Are You Glossophobic?
Glossophobia, or a fear of public speaking, is a very common phobia
You might feel a slight nervousness at the very thought of public speaking, or it could be full-on panic and fear.
Symptoms of Glossophobia
- Avoiding public speaking situations at all costs
- Increased blood pressure
- Dry mouth
- Excessive perspiration
- Nausea
Causes of Glossophobia
Glossophobia may relate to one’s prior experiences, if you had a bad experience once during public speaking you may fear a repeat of that prior experience for the next attempt at speaking.
You may be put on the spot to speak to a group with no chance for advance preparation, and if it does not go well, you may begin to fear public speaking.
People who fear public speaking may have a real fear of being embarrassed or rejected.
Why Are We Scared of Public Speaking?
Communicating your ideas clearly and presenting them is an essential element of success. Being a good public speaker can help advance your career, develop strong collaborations, and grow your business. Fear of public speaking is often thought of as one of the biggest fears, it is not so much the quality of the speach as how the speaker feels, thinks, or acts when faced with speaking in public.
There are 4 main areas to the fear of public speaking
- Physiology
Fear and anxiety involve the arousal of the autonomic nervous system in response to a potentially threatening stimulus and our bodies prepare for battle. Moreover, some people experience anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of the fear. It interferes with our ability to perform comfortably in front of audiences, and eventually prevents people from pursuing opportunities for public speaking.
- Thoughts
Overestimating the stakes of communicating ideas in front of others, viewing the speaking event as a potential threat to ones credibility, image, and chance to reach an audience. Negative views of oneself as a speaker (I’m not a good public speaker, I’m boring, I’m not good at speaking in front of crowds, etc) can also raise anxiety around public speaking.
- Situations
- Lack of experience
- Degree of evaluation, ie how important the audience is to you
- Status difference, ie professionals or people more senior in your workplace
- New ideas, ie fear of judgement, or challenging the norms
- New audiences ie speaking to your work group verse a friends wedding
- Skills
Working on developing the skills, instead of relying on natural talent. Increased competence leads to increased confidence, which is an effective antidote to fear.
Negative impacts of public speaking fear on career statistics
Public speaking fear has 10% impairment on wages
Public speaking fear has 10% impairment on college graduation
Public speaking fear has a 15% impairment on promotion to management
Sadly only 8% of those who have public speaking fear seek professional help despite the documented negative impact on career and wages.
How can I overcome my fear of public speaking?
Know your topic.
The better you understand your topic,the less likely you’ll make a mistake or get off track.
Get organised.
Ahead of time, carefully plan out what you want to present, including any props, or aids.
Practice, and then practice some more.
Practice your complete presentation several times. Do it for a few people you’re comfortable with and ask for feedback.
Challenge specific worries.
When you’re afraid of something, you may overestimate the likelihood of bad things happening. List your specific concerns and challenge them.
Visualise your success.
Imagine that your presentation will go well. Positive thoughts can help your social performance and relieve some anxiety.
Do some deep breathing.
This can be very calming. Practise doing 7-11 breathing before the presentation.
Focus on your material, not on your audience.
People tend to focus on new information, not how it’s presented. They may not notice your nervousness.
Don’t fear a moment of silence.
If you lose track of what you’re saying or start to feel nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem like you’ve been silent for an eternity. In reality, it’s probably only a few seconds.
Recognise your success.
After your speech or presentation, give yourself a pat on the back. It’s positive reinforcement.
Get Support.
Join a support group for people who have difficulty with public speaking. Meetup groups provides plenty of choices.
If you can’t overcome your fear with practice alone, consider seeking professional help.
Sydney Phobia Therapy has an online therapy for Glossophobia.
We currently use a 3rd generation version for fear of public speaking phobia therapy based on the original Fast Phobia Cure initially created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s.
Now when I say fast, I mean typically one session only, no homework and its content free.
Content free means you don’t talk about, and you certainly don’t tell me, because I don’t want it either. You’re seeing me online, so stay in the comfort of your own space and no travel time, to have it removed, not to see if we can talk it to death.
