Public speaking is a tricky thing and everyone has to do it at some point. As Ralph Waldo Emerson put it "Happy is the hearing man; unhappy the speaking man." Have you ever opened your mouth to recite a speech and found the words had somehow magically disappeared into the air, as if your audience somehow managed to take them right out of your mouth? If you have, you are not alone. A good percentage of the public has in some way, shape and form has experienced this uncomfortable and even terrifying phenomenon known as glossophobia, or fear of public speaking.
Lisa Fritscher describes this public speaking fear as "remarkably common"; a whopping 75% of the public have glossophobia. So with the phobia being as common as it is, why does our society so heavily depend on public presentations in everything from our careers to learning the alphabet in kindergarten? Somehow it is not only beneficial for one to be able to speak in public, it is necessary. Why are we so afraid of something that is so vital to our success? Daniel J. DeNoon answers this question by explaining that although glossophobics are afraid to speak in public, there is a large portion of this group who suffer in less degrees and can therefore speak without getting sick and in addition, there are many helps and aids out there that help catalyze the courage needed to overcome this fear. What I want to briefly explore today is the different types of anxiety that one can experience and the methods that are out there to help people overcome their fears.
There are two types of people who experience glossophobia, chances are if you fear public speaking, you are going to fit into one category or the other; habituaters and sensitizers. If you are a Habituaters, you have a lower anxiety traits and the worse part of speaking for you is getting those first words out of your mouth. Habitauters usually say something along the lines of 'I was so nervous when I
started but by the time I finished it wasn't so bad. I even wished I had
more time.' According to Paul L. Witt, what happens is these types of speakers have habituated, or have "gotten used to the context of public speaking"
Fortunately for habituaters, getting over their fear is relatively easy, they just have to find something that is motivating enough to get them into the hot seat, like an assignment for class or a presentation that their job depends on. For people like myself things are not so easy. Whenever I speak in public (which is far too much for my own taste), I start the speech just a little nervous, or nervous enough to be a little uncomfortable and somehow end the speech nearly falling to my knees.
People who experience this are known as sensitizers, going through the exact opposite of the habituaters experience. Rather than focusing on what you are saying or where you are going with an argument, sensitizers tend to find the little things that "ruin" their speech like trembling hands or knobbly knees. They get really into the speech, just in the worst ways possible. And when the speech is over,DeNoon says that "sensitizers don't relax. In fact, they become even more anxious."
So we understand a little about the different types of glossophobics, but how can we manage this fear?
With glossophobia, there is no such thing as unavailable help. There are training courses, self-help material in every bookstore and organizations that that help you improve and fine tune your speaking ability and give you the confidence that you need to succeed. For those who may experience a more severe case (much like myself), there are therapies that can help you manage your fear, by taking yourself out of the panic, calm yourself down and boost your confidence levels. If all else fails, there are several medications in the market that your doctor can prescribe to help you in your weakest moments.
Toastmaters is an organization that is dedicated to helping people overcome their fear. They have an active community, classes that you can take and advice from leaders. On Toastmasters website, you can find helpful tips in preparing for a presentation like "know your material", "concentrate on the message- not the medium" and "relax" all directed for those who feel anxiety towards speaking in front of others at any degree.
Toastmaters is an organization that is dedicated to helping people overcome their fear. They have an active community, classes that you can take and advice from leaders. On Toastmasters website, you can find helpful tips in preparing for a presentation like "know your material", "concentrate on the message- not the medium" and "relax" all directed for those who feel anxiety towards speaking in front of others at any degree.
Sources
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/20061101/fear-public-speaking
http://phobias.about.com/od/phobiaslist/a/glossophobia.htm
http://www.glossophobia.com/index.html
http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/speaking.html
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/speaking.html
