Showtime! Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
4 Simple To-Dos to Turn Your Fear Into Your Weapon
Imagine, in a few minutes, you will be asked by your manager to present your ideas regarding the annual budget reform. You told yourself, everything is fine, you have practiced this speech many times before the meeting. You know all the numbers and prepared for the question. However, when your manager calls your name, your mind went blank, and you lost your thoughts. You felt extreme thirst in your throat as you slowly move toward the center of the stage.
A recent study has shown, people fear Public Speaking more than death. Speak your minds and ideas in front of a group of strangers takes a tremendous amount of courage and confidence. What happens if someone asked me a question that I can’t answer? What happens if I said the wrong words or provide incorrect information? These types of what-ifs generally restrict our thought process and add unnecessary stress to our brain. As fight or flight is the primary human instinct response, many people choose to fly from the opportunity for public speaking instead of fight to overcome the fear. However, flight due to fear will result in a decrease in confidence and ability, which will lead to more flight down the road as an endless cycle. Fortunately, like any skills, public speaking can be trained and improved.
