speaking anxiety

Glossophobia or speaking anxiety is the fear of public speaking or of speaking in general. Many people only have this fear, while others may also have social phobia or social anxiety disorder.Speaking anxiety, often referred to as speech anxiety or stage fright, involves a central fear of being scrutinized or evaluated by others. This fear is often accompanied by a variety of physical and emotional reactions that can significantly interfere with a person's ability to successfully give a speech or presentation, including intense feelings of anxiety, worry, nervousness, trembling or shaking, sweating, and/or dizziness.

The reasons why people have the horrid anxiety of what the audience will do to us:

• Talk behind our backs
• Laugh at us.
• Throw things at us.
• Or worse, be our superiors viewing our incompetence laid bare.
• Tell our superiors we are incompetent.
• Get bored and dismiss us.
• Hoot and shriek with laughter and derision (oh, yes, some people fear this and you would be amazed how highly accomplished and placed they are).

Top Ten Ways to Reduce Speaking Anxiety

1. Remember, you are not alone. Public speaking anxiety is common, so don’t ignore it—confront it.

2. You can’t literally “die of embarrassment.” Audiences are forgiving and understanding.

3. It always feels worse than it looks.

4. Take deep breaths. It releases endorphins, which naturally fight the adrenaline that causes anxiety.

5. Look the part. Dress professionally to enhance confidence.

6. Channel your nervousness into positive energy and motivation.

7. Start your outline and research early. Better information = higher confidence.

8. Practice and get feedback from a trusted source. (Don’t just practice for your cat.)

9. Visualize success through positive thinking.

10. Prepare, prepare, prepare! Practice is a speaker’s best friend.

Thought Patterns and Ways to Change

Examples of problematic thought patterns and ideas for changing these patterns are listed below:

Problematic Thought Patterns and Ways to Change Thought Pattern

Definition	Example	Idea for Change
All or Nothing Thinking	When things are seen in black and white terms.	If your presentation falls short of perfect, you see yourself and the presentation as a total failure.	Try to remember that no "perfect" presentation really exists.  Instead, concentrate on what you did well.  Be careful not to criticize yourself too harshly.
Over generalization	When a single negative event is seen as a never-ending pattern of failure.	After giving one speech that was not successful, you assume any other speech you give in the future will also be unsuccessful.	Remind yourself that a single unsuccessful speech does not automatically mean future speeches will be unsuccessful.
Jumping to Conclusions	When a negative conclusion about an event is reached without facts to support this conclusion.	You conclude that you failed your speech, although you ended up getting a B-.	Take a "wait and see" approach before assuming the worst.
Fortune Telling	The tendency to anticipate that things will turn out badly, no matter how much practice or rehearsal is done.	You conclude a week before your speech that you will "bomb", despite the fact that you have practiced the speech in front of others numerous times.	Try not to underestimate the effectiveness of daily rehearsal and practice.