by David B Hitchcock

Created on: June 20, 2009   Last Updated: November 13, 2010

Steps to overcome your fear of public speaking

You stand up in a meeting to deliver your report, and it hits you - you can't remember a single word! If this sounds like your worst fear, you are not alone. Many people dread public speaking for this or other reasons. Here are some easy ways to help you overcome your fear of public speaking.

Why do you have a fear of public speaking? Everyone has a reason for their fear of public speaking. It could be a speech in grade school where everyone laughed at you. It could be forgetting your wedding vows on your big day. It could be a speech impediment such as stammering when you are under pressure. No matter what the reason or reasons, you need to be fully aware of what your specific reason or reasons for your fear are.

Examine the situation that caused your fear of public speaking - If you have a bad public speaking experience in your past, you likely have thought only about the bad parts of that experience. Your memories are distorted. Try to remember everything possible about the event - what people were wearing, and if other speakers had problems. It is very likely that you were so wrapped up in your own speech that you forgot other people had problems too. If you can't remember, ask a friend who was there what they remember. Don't mention anything about your problem. You will likely be surprised that things you remember clearly other people never noticed. This exercise puts things in perspective for you, and helps to lessen your fear of public speaking.

Address your problem head on - You're not perfect, nobody is. But what are you going to do about it? You need to work on your weaknesses if you want to improve. If you stammer under pressure, then you need to work on staying calm. If you remember your class laughing at you every time you speak in front of people, start small and speak in front of only a couple people at first and then slowly increase the numbers. If you had problems speaking at your own wedding, and your wife has forgiven you remember this - that is the most stressful day in your life and it's normal to forget things under that kind of pressure. If you are worried about your mind going blank, write your speech in full on paper, and then keep summarizing it smaller and smaller. Then expand it back to full size from your notes. And again summarize it. By the time you have your cards ready, you will know your speech inside and out. These methods will help you address specific reasons for fear of public speaking.

If all else fails... - If you have prepared all you can, you have addressed your past issues, and you still have problems here are some last ditch things you can try. Picture everyone in their underwear. It's an old trick, but it works. You won't fear people in their underwear! Go to a comedy club and heckle the comedian on stage until you feel comfortable. If you can do this, a normal audience is nothing, even if they complain about your speech! And as a last resort, you can have a signal arranged with a friend to either call your cell phone ("Sorry, this is an emergency, I have to take it!") or they can pull the fire alarm. Knowing you have a backup plan like this can make it easier for you to speak in public - you know you have a way out if things get too bad.

If you put the effort in, you will see the results. This is true for anything, but especially in overcoming your fear of public speaking. If you deal with past problems, and prepare for your speech you will be more relaxed. Before you know it, you will be delivering speeches like a pro!

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