Fear of public speaking is common. Almost everyone goes through it, but it can be resolved with practice. In fact, a few butterflies in the stomach before speaking in public is considered good. So, if you have fear of public speaking, it’s easy to overcome it. Here’s how you can do it.
It’s all in the mind
You become what you think. If you feed yourself positive thoughts, you will turn out to be a positive person. The same goes with negative thoughts. Hence, if you are feeling nervous and anxious ahead of public speaking, try to fool your mind with positive thoughts.
All you need to do is to keep telling yourself that you are confident and will kill the chance to speak in a public forum. Once you keep feeding yourself with the ‘confidence’ mantra, you will realise you are really pumped up to tackle the situation, and there will be no space for nervousness.
Practise deep breathing
Just before a public event, practise deep breathing. Concentrate on the breathing and the air moving in and out of your nostrils. This simple technique to focus on your breathing will distract from your nervousness and you will start feeling confident to take on public speaking as if it’s a walk in the park.
Practise before a mirror
Ahead of a public meeting, you must practice before a mirror to gain confidence. You must remember that only practice will make you pass the hurdle with ease. And the mirror is the best companion to help you practice.
Record your speech
You can even record your speech and hear it later to know where you can correct yourself. Once you do that, record your corrected speech again. Hear it again until you are fully confident that you have mastered your speech and are ready to rock the stage.
Dress smartly
Once you feel that you are ready for public speaking, make a few minor changes in your appearances to look smart. Use a well-ironed dress, a deodorant, and polished shoes. There shouldn’t be anything that distracts you from giving your speech well. It’s always advisable to ready all your dress, accessories, shoes a day before the event.
Be before time
It’s important to be a little bit early than the scheduled time for the event. If you are early, it will help you absorb the environment and get mentally prepared for the speech. But if you rush to the event, you will get further tense and would lose your confidence. Hence, it’s always advisable to be at least 30 mins early before your turn to speak at the event.
Once you follow these steps consistently, you’ll see yourself mastering the art of public speaking.