge responsibility for today’s event, it’s possible that my voice will tremble for the first 10 minutes, and that’s normal. I really want you to receive today maximum benefit from our meeting with you"
It happens that it is very difficult to tune in when something happened on the road: “You know, I just saw something incredible on the way, so my reaction is inadequate now, but as soon as we start talking about the essence of today’s topic, everything will be fine.” And we moved on. Moreover, when you admit your excitement, for some reason the people in the hall begin to support and encourage you. You are speaking sincerely at the moment.
Movements during a performance
Anxiety and some tension can be relieved when you start moving. You can walk around the stage, you can write something on a flip chart, you can show something with your hands and depict something with your whole body. When you start moving during a performance, the tension goes away, you become more relaxed, and the excitement goes away. You start to feel comfortable being the center of attention. The main thing is that you don’t have to fight your anxiety. On the contrary, use it, it is your sincerity and naturalness. And this always wins over the audience.
If you are performing in front of a camera
If you are performing in front of a camera and are very nervous, that is also normal. What can be done to reduce the level of anxiety? Very simple. Start making your speech to the cameraman who is filming you. Sometimes it gets funny. The operator starts nodding at you. And he even forgets that he is filming you.
Anti-anxiety pills
Some people ask whether they need to take any medications or pills to reduce their anxiety levels. Once again I want to emphasize that anxiety is a natural process, and you should not “clog” it with drugs and drugs. In this way you “kill” part of the living, nature and Being in yourself. Forget about pills and drugs. It's too much.
Regarding alcohol
The same applies to alcohol. Some people say: you need to drink for courage. You know, when a speaker smells of alcohol, it does not in the least increase the feeling of respect for him. On the contrary, it causes the opposite attitude. Forget about alcohol too.
If you chatter
If you jabber, say a lot of words non-stop, then just start inserting pauses during your speech. I will write a separate article on how to develop the ability to speak with pauses.
If the face, ears, cheeks, forehead and other parts of the body become red or pale;
if your knees, hands, voice tremble; if your heart beats fast
There is no need to do anything, this is your body’s reaction to stressful situation as a result of the body releasing adrenaline into the blood. You need to channel the released energy into action. Not on my experiences and thoughts, but on what they think of me. Just go ahead and say what you have planned, and think about how your information can change the lives of your listeners. better side. After 3-5 minutes the excitement goes away. After the performance, you will be very surprised that you were so worried about this.
Summary
So, in this article we talked about how not to worry before a performance. Once again I want to emphasize that excitement, unlike fear, is something superficial and fleeting. After the performance, you even wonder why I was so worried. It turns out that everything is not so scary, which means that this excitement you had was excitement, not fear. Fear is deeper and longer lasting. But in my practice I have never met people who truly experience fear of public speaking. 99% of people feel excited! So feel free to go on stage, watch your excitement and be glad that you are a living person. Remember about MASYANYA!
Observe your excitement right during the performance and this will give you more awareness of what you have just read and when you notice, realize and see it, then the excitement dissolves. The main thing is to get on stage and start talking and acting.
Add this article to your bookmark so as not to lose it on the Internet, share it with your friends using the buttons social networks below, and if you still want to stop worrying about public speaking in practice, then take my training video course on how not to be afraid of public speaking at this link:
P.S. Remember, speakers are not born, they are made!
Speaking in front of an audience is a source of serious stress. It’s normal to feel nervous in front of him and during a speech; it’s built into human nature. But any fear is a lever that activates the “attack or flight” instinct. Hormonal surge makes the heart beat faster, and the breathing quicken, we tremble, our thoughts become confused. According to research, fear of public speaking is the second most common fear after death. There are ways to overcome it and become a confident, calm and persuasive speaker.Reasons and main ways to combat anxiety
The root of the problems lies in the same instincts. We unconsciously perceive attention directed at ourselves as a threat, literally a weapon staring us in the face. This creates physically unpleasant stress and perpetuates fear. At the cognitive level, we are afraid of the unknown, the attention of everyone present directed at a person, negative acceptance by the audience, we are afraid of not achieving the goal. All of these are absolutely normal psycho-emotional manifestations typical of people of all ages and professions. Learn exercises that will help you cope with stress. They are conventionally divided into groups:- practices for accepting and recognizing fear;
- psychological and analytical preparation for a performance, reducing anxiety;
- physical exercise to reduce stress and external manifestations fear - training breathing, voice, gestures;
- preparation techniques immediately before a performance (half an hour before it or less);
- ways to relieve anxiety when giving a speech in public.
Preparation for performances
The first stage is accepting fear. We need to realize that there is no shame in feeling it, it is surmountable and lies only within ourselves. By learning to cope with anxiety when speaking, a speaker acquires an irreplaceable skill and overcomes an important stage in the development of skill. Becoming less constrained and stopping being nervous is not as difficult as it seems - these are just our thoughts, and they can be curbed:- Remind yourself that a little nervousness before giving a speech is good for you - it trains you. vascular system(many even find it pleasant);
- give up the desire to be perfect and recognize the right to make mistakes;
- Accept the fact that the audience will not necessarily criticize you in the same way that you yourself do - often mistakes that we consider glaring are simply not noticed by the audience.
- formulation: clearly define the source of fear and its “location” in the body, the cause of anxiety;
- extraversion: tuning in to openness, contact with the audience;
- “the worst thing”: answer yourself what will happen if you fail, you will be publicly ridiculed - exaggerate so that you yourself will have fun (laughter - the best remedy from fear).
Physiological exercises - breathing and body control
If performing frightens you, physiological signs excitement - your eyes run around, your voice and hands tremble, unnecessary, chaotic gestures appear, you start speaking too quietly or shouting. Increased adrenaline and increased heart rate lead to flushing of the face and dilation of the pupils. Signs of excitement are noticeable to the audience, they unconsciously feel them and lose favor with the speaker. To cope with the physiological manifestations of stress, you need to remove muscle tension and learn to control your muscles and ligaments. First of all, practice breathing. It is directly related to our emotional state, “gives away” the excitement due to the performance - it becomes intermittent, rapid, superficial. Deep breathing helps to straighten the voice, remove tremors and creaks from it due to lack of oxygen in the lungs. Exercising helps fight stress special exercises within 5-10 minutes. The classic technique is alternating a deep smooth inhalation and a sharp exhalation or double inhalation/double exhalation. Square breathing is useful: hold inhale-pause-exhale-pause for two seconds. The “ball” exercise, developed by Professor H. Herminson for the training of extreme athletes, removes fear and concentrates attention. You need to close your eyes, imagine a ping-pong ball - it rises as you slowly inhale from the stomach to the larynx and also smoothly falls as you exhale. Physical exercise will also help you relax and calm down:- “burning” adrenaline: squats, arm swings, push-ups;
- hormonal stabilization: small movements-impacts (not strong) on the sternum in the area of the thymus gland;
- withdrawal nervous tension- walk briskly (10 minutes is enough).
How to calm down just before a performance
If you have to give a public speech, report, presentation in front of colleagues, try to be there in advance. You will assess the situation, get acquainted with a new location for you, and see how the room is filled with listeners. This will help you calm down and redirect your attention. Half an hour before going to the audience, you should drink natural citrus juice - it slightly lowers blood pressure and relaxes you. Meditation helps you concentrate and calm down extreme anxiety. An hour before your public speaking or earlier, find quiet place, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Hands should be on your knees, legs should be bent. Try to remove from your mind the thought that you need to perform for 15-20 minutes. You can resort to Taoist practices- for example, the simple and useful facial exercise “Laughing Qigong”. Look in the mirror and smile at yourself for a minute, and then laugh, even if you don’t feel like it. Laugh for about 3-5 minutes and finish light exercise smile. Among physical methods Relieving tension immediately before giving a speech in public is useful:- warming up your shoulders and neck - slowly tilt them, rotate them from side to side;
- “shaking” the arms and legs - lift each limb in turn and lower it down with a sharp movement (as if you want to get rid of drops of water on the skin);
- warming up your toes - squeeze and unclench them intensively;
- swing your legs in the air (without support under your feet): if there is a horizontal bar nearby, hang on it; if not, sit on a table or windowsill, dangle your legs, intertwine them and swing a little back and forth.
How to relieve stress during public speaking
When speaking, learn to think not about your anxiety, but about the essence of the report and the goal you want to achieve. To relieve stress, you can resort to a joke (this is also useful for establishing contact with the audience). The recommendation to publicly acknowledge your fear and tell your listeners about it is usually adopted by novice speakers. Experienced speakers are reluctant to use it, preferring to master the techniques of “masks” of confidence. Reproduce in postures, facial expressions and gestures the signs inherent in calm, skillful speakers who behave well in public. Even if you are very worried, keep it a secret and act confident. Show signs of it:- visual - straight posture, straightened shoulders, smiling face, straight, fixed gaze;
- auditory - loud, even voice, pronunciation without hesitation or illogical pauses;
- gestures - they should be smooth, clear, not too slow and not fussy (calm nervousness by holding a pencil in your hand), synchronized with speech;
- movements - they need to be streamlined, make sure that you do not “play” with your hair or microphone with your hand, or rush around the stage.
Did you know that, according to American studies, the fear of public speaking ranks first among all other fears? In second place is the fear of death! If you're afraid of public speaking, you're not alone. First of all, you should understand what fear is. Fear is the anticipation of pain. So is your fear real or imaginary?
Steps
Overcome your fear of public speaking
- On the way to a good performance (speech, seminar, presentation) comes the fear of being judged, the fear that you will make a mistake, miscalculate something and experience physical or emotional pain. Remember that the people in the audience actually want you to succeed. Nobody comes there expecting you to perform poorly and boringly. If you come in front of them with reliable information and present the material clearly enough, you have already won ¾ of the battle with your inner fear.
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Face your fears. If you feel your knees shaking and buckling with fear, remind yourself that fear is holding on to something that doesn't exist and is seemingly real. We can say with almost 100% certainty that whatever you are afraid of will not happen. If there really is a real reason for concern, for example, you forgot an important prop, figure out how to get out of the situation and stop worrying about it. Remember, you can always conquer fear with your mind.
Take a deep breath. Do it the night before your performance. breathing exercises– they help relax both the body and mind. One of them you can do anywhere, even a minute before leaving. Stand up straight and calm, feel the solid ground under your feet. Close your eyes and imagine that you are floating somewhere under the ceiling. Listen to your breathing. Tell yourself that there is no rush. Slow your breathing so that you can count 6 seconds as you inhale and 6 as you exhale. This way you will achieve a relaxed and confident state.
Relax. To truly relax, you need to master the art of letting your imagination run wild. Imagine yourself made of soft rubber. Or imagine that you are sitting in front of a mirror and imitate the neighing of a horse with your lips. Why not lie down on the ground and imagine that you are flying? Or just collapse to the ground like a limp doll. Imagination allows you to relieve tension in the muscles of the body, and this, in turn, gives a general feeling of lightness and relaxation.
Learn to engage your audience. If you haven't yet taken a professional course on public speaking, look for a training program that's right for you. Mastering the art of public speaking will greatly improve your performance in meetings, sales presentations, and even increase your chances of promotion. career ladder. This is a must-have skill for any manager and business owner.
Use the wall punching technique. This is a technique used by Yul Brynner, star of the musical The King and I. Here's what to do. Stand about 50 cm from the wall and press both palms against it. Push the wall. At the moment of the push, your abdominal muscles will contract. As you exhale, push out the air with noise and tense the muscles below chest, as if you are sailing in a boat against the current. Repeat the exercise several times and your stage fright will disappear.
Realize that people can't tell if you're nervous. When you go on stage or on the podium, no one knows that you are nervous. Your stomach may churn and your throat may feel nauseous, but your behavior will not betray anxiety. Sometimes when it comes to public speaking, people think that their anxiety is obvious to everyone. And this makes them even more nervous. There are not many signs, and extremely subtle ones, that indicate a person’s excitement - usually, if they appear, it is only for a split second. So don't worry about it. People around you don't see the panicking creature inside you.
- Bluff. Stand straight, shoulders back and head held high. Smile. Even if you don't feel particularly joyful or confident, act that way anyway. If you appear confident, your body will trick your brain into believing that you are truly confident.
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Keep in mind that adrenaline causes a rush of blood to the fight centers of the brain, located at the base of the skull. Place your hands on your forehead and massage it with gentle movements. This will cause a rush of blood to those brain centers that are responsible for the success of your speech.
Exercise. Take advantage of every opportunity to practice - find communities or organizations where you can organize performances. Remember to choose a topic for public speaking that you can consider yourself an expert on. Speaking on a topic you are unfamiliar with will only increase stress and make your presentation more difficult.
Buy software, allowing you to record your speech on a computer. Take notes and listen to them to see what you need to work on in the future. Invite professionals in the field to your talk and ask for feedback. Every time you have to perform, use it as an additional opportunity to learn.
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Get ready. Make sure you are fluent in your presentation material. Write detailed plan, break it down into main sections and memorize them. Write down the subsections and title your speech. Below is an idea that helps you remember the logic of a speech:
- Match each part of the plan with a specific room in your apartment/house. The first point is the hallway. The second is the corridor, kitchen, hall, etc. (take a walk around your home in your imagination)
- Match each section of the plan with a picture on the wall. Imagine an image in a picture that will help you remember main idea subsection. The funnier the image, the better your memory will work (the main thing is that these images do not distract you from the performance).
- The morning before your presentation, take a mental walk around the house to “decipher” the memorization technique.
- Trust yourself.
- Only you know what you are going to say or do, so there is no harm in making changes to your speech as the presentation progresses. (And it’s completely okay not to say word for word what you’ve prepared in writing in advance).
- It gets easier over time. Practice is a great thing.
- Remember: your anxiety is invisible to you.
- Don't take anything personally.
- SMILE and try to throw in a few jokes to hide your excitement. Audience (in in a good way) will laugh and decide that you have a great sense of humor. Just don't try to make the audience laugh in serious situations - at funerals or important events - or you risk getting yourself into trouble!
- Remember: even the best professionals take every opportunity to learn something new!
- Tell yourself: “He who stands before everyone is worthy of admiration.”
- If you think that the people you are speaking to will be too critical of you, imagine your loved ones, family, friends in their place and perform as if for them. Those closest to you will not criticize you for your mistakes.
- Be yourself.
- Remember that when you are asked to speak, if you come from a place of service, you will never fail. Remember, it's not about you. It's about who you're performing for - your audience. You are not the star - they are the stars.
- If you go to school, always volunteer to read a text or assignment out loud.
Warnings
- Don't ruin your presentation by using Power Point! Overusing this format will put your audience to sleep!
- Do not give answers that are incorrect or not supported by reliable information. Offer to postpone the discussion of the issue and ask “would you mind if I answer your question during the break, since I need to clarify the information.”
- If you don't know the answer to a question, ask it to the audience (you don't even have to admit that you don't have an answer - you just address the question to the audience).
- (Try not to stand behind lecterns, tables, or any other physical objects that serve as a barrier between you and your audience).
Recognize the source of fear. This source is not knowing what might happen when you speak in front of people. What you are afraid of is not that you do not master the subject of your speech. You are afraid that you don't know what will happen when you step on stage or stand at the pulpit.
In his life, almost every person is faced with the need to speak at an event that can positively affect his future, study or career. Confident and informative speech is the key to success. Some people are unable to pull themselves together and cope with fear. Therefore, information on how to overcome anxiety before a performance on your own remains relevant for people different ages and specialties.
Why does fear appear?
Excitement and fear of performing on stage manifest themselves in varying degrees- some feel it to the point of nausea and dizziness, others have sweaty hands. To know which ways to overcome this problem to choose, you need to study the reasons for its occurrence:
- fear large quantity strangers and public places due to their own insecurity and unsociability;
- fear of forgetting words, making a mistake, looking stupid;
- the false belief that the public is determined to strictly evaluate the performer is biased towards him.
The formation of these factors occurs in childhood. In public places, you can often witness parents trying to calm down a loudly talking baby.
There may also be a reason such as a bad experience in the past. If a person has already had the opportunity to perform on stage, and it did not go as smoothly as expected, he is especially afraid of being in front of an audience again.
Whatever the cause of stage fright, there are a number of effective methods to overcome it.
Why you shouldn't be afraid to perform
When the reasons for panic in public speaking are known, it is much easier to overcome it, but initially we need to try to convince ourselves that we are worrying so much in vain.
The audience will not at all look for any shortcomings of the speaker. People want to get necessary information from the performance or enjoy it. The musician should focus as much as possible on the instrument and try to convey to the viewer the emotional meaning of the composition. But a performer with a serious report or presentation needs to control the “meticulousness” of his story.
Whatever the topic of public speaking, it is important to remember its advantages:
- improvement of skills during careful preparation;
- a chance to be noticed by professionals;
- gaining the experience necessary for future performances.
If anxiety and fear still persist, some tips will help.
- Preparation and numerous rehearsals play an important role. Knowing your weak spots, it's easy to see what you need to work hard on. They can be identified by friends acting as listeners, or by a thorough analysis of your own program.
- Looking at yourself from the outside is also the key to success. Spectator - a common person who wants to have a good time and get positive emotions, relax mentally and physically. It is necessary to know the preferences and needs of the audience, then it will be easy to overcome anxious thoughts that they will not like the performance.
- In literature and the Internet there are many special simple practices and exercises that will help you learn to communicate with the viewer and fight excessive isolation.
- You need to imagine the ideal performance, “act out” it in advance, think about what things make the performance unforgettable. The viewer will remember the speaker’s good mood, his infectious smile, and dialogue with the audience.
- It is important to think over your appearance and do this not an hour before the event, but at least a day before. Clothing should be comfortable and not embarrassing, first of all, for the speaker himself. Comfortable does not mean homely; the dress code must correspond to the theme of the performance, create a certain mood, and be part of the performance.
- The night before Day X, you can take pills to relieve anxiety and stress or drink herbal tea with lemon balm, mint or chamomile. Healthy sleep- deposit lucky day. Some effective drugs: Novo-Passit - medicine plant origin, normalizing work nervous system; Motherwort forte - gently relieves anxiety and has a beneficial effect on mood; Persen - copes well with insomnia and stress, maintains energy during the day.
- Taking a bath with foam and oils. Warm water will relieve emotional and physical stress, help you calm down and find inner balance. While enjoying the procedure, you can mentally repeat the upcoming performance, because people are more courageous in private than in front of an audience.
What will help you calm down before a performance?
Famous musicians and speakers recommend several breathing exercises that will help you relax and overcome the fear of performing. Take a deep breath, count to three, and then exhale and repeat this 10 times. To remove unnecessary thoughts from your head, you should think about what awaits the speaker after the event - applause, compliments, delicious dinner, relaxing bath.
This encourages and gives rise to the desire to perform rather than run from the stage. You will still have to have something light to eat; it is not recommended to perform on an empty stomach - usually malnutrition makes itself felt at the wrong time. This will make you nervous and want to satisfy the need rather than put all your effort into the performance.
Just before going on stage, do a few exercises to cope with anxiety:
- It is very effective breathing exercises. First you need to take a few deep breaths, and then alternately close one nostril and breathe in the second. It is important to imagine that calm and confidence are entering your lungs with air, and tension and fear are being exhaled.
- Warm-up of the whole body is useful. You need to take a deep breath and, as you exhale, straighten everything possible - your back, neck, arms, fingers. Be sure to stay in this position for a few minutes and then slowly sit down and relax.
- So that people are not afraid of an overly strained smile and tightening of the facial muscles, you can do this easy action: lower your head and shake it slightly from side to side. After a couple of minutes, the facial muscles will relax.
How to overcome stage anxiety
During the performance, the performer should look into the eyes of the audience. This will create the necessary contact, a special connection, and by the reaction of people you can understand what touches them most.
The pose should be confident and stable. Do not bend your legs, hide your hands in your pockets, pull on the sleeves of your clothes, etc.
If a mistake is made, it is important not to focus on it and continue to perform confidently - many spectators will not even notice it.
If you forget the words, you need to remember that the listeners are always on your side. They are all the same people, understanding and ready to support, so you can turn this situation into a joke or gesture to ask for applause.
It is necessary to understand: the audience does not know how the speaker feels at the moment. They are not going to look for flaws, and if they constantly think about the opposite, they will not be able to overcome anxiety.
The ability to perform beautifully and confidently does not come immediately, but with experience, so it is recommended to take advantage of every opportunity to participate in various events.
It is important to think not about negative consequences speeches, but about positive ones. This is a real chance to express yourself, show your talent to the public, be remembered by a large number of people, gain experience and a great mood.