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Seven Steps to Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking

As a Public Speaking teacher at the University level for more than 10 years, I have found these seven simple tips invaluable in helping my students overcome their fear of public speaking. Every day we are giving speeches, whether you realize it or not. Granted, most are impromptu, or spur of the moment, but we all engage in "mini speeches" in some form or the other. Why then, when asked to give a formal speech, do we experience that fear that is ranked only second to the fear of death? The answer is simple. We simply need to understand that there are proven strategies to help us overcome our fears and use them. Here are seven proven strategies. Implement them and you will have nothing to lose except your fear of public speaking.

1. Just breathe- Take slow, deep breathes. Yes, you heard me. Breathe slowly and deeply before you make your presentation. Take one more deep breathe before you get up to speak. Try it, I promise it works.

2. Practice makes perfect- I can't emphasize enough how important speech preparation is. Practice, practice, practice. Many people procrastinate and don't prepare ahead of time, which enhances their fear. In fact, procrastination is a way of reinforcing a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you don't prepare and fail, you have reinforced your belief that you are not a good public speaker. Change that attitude and it will have a positive impact on your public speaking skills.

3. Set realistic goals-We know that practice makes perfect, but the good news is you don't have to be. Part of the reason you are so tense and nervous is that you have set unrealistic goals for yourself. You think if you make one mistake, you will crash and burn. You think you have to be perfect and nothing could be further from the truth. If you make a mistake, move forward. Chances are the audience won't notice, unless you point it out.

4. A little anxiety is a good thing- Ask any athlete you know and they will tell you that anxiety is a good thing. That adrenaline you feel before the big game enhances your performance. The same is true in public speaking. In sports they call it getting "psyched." Well, think of your speech in the same way. You should be excited, or "psyched" about the opportunity to speak. Use that adrenaline rush to enhance your performance. It works. Your speech will be infused with your enthusiasm and the audience will benefit from the results. In other words, don't try to get rid of those butterflies

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