3 Steps to Overcome Your Fear of Speaking

You have been asked to address the parent / teacher group at your child’s school about the upcoming bake sale.  You know about baking, you’ve done it for many years but to get up and speak to an audience just frightens you.  What if you can’t answer their questions?  You are sure someone will ask you that one question you can’t handle.  What if they get up and leave in the middle of your speech?  Toastmasters may be your answer to these types of concerns.

Do you experience a racing heart and that beet red complexion with uncontrollable shakes as you rise from your chair to walk to the front of the room?  You light headed and dizzy with each step as your butterflies slowly climb to your throat; you’re sure you will not be able to utter a word. Toastmasters will definitely help you gain control of these feelings and help you become a more effective speaker. 

At Clayton Area Toastmasters we help you navigate the Communications and Leadership projects that will provide you the tools and confidence to tame your speaking fears. 

Experience – Studies show that one of the best methods for reducing anxiety is practice. 

Repeatedly giving speeches reduces fear and helps to build confidence. After speaking a few times, you begin to put your anxiety into perspective. Try these techniques to gain experience:

            Practice in front of a mirror.

            Rehearse in front of family and friends.

            Deliver a speech before your Toastmasters club.

Visualize your successful speech! – With the winter Olympics on the horizon, I think about the free style skiers standing at the top of the course, bobbing and weaving as they stand by to begin. This exercise helps them create ‘memories’ of their best possible run.  To their brain and central nervous system, these memories are indistinguishable from a real run.  Visualizing your successful speech helps establish your memory of positive results. Close your eyes as you mentally walk yourself through the following scenario, vividly imagining each action:

1. You are introduced to an audience.

2. You walk up to the lectern confidently, smiling to people as you pass.

3. You breathe deeply several times before beginning to speak. (As you imagine this, take deep breaths.)

4. You speak clearly and forcefully, remembering all of the points you wanted to make.

5. You captivate your audience with your words, gestures, and vocal variety.

6. When you finish, the audience applauds in appreciation.

Repeat this visualization until your confidence has increased and your anxiety has decreased.

Relaxation – Because the mind and body are connected, feelings often affect the body physically. As anxiety builds, so does physical stress. Relaxation and breathing techniques alleviate physical tension and calm the mind.  Since some of these exercises would look strange if you did them as you are introduced you may want to use them an hour or so before your session.  With practice you will find small things you can do as you approach the platform for your next speech.

Exercise:

Focus on areas of concentrated tension, such as the shoulders and tighten your muscles there for a few seconds and then release. Systematically do the same for each major muscle group, starting with the feet and working up to the facial muscles.

Stand, inhale and stretch your arms toward the ceiling. Then exhale as you bend to touch your toes, keeping your knees straight. (Only bend as far as you comfortably can.) Repeat this several times. Loosen your neck and torso muscles with stretching and rotation exercises while breathing deeply.

Breathe from the diaphragm. To learn to breathe correctly, lie on your back with a book on your stomach. Take a deep breath. The book rises as your diaphragm expands. As you exhale, the book should go back down. This reduces shortness of breath and supports your voice for better projection and resonance.