short speech on overcoming fear

1 Minute Speech on Overcoming Fear In English

A very good morning to one and all present here. Today, I will be giving a short speech on the topic of overcoming fear. 

Fear thus involves the whole notion of being afraid of any inanimate object or thing or any actual live human being or any other living thing.

To overcome these irrational fears thus, one ought to learn to face them. For only when we learn to face our fears can we outgrow them and achieve well!

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Speech on Overcoming Fear [1,2,3,4,5 Minutes]

3 minutes speech on overcoming fear.

Dear teachers and students!

Greetings to all. and thank you to all of you to give me chance to give a speech.

I want to discuss conquering fear with you today. At some point in our lives, we have all felt fear, and it’s normal to feel terrified or apprehensive in particular circumstances. But fear can also keep us from reaching our objectives and leading the life we want to. How can we conquer our fear and use it for good instead?

It’s crucial to first pinpoint the underlying source of our apprehension. Fear can occasionally be a normal reaction to a risky or strange scenario. In these situations, it’s critical to weigh the risks and implement the necessary safety measures. However, dread frequently arises from our own thoughts and beliefs. It may be beneficial in these situations to question unfavourable or unreasonable beliefs and swap them out for more uplifting and practical ones.

Face our concerns head-on is a further effective tactic. This doesn’t mean putting ourselves in perilous situations; rather, it means progressively exposing ourselves to the things that make us uncomfortable and strengthening our confidence and fortitude over time. Setting modest, doable objectives and acknowledging our accomplishments along the way can help with this.

To get assistance from friends, family, or a therapist can also be beneficial. By talking about our anxieties with others, we might feel less isolated and receive the inspiration and support we need to face our worries.

Finally, it’s critical to keep in mind that everyone experiences fear occasionally and that it’s normal to be scared. What counts most is how we decide to handle our fears. We can learn to overcome our concerns and lead more fulfilled and adventurous lives by taking baby steps and asking for help. I’m grateful.

Quotes of some internationally famous personalities for Speech on Speech on Overcoming Fear

• Nelson Mandela : “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
• Eleanor Roosevelt : “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”
• Rosa Parks : “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”
• Steve Jobs : “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
• Oprah Winfrey : “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”
• Franklin D. Roosevelt : “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”
• Helen Keller : “Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
• Mark Twain : “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
• J.K. Rowling : “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.”

Quotes for Speech about Overcoming Fear

• “Fear has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours.” – Zig Ziglar
• “He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.” – Aristotle
• “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” – Nelson Mandela
• “Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” – Japanese Proverb
• “Bravery is not the absence of fear but the action in the face of fear.” – Mark Messier
• “Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” – Bertrand Russell
• “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
• “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela
• “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” – Winston S. Churchill
• “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “Fear is like fire. If controlled, it will help you; if uncontrolled, it will rise up and destroy you.” – Mike Tyson
• “It’s okay to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.” – Mandy Hale

5 Minutes Speech on Overcoming Fear

I want to discuss conquering fear with you today. We all naturally feel the emotion of fear at some point in our life. It’s a defence system that keeps us safe and out of harm’s way. But fear can also keep us from moving forward, from accomplishing our objectives, and from leading happy lives.

So how do we get past our fear? Here are some pointers:

Acknowledge and name your fear. Recognizing your fear is the first step toward conquering it. Recognize your fear and make an effort to ascertain its source. This can give you some perspective and help you see things clearly.

Find out what triggers you. What causes you to fear certain things? Is it a specific circumstance, a specific individual, or a specific activity? You can begin to establish ways to deal with your fear when it emerges by figuring out what your triggers are.

Consider baby steps. It’s not necessary to get over your fear all at once. Take baby steps to overcome your phobia. To overcome your fear of public speaking, for instance, you may start by making a presentation to a small group of friends and then progress to larger audiences.

Seek assistance. Having someone to talk to about your fear can be beneficial. This might be a friend, member of your family, or a therapist. In addition to giving you a sense of support and encouragement, talking about your fear might help you better understand it.

Engage in mindfulness. The discipline of mindfulness entails being fully present in the moment without passing judgement. You can assist to relax your mind and lessen emotions of dread by focusing on your breath, your body, and your surroundings.

Keep in mind that it’s okay to feel fear because it’s a normal emotion. The most crucial thing is to not let it stop you. You can begin to conquer your fear and lead a more self-assured and satisfying life by acknowledging and dealing with it.

I’m grateful.

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Conquer Your Fears, Live Your Dreams – Inspiring Speech by Tom Bilyeu

It’s time to overcome your fears and live your dreams. It’s time to look your fear right in the eye and say: Get out of the way, I’ve got things to do!

Music by Fearless Motivation: iTunes | Spotify | GooglePlay | AmazonMP3 | Apple Music Speaker: Tom Bilyeu (See bottom of page)

One of the most important things any human being can do is rise above being human. From an evolutionary perspective, the mind has developed to keep you safe. The mind has developed certain algorithms that made sense from an evolutionary perspective, it made sense when what we had to worry about was being eaten by a lion jumping out of the bushes, but it no longer makes sense in a modern context.

And when you allow the fear of being ostracized when you allow the fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone, when you allow the fear of failure to hold you back, that’s when people stay small. That’s when people never really build the life that they were meant to live because they’re always, from a chemical standpoint, they’re allowing themselves to be held back by their very humanity, by the very thing that got us here.

But once you realize that now, in a modern context you can take control of the evolution of your own mind you can leverage the fact that what humans are, what makes us great, isn’t what got us here. It’s our ability to adapt. It’s our ability to look around at the environment that we live in now and say: How can I shape myself to make sense in this world?

And the truth of being a human isn’t just that you’re going to feel fear. It’s that you can overcome that fear. It’s that you can on a conscious level, literally, manipulate your subconscious mind into growing stronger into feeding you emotions that will make you feel confident into building the confidence that you need in order to face the difficult things, in order to face the things that you’re most afraid of, and in fact, if you’re goal oriented, if you’re’ trying to build something that really matters, if you’re’ trying to be an agent of change, if you’re actually trying to have impact in this world – the thing that you’re going to have to focus on is overcoming those lesser impulses.

It’s going to be building a mindset that is unbeatable. It’s going to be finding a way to DO the things you least want to do and asking yourself one simple question:

What do my goals demand? What am I trying to do? What am I trying to build? Who am I trying to become?

Once you understand that then you can work backwards. You can see what the path of execution is, and along the way, anytime that fear rears it’s ugly head, anytime you feel crippled by failure, anytime that you land smack dab your face, if your goal demands that you get up, if your goal demands that you push through that, if your goal demands that you crush that fear down, and find a way to build the confidence that you need to keep doing, than that’s what you’re going to do.

And being able to leverage the fact that we, as humans are adaptation machines… I know at times it feels that what we really are is failure machines, we’re fear-mongers.

But a the end of the day what makes us great is our ability to change.

And once you understand that, once you understand only you can hold you back, you may not be able to stop yourself from feeling fear but you can stop yourself from giving into it.

You may not be able to stop yourself from failing but you can stop yourself from giving into it. It all comes down to how you react. It all comes down to what you decide you’re going to do.

So whether you feel fear or not is irrelevant. It comes down to what you do on the other side of that and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.

“Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s rising up in the face of it.”

And so if we can all do that and have the courage to act even in the face of fear, then you can do something extraordinary with your life and that’s it.

That is what people hunger for. They want do something. They want their time on this earth to be felt. They want an echo. They want to have mattered.

But you’re never going to be able to do that unless you can first overcome fear.

But that ultimately, is in your control. So take advantage of that. Push yourself. Develop. Force yourself to become that vision of who you know you can become.

And if that demands overcoming fear then overcome it.

About the speaker: Tom Bilyeu is the co-founder of 2014 Inc. 500 company Quest Nutrition — a unicorn startup valued at over $1 billion — and the co-founder and host of Impact Theory . Impact Theory is a first-of-its-kind company designed to facilitate global change through the incubation of mission-based businesses and the cultivation of empowering content. Every piece of content Impact Theory creates is meant to underscore the company mission to free people from The Matrix and help them unlock their true potential. Impact Theory exists to inspire the next generation of game-changing companies and creators that will make a true and lasting impact on the world. Follow Tom on Facebook

6 Responses

Another Powerful Video ,

Thanks to Mr. TOM ,

and Entire Team Fearless….

“Let’s Fight HARDER”…

Thank you Avinash, let’s go get it!

What is the sound used by Tom Bilyeu?

https://itunes.apple.com/album/sounds-of-power-vol-5-epic-background-music/id1286576364 “Courage Is Not Absence of Fear (Epic Instrumental)”

Hi, i’ll be fearing to speak in public at sometimes, so i start stammering but when i feel comfortable i’ll talk nicely.. Do you have any solutions for it.. Please suggest me..

What are 3 things you could take from Tom’s speech, that might help you become more comfortable and move past your fear?

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10 Inspiring TED Talks That Will Help You Overcome Your Fears

There are three natural responses to fear: fight, flight, or freeze. these talks will give you the confidence you need to fight onwards..

What are you afraid of?

This question is one that holds back many people from their ultimate potential.

Whether you are an entrepreneur who is fearful of taking the next step , a professional who is scared of changing careers or a single mother afraid of the struggle to make ends meet, every person has fears that hold them back from doing the things they want to do in their lives.

The TED and TEDx stage has had close to 100,000 talks with ideas that are worth spreading. The people who have had the opportunity to be invited to speak have overcome fear, adversity and all the other obstacles that every person faces, then walked onto the stage to spread their message to the world.

From my experience as an entrepreneur, columnist and influencer, I see the fears of extremely smart people who have immense talent on a daily basis. Though talented and unique, these fears are holding them back from greatness. Sometimes it even holds me back! That is why I decided to curate this list of the best TED Talks that, if you take action immediately, will help you in overcoming your fears.

These are 10 inspiring TED Talks that will help you overcome your fears.

1. What I learned from 100 days of rejection | Jia Jiang

At the age of 14, Jia Jiang saw Bill Gates speak. He fell in love with the idea of running a company. Like most young people, he had a big dream. Jiang's in particular was to buy Microsoft by the time he was 25. He sent his parents a letter stating what he wanted to accomplish. However, by the time he was 30, he didn't even start his entrepreneurial journey. Instead, he felt stuck at his position as a marketing manager at a Fortune 500 company.

Jiang decided it was time to try to become an entrepreneur, but wanted to quit after his first rejection for investment capital. Something clicked for him and he decided to document his journey of being rejected for 100 days. Watch what Jiang learned to overcome his fear of rejection and the one word that could turn a no into a yes.

2. Why You Should Let Your Fears Guide You | Leonard Kim

Leonard Kim spent his life, up until he was 28 years old, taking flight or freezing up when his fears appeared. This left him in a home without electricity and with an eviction notice shortly afterwards. The only way for him to recover was to stop running from his fears. He realized that instead, he had to let his fears guide him. Discover how you can let your fears guide you with his three step process in this talk.

3. What Fear can Teach Us | Karen Thompson Walker

Imagine being out at sea, 10,000 miles from home and 1,000 miles from the nearest scrap of land, when a sperm whale hits your boat and you begin to see your ship fill with seawater. What would you do? Karen Thompson Walker talks about how in English, fear is something that is conquered, fought and overcome, but presents an idea on reframing how you see fear. A concept she calls unintentional storytelling.

Walker outlines how fears and storytelling are structured the same way, then leaves you asking the same question. What will happen next? In this talk, she teaches you how to read your fears, study them closely and translate fear into preparation and action.

4. How to Not Get Chased By A Bear | Ryan Foland

You have probably heard the age old adage about the bear that finds you and a friend in the woods. The way to survive is to simply outrun your friend right? It's a solution, but is it a practical one?

Ryan Foland believes that proverbial bears are chasing people in all aspects of life, whether it be business, relationships or in your personal life. These bears aren't bears, but they are stressors that trigger your fears. Once you are able to identify your stressors, you will be able to save your body from the instinctual evolutionary reaction to fight or flee. Watch this talk to discover how to reframe how you see the bears in your life.

5. Smash fear, learn anything | Tim Ferriss

Earlier in my life, I adopted Tim Ferriss ' rule of having permission when introducing people . This talk covers a different concept that incorporates his fun adventures and anecdotes. They get to the heart of one simple question. What is the worst that could happen?

Fears, even though unique to each person's situations in life, are a normal part of life. You can't let your fears hold you back, because overcoming your fears can give you the greatest satisfactions in life. Think about it. What really is the worst thing that could go wrong? Using Ferriss' approach, you can find the courage to do what scares you the most. Watch this video to discover his process to smashing fear.

6. Success, failure and the drive to keep creating | Elizabeth Gilbert

When Elizabeth Gilbert was sitting down and thinking about what to write for her next book after Eat, Pray, Love , she was scared she would never be able to write another book that would please anybody. She felt she had no way to win and wanted to quit the game, but that would require her to give up her passion of writing. Gilbert knew that she needed to find a way to have her creativity survive her own success.

Early in her career, after facing rejection for over half a decade, Gilbert told herself that she was not going to quit, that she would make it home. For her, home meant to continue to be a writer, because she loved writing more than she loved herself. Finding her way back home as soon as possible was how she was able to overcome great failure -- and great success. Learn how you can discover your way back home when you're facing an extremity in your life.

7. Reprogramming your brain to overcome fear | Olympia LePoint

Olympia LePoint starts her talk by counting down from 10. The space shuttle breaks the barrier of the earth. She helped launch shuttles into space 28 times in her life up to the moment she gave her talk. LePoint takes you back to the moment she was 10 years old, when after a heated argument, her classmate puts on a ring and hits her right in the face. The doctor tells her that she's lucky -- if the punch had been any higher, she could have lost her eye.

After sharing the horrible grades she received from her STEM classes in school while growing up in the ghettos of downtown Los Angeles, LePoint explains a three step method to overcome fear and reprogram the brain by using three key decisions. Watch this video to discover her three step process to reprogramming your brain.

8. How to move forward while living in Fear | Emily Muller

When Emily Muller awoke one morning when she was 13, she found her neck, shoulders and wrists were partially dislocating just by moving them. In a week, the dislocating spread to her entire body. Muller's connective tissue became faulty as she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Then she was diagnosed with Autonomic Dysfunction, which means her heart rate and temperature isn't able to regulate properly either. Neither disease is curable.

She feels that she lives much like any other person, but people see her as a voice of positivity who is dying. She wakes up with her fears, doubts and uncertainties, but the only difference is that she tells herself one sentence that gets her out of that mindset immediately. Watch this video to find out what that sentence is and how you can incorporate it into your life.

9. Remote Control | Daniel Midson-Short

10. Be The Warrior Not The Worrier - Fighting Anxiety & Fear | Angela Ceberano

Angela Ceberano was born a worrier, to the point where if she has nothing to worry about, that is exactly what she would worry about. When being invited to speak at this particular TEDx talk, she freaked out. Her thought process started out with excitement, then she discounted it, talked herself out of it, started to believe in herself again, then ended with amazement for the opportunity she was presented with.

Ceberano used to think of her fears and anxiety as a bad thing. Now she uses them to her advantage. She was able to start this process by looking at the research, which indicated that only eight percent of the things people worried about were likely to happen. She presents the two ways people deal with fear, her personal experience and how she now takes on her fears, like a warrior. Watch this talk so you can become a warrior, not a worrier.

Even viewing just one of these 10 inspiring TED Talks can help you overcome your fears. I challenge you to watch one of these videos each day, then share this article with a colleague, coworker or friend. If it were possible for all of us to overcome our fears, imagine what kind of possibilities we could accomplish in the world. Take the first step today and overcome your own fears.

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta

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How I Overcame My Fear of Public Speaking

Facing Your Fears: Overcoming The Things That Scare You The Most

Everyone has something they’re scared of, even the strongest, bravest people. According to Robin Stern , associate director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, "Fear signals that there is danger and is a universal emotion experienced all over the world.” Fear is a natural part of the human psyche, and though it’s not entirely possible to completely eliminate fear, it is possible to manage your fears. 

Learning your fears

Learning your fears often involves confronting them head-on and working to understand them. If you practice facing the things that scare you, you can develop better ways to manage that fear in your daily life, no matter what scary thing arises. By doing so, you won’t feel forced to avoid things or live in a constant state of worry because of a specific fear.

Facing your fears: Why it is important to face your fears

This is the true goal of overcoming your fears: identifying them, understanding them, and managing them in a healthy, productive way.

When it comes to fear, most people’s initial response when they happen to face the thing they’re afraid of is to continue avoiding it! It’s a natural emotional response to want to avoid contact with the thing or situation you’re afraid of. After all, that’s how fear works! But, if your fear is of something that doesn’t make logical sense (i.e., there’s not a threat of imminent danger), then facing your irrational fears can help you build your confidence and live a fuller and more fulfilling life.

Advantages of facing your fears and phobias

One of the most significant advantages of facing your fears is that you can develop courage in all areas of your life, not only when it comes to facing the thing you’re afraid of. Whenever something happens that’s concerning, or that touches on other fears, no matter how major or minor, you can be better equipped to manage your emotions and physical responses to the fear (or the anticipation of it).

Also, learning how to face and cope with your fears can help cultivate compassion. When you recognize and confront your own anxieties and fears with love and respect for yourself, you’re more likely to start working with other people in the same calm way, whether it be a loved one, employee, boss, or even just a person on the street.

So how do you begin to face your fear? If you’re afraid of something, there’s going to be resistance! You’ll have to develop a well-thought-out plan for facing your fears, and it never hurts to have the support of those around you. This article provides tips on some of the best ways to overcome the things that scare you the most.

Taking care of your mental health: How to face your fears

Let’s take a look at some of the most effective ways to confront fear.

Actively engage with or think about the fear or anxiety 

Depending on the fear, this may be more or less difficult to actually do, and depending on the intensity of the fear, you may need to start by approaching the fear for only 2-3 minutes at a time. As a more tangible example, someone with a fear of spiders might read a book or a web article about spiders. In contrast, someone with glossophobia, a fear of public speaking, might sit and picture being in front of a large group of people while presenting on a topic. In either situation, it may help to focus on how you breathe, making sure your muscles are relaxed as you remind your mind and body that you are not at risk of any harm.

A study published in Science in 2019 demonstrated that mice had to be re-exposed to the thing they were afraid of to overcome it once and for all; this study advocated for the need to actively engage with a phobia to be able to overcome it successfully.

There are some essential things to remember when you’re actively engaging with specific fears. First of all, you should remember that you can always take a step back from the fearful situation to take a break. Second, it can be helpful to reward yourself after confronting your fear by engaging in a positive and enjoyable activity that will help you relax. This could be taking a bath, reading your favorite book, or spending time with loved ones.

Guarding your mental health: Learn from your fear

One thing that’s commonly overlooked regarding fear is that, often, they have something to teach us. Many people who struggle with phobias have some core, underlying set of beliefs, life events, or thought patterns that fuel the fear. By taking the time to try and honor the anxiety, learning about it, and trying to understand it, you may learn more about yourself and how your brain works. Consider asking your fear what it has taught you and what it can teach you in the future.

It’s important to have courage in overcoming and approaching the fear from the standpoint of wanting to learn about it; understanding it can be a form of courage and strength. Being able to acknowledge that fear can be instructive and that you’re strong and wise enough to learn what it has to teach you can be a powerful thing. Although it might seem counterintuitive to honor fear in this way, when you give the fear the respect it deserves and try to learn from it while you overcome it, the fear is no longer in charge. You and the fear may become equals, and suddenly, you’re back in control of your life and your situation.

Explore the fear with courage, and you might be surprised by what you find!

Give yourself the care you deserve

While you’re working on overcoming your fears, it’s vital to continue a healthy routine of self-care. Facing your fears is difficult, and you may need a bit of extra time each day to nurture your mind and body. You may also consider asking someone you have a close relationship with, such as a friend or family, to act as extra support while you work through your fear.

The human body manifests a physiological response in the face of fear, so it’s only natural that after facing your fears, you may need to wind down and relax. At the same time, it’s important to get enough exercise and movement during the day! Exercise releases endorphins and helps your body and mind to feel good. Create a routine that works for you.

Talk to a therapist

Anyone with a fear of anything can benefit from talking to an expert on the subject. There are many kinds of therapists who work with phobias with great success.

Consider exposure therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves a technique called “desensitization,” more often referred to as  exposure therapy , to treat and manage fears by gradually exposing the patient to the fear over some time. 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves regular talk therapy as well as other specialized techniques that target the fear directly; hypnotherapy, in contrast, works with the patient’s innermost thoughts, feelings, and experiences to find the root cause of the fear and reframe the situation so that the fear doesn’t exist anymore. Both cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnotherapy are effective in treating phobias, and it’s up to the patient which method they choose if they decide to get therapy to overcome their fears. Most often, with either therapy, the patient will need to attend more than one session.

Online therapy

Today, you don’t even have to go into a therapist’s office to receive the help you need. Online therapy has been proven to be just as effective as in-person therapy , especially when it comes to behavioral treatments. It may be useful for those who have complicated schedules or for those in a specific situation where fear makes it difficult for them to leave their home.

If you're currently struggling with a phobia, contact the team of licensed therapists at BetterHelp . You can match with a therapist who will work with you to help you overcome your fears. You can also message your therapist at any time, meaning you can record your reactions to fear stimuli in the moment for a more accurate response. There is never any shame in asking for help, regardless of your phobia. The BetterHelp team is here to support you.

What does it mean to face your fears and phobias? Can exposure therapy aid in doing so?

Facing your fears means overcoming the panic and instinct to retreat or freeze that usually comes with a perceived threat. Fear facing is commonly done with exposure therapy or other desensitization methods. 

What does the idiom face your fears mean?

To “face your fears” is a phrase that means learning to recognize a fear response and appropriately manage it without allowing it to become debilitating or overwhelm you. It’s unclear where this exact phrase originates, but it may come from the idea of encountering something “face to face,” or in-person. 

How can I overcome my fears and anxiety?

Though there is no one “best way” to overcome fears or “best thing” to do about fear, as everyone is different and will need different coping mechanisms, the UK-based  NHS recommends ten methods to fight fear and panic.

• Take a step away from the fear-inducing situation to center yourself.
• Practice deep breathing exercises to quell panic responses.
• Intentionally expose yourself to your fear in a controlled environment to desensitize yourself to it.
• Try to imagine the worst-case scenario, then consider the more realistic version, to put your fear into perspective.
• Explore the logical evidence behind your fearful thoughts. Is this actually dangerous or is your body seeing a threat that isn’t there?
• Remember that no one is perfect and there will be times when the fear wins, and that this is okay.
• Practice mindfulness or imagine a “happy place” to bring yourself to a more calm state.
• Talk with friends, family, or a mental health professional about your fears and how they affect you. 
• Take care of your physical health to give yourself the best chance of a healthy emotional response. Drink lots of water, exercise regularly, and go to bed on time.
• Reward yourself for successful fear-facing! Managing your fears is hard to achieve, so it’s okay to get yourself a treat afterward. This can also reinforce the calm behavior through conditioning.

What is facing your fears called?

You may have heard “facing your fears” also called desensitization or exposure therapy, though exposure therapy is usually a more specific and structured method. 

How do you express your fear in your face?

Fear can be expressed via raised, pulled-together brows, wide-open eyes, and either a tensely shut or gaping open mouth. In the body, fear might look like shrinking away from the trigger or curling into one’s self. A person might whimper or scream, or they may feel like their throat is “stuck” and be unable to make noise at all.

What is an idiom for fear?

Some idioms for expressing fear include

• Acting like a deer in the headlights
• Having the daylights scared out of you
• Soiling your pants or the bed (often using cruder language)
• To have a horror of something
• To become panic-stricken
• To shake like a leaf

What are the benefits of facing your fears?

There are many benefits to facing your fears. It can lead to a more confident outlook on life, allow you to participate in activities you might not otherwise be able to enjoy, create a reasonable action plan for exploring and defining your emotions, and make moving forward from trauma or disordered emotions easier.

Does facing your fears make you stronger?

Facing your fears can, in the short term and the long term, give you stronger control of your emotions and improve your resilience. 

Why is it difficult to face your fears?

You may have heard that overcoming fear is extremely difficult or even impossible. Many believe this because the panic associated with the emotion of fear is a strong psychological and physical response that can cause difficulty in regular functioning, making it harder to overcome than more mild emotions. That being said, it is possible to overcome fear with the right support.

Why is it important to overcome your fears? (In essay form)

Overcoming your fears can help limit your fight or flight response, meaning that your body is not under as much stress as it might be if your fears are left unchecked. Structured fear-overcoming plans can help people manage panic disorders and other conditions by providing them with the tools they need to fight off panic attacks and stabilize themselves quickly and effectively. This kind of plan may also be the best thing that a person who often lets themselves imagine worst-case scenarios (catastrophizing) can do to fight off these negative and unhelpful thoughts. 

• Eight Lifestyle Changes To Improve Your Life Quality Medically reviewed by April Justice , LICSW
• Is There A Difference Between Feelings And Emotions? Medically reviewed by Dr. April Brewer , DBH, LPC
• Relationships and Relations
• Current Events

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Detailed Guide for Overcoming your Fear of Public Speaking

February 16, 2021 - Dom Barnard

Public speaking is a common form of anxiety and fear. Over 75% of people experience some degree of anxiety or nervousness when it comes to speaking in front of others.

People who have been surveyed commonly rank this fear above spiders, heights and death. So the first thing to remember is that your fear is totally normal.

It can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic, with more extreme fear known as glossophobia. Many people with this fear avoid public speaking situations altogether, or they suffer through them with shaking hands and a quavering voice.

But with preparation and experience, you can overcome your fear.

Sections in this article:

Glossophobia: more than a common fear of speaking, what fear does to us during a speech, verbal communication is essential for your career, why do we have this fear.

• Video: Tips to overcome anxiety

8 tips to overcome your fear of public speaking

What to do before and after the event.

• The cure for insecurity is preparation

Speaking Up without Freaking Out  webinar , with Matt Abrahams, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Most of us have experienced some sort of fear when speaking in public. However, a person with glossophobia is unable to control their nerves and has an extremely strong fear of public speaking, sometimes to the point of a nervous breakdown.

With this can come uncontrollable trembling, sweating, and a racing heartbeat.

This anxiety may not be confined to speaking to large audiences – people suffering with glossophobia may struggle to speak in a meeting, classroom and other smaller group settings.

This can make it very difficult for sufferers to communicate verbally in order to express their ideas and thoughts. As a result, glossophobia may hamper the sufferer’s ability to further his or her academic, social or career opportunities.

• Read more:  What is Glossophobia and How to Overcome it

Being nervous during a public speaking event affects the way we come across to an audience and the quality of our delivery. Nervous speakers tend to  talk too quickly  and generally  ignore the audience , focussing instead on their presentation slides or the floor.

They  talk in a flat voice , with little excitement or vocal pitch variation, and they try to get through the experience without committing to the speech or presentation.

Talk too quickly and in a monotone

Rushing through a talk requires that you talk fast, and talking fast interferes with your breathing. Instead of breathing comfortably, you breathe in a short, shallow manner, or you might even hold your breath.

This gives you the sensation of running out of air and being unable to breathe, a common fear in this situation, and one that greatly increases fear of public speaking.

Talking quickly reduces the chance the audience can enjoy your speech. It creates a barrier between you and them, as they might struggle to understand what you are saying.

Here are some common issues with talking too quickly:

• You won’t be breathing deeply enough to fill your lungs with air
• You’ll sound monotone due to lack of vocal range and air in your lungs
• You’ll sound nervous to the audience
• The audience will struggle to understand what you are saying

Remember, the human voice is in theory capable of paying 24 notes on the musical scale. Most people only use 3 in their everyday speech so if you can incorporate more then you’re already well on your way to becoming an interesting and engaging public speaker.

• Read more about how to  Use your Vocal Toolbox

Ignore the audience and avoid eye contact

Fearful speakers often try to ignore the audience, hoping this will decrease their speech anxiety. For instance, lots of speakers  avoid eye contact  with the audience. This prevents you from noticing any audience reactions. You won’t notice when people seem more interested, or have questions.

When you have no audience contact, you focus on your own thoughts. And if you’re a nervous speaker, your thoughts are virtually guaranteed to be far more negative, and unrealistic, than anything your audience might think or say.

Fight to hide your fear

Finally, efforts to hide your fear create the additional fear of being “found out” as a nervous person. This only adds to the public speaking anxiety you already experience.

It has another negative side effect. After you’ve given a speech, even if it has gone well, you may not feel like it was a success because you think: “If the audience knew how afraid I was, they’d think less of the presentation.

Despite many people fearing speaking in public,  communication skills are essential in the workplace :

83% of human resource directors saying employees who couldn’t develop social skills would not  become high performers .

So, if you manage to overcome your fear of public speaking, this is a brilliant skill for your resume and you’ll be able to accelerate more quickly in your career, as well as be more confident in your personal life.

The core of being a great public speaker lies predominantly in one thing:  confidence .

GMAT study on skills companies demand in new graduate business school hires.

Let’s discuss how this fear comes about and why so many of us fear speaking in public. Understanding the root cause will hopefully help you deal with it better.

In the book, “Confessions of a Public Speaker” by  Scott Berkun , he suggests that our brains identify the following four conditions as extremely bad for survival:

• Standing alone
• In an open territory with no place to hide
• Being without a weapon
• In front of a large crowd who are staring at you

These conditions made sense during the early years of humans. Being alone, or without a weapon for example, could have been very dangerous with wild animals and other fierce tribes nearby.

There conditions happen to all be experienced during public speaking. You’re often alone on a stage, open to the audience who are looking at you, without a weapon and with nowhere to hide (assuming you don’t hide behind your laptop).

So what exactly can you do to gradually overcome the fear of public speaking? Here are key tips that you can apply before, during and after the speech.

Videos: Tips to overcome public speaking anxiety

Speech anxiety tips:

Watch 10 anxiety management tips to use when giving a presentation.  Matt Abrahams  talks us through these tips and explains how best to deal with your fear of public speaking.

Learn more about  practice in virtual reality (VR) .

1. Practice aloud

This is the most important point – you need to practice, over and over again. You can practice in front of friends or family for feedback, join your local  Toastmasters club  or use a virtual reality (VR) app. VR apps are highly effective at tricking the brain into thinking the audience in the app is real.

Methods of practicing aloud:

• Join a local Toastmasters club
• Give a  speech in virtual reality
• Present to a friend or colleague
• Practice with a mirror (ideally full length)
• Practice in a  video conferencing simulator

This is a great way of bridging the gap between practicing in front of a mirror to practicing in front of a group of people (something that you might avoid altogether depending on your fear of public speaking).

Grow your confidence with  interactive practice exercises , on skills such as public speaking, impromptu speaking, giving feedback, and more.

2. Remember why you’re there

Usually you are on stage because people value your expertise and knowledge – or at the very least, whoever has put you there has confidence in your capability. You might be speaking about a recent publication, or a branch of research you successfully tested.

Use this thought to try and relax – people aren’t there to give you a hard time. In fact, most people are probably just grateful it’s you speaking on stage and not them!

To ensure you connect with your audience, you need to plan your speech accordingly. For example,  don’t use jargon or acronyms  if your audience is from a different industry to yours. Keep your language and your slides as simple as possible.

3. Have a script, but don’t memorise it

What are people most afraid of? Forgetting what to say in front of hundreds of people. Even the most  notable public speakers  in history have used scripts, forgotten what they were going to say, and then panicked. The fear of public speaking can consume all we think about.

This might seem really daunting at first and will increase your anxiety levels just thinking about not having the safety of a script. However, remember that when you have a script you tend to either read from it (and therefore lose your connection with the audience) or you memorise it word for word.

The problem with the second method is that if you lose your place, you’ll panic, stumble, and not know what to say next.

A better approach is to make your script into a series of bullet points or, better yet, a list of themes or connecting sentences on a cue card. This will make the speech sounds more authentic and less rehearsed, and you’ll be more likely to show your passion for your topic when speaking from your heart rather than your head.

Method for going from a topic to a speech

Start with a rough outline of the topic you want to talk about. Type up this outline in a conversational style and read it aloud several times to yourself. When certain parts of the speech don’t sound right, correct the outline accordingly.

As you keep rehearsing, try to use your written outline less and less. Highlight certain keywords and phrases you need to mention and add those to cue cards or something similar.

Now start practicing with just the cue cards as you would when speaking at an actual event. On the day of the event, keep the cue cards as backup, maybe next to your laptop, and you’ll be able to speak much more naturally than if you had rehearsed from a script.

4. Don’t rely on technology

If there was something more nerve wracking than forgetting the lines of your speech, it would be for a live  demo to fail . It is a horrible, gut wrenching feeling.

One way to have more confidence and reduce your fear of public speaking on the day is to make sure you have a backup such as a video showing of your presentation or a second method of presentation.

Make sure you’re prepared for technology breaking, including your slides or videos not loading.

For example, if you’re using PowerPoint software and the computer or projector isn’t working, it can be handy to have printed out the presentation for the audience (and yourself if you need it).

Similarly, you should import your presentation offline so that if the internet doesn’t work, you can still present without becoming flustered.

What can go wrong with technology during a speech:

• Embedded videos might not play or have no sound
• The presentation pointer / clicker may stop responding
• Projector doesn’t link to your laptop
• Any live demo may fail (an example being the face recognition for the iPhone X demo)

5. Know your audience

The type of audience you’ll be facing affects your choice of language, humour, opening sentences, length and many more. There are several ways to understand the audience you’re speaking to:

• Research the event using their social media and blog posts
• Learn about the other speakers (if it’s a conference) and the types of presentations they are giving
• Greet audience members when they enter the room and ask them a few questions about their background, expertise, what they expect etc.
• Find out the size of the audience (this may determine the structure of your speech, including where to do the question and answer session, whether to include humour etc.)

Once you understand your audience, you’ll feel more confident about the questions and answers session at the end and that you are delivering a speech the audience actually want to hear.

• How to Analyse your Audience before a Presentation
• Guide to Choosing a Successful Speech Topic

6. Pause and take deep breaths

This simple advice cannot be emphasized enough. When you’re nervous, you breathe rapidly and shallowly. This is telling the audience that you’re not confident. Slow and measured breathing is a sign that you’re in control.

Before you go to the front of the room, concentrate on taking a few slow breaths. Repeat this several times. When you start to speak, remember to pause and breathe after you make a point.

It’s important to remember that there is nothing wrong with a bit of silence during a speech. It can actually be a good thing and bring emphasis to what you’ve just said. Be aware that on stage, pausing for just a few seconds can seem like a very long time – resist the urge to break the silence for at least 3 seconds.

• 10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech

7. Create backup slides for audience questions

One reason people often experience anxiety before a presentation is the fear that they’ll be asked questions that might be difficult to answer. Don’t get caught off guard.

Think carefully about  potential questions  that might arise and rehearse the answers. Go one step further by creating slides for some potential questions about complex issues.

You can include in your extra slides important information, numbers, stats or even an interesting graph or pie chart that would be helpful to the audience. If such a question arises, it’s okay to say, “I thought I might be asked this question and I’ve got a slide which explains it well…”

8. Focus on the beginning and ending

Your opening sets the tone for your speech and your closing is what you will leave your audience with. You’ll have a few seconds when you start to capture the attention of the audience and prevent them returning to their mobiles.

So you need to make it good. Try starting with an attention grabbing statement, statistic or interesting quote.

• How to Start a Presentation Effectively

The ending brings the presentation to full circle and is when your audience’s attention peaks again. This may be one of the few sections they remember so it’s important you get it right.

• Different Ways to End a Presentation or Speech

Rather than leaving the opening and ending to chance, write and practice them over and over again. What you can do is memorize certain sentences or phrases you think are key to your speech and note down bullet points of other information you want to include in these sections.

Video: How I Overcame My Fear of Public Speaking

In this talk, Danish Dhamani discusses how overcoming your fear of public speaking is key to leading a fulfilling life and unlocking your true potential.

Before the public speaking event

Use these tips to help deal with your fear before an event:

• Greet audience members as they enter the room you’ll be presenting in. Knowing a few of them before you start will ensure you have a few friendly faces you can look at during the presentation
• Do the breathing exercises detailed below this section to slow down your heartrate
• Check that your slides and laptop are working with the projector
• Drink some water to prevent a dry mouth
• Perform some vocal exercises to  warm up your voice before a speech

After the public speaking event

It’s a good idea to reflect on your speech afterwards. Dale Carnegie once said about public speaking, “There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practised, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”

For that speech you wish you gave, this is why you need to invest some time to reflect in your performance. Be honest with yourself on three points – what was good about your speech, what didn’t work about your speech and what could have been improved?

If you have trusted friends who were part of your audience, run through these questions with them to obtain a better and more diverse perspective.

Better still, record all your speeches and review them personally. Yes, it can be painful and you will probably cringe while watching yourself on video or listening back to an audio recording. But this process is absolutely necessary for you to become a better speaker and one who is committed to overcoming their fears of speaking.

The cure for insecurity is preparation and experience

The key to overcoming your fear of public speaking is preparation and experience. Solid preparation will leave you feeling more confident in your ability as an excellent public speaker, able to deliver a clear, engaging speech.

Experience will help you become more comfortable with the whole experience and stop you dreading that presentation. You’ll need to get out there and speak in public a few times, so join a local Toastmasters, volunteer to speak at a conference, practice in virtual reality or try any other method of overcoming your fear of public speaking.

• See our top rated  public speaking courses  to help you improve your speaking skills.

Summary of tips

• Prepare by practicing aloud
• Remember why you were chosen to speak
• Don’t memorise a script word for word
• Don’t reply on technology, practice without it if possible
• Know your audience
• Pause and take deep breaths
• Create backup slides for audience questions
• Focus on the beginning and ending of your speech

Note:  If these tips are ineffective despite repeated attempts, you may need to look further into the causes of your anxiety and consider seeking medical advice. See the  NHS website  for more information on treatments.

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Speech on Fear

• Updated on  
• May 3, 2023

ASL or Assessment of Speaking and Listening is an integral part of the CBSE Class IX and X curriculum. It is a part of the continuous and comprehensive evaluation system under CBSE . Students are usually asked to choose a topic they wish to speak on and then prepare a speech on it within a stipulated time period. In this blog, we have curated samples of speech on fear, for ASL and public speaking competitions.

This Blog Includes:

Speaking task (2-3 minutes) of speech on fear, speaking task (5 to 10 minutes) of speech on fear, speech on fear pdf.

During this task, students are allocated a topic on the spot and they must speak on it for 2-3 minutes.

Good morning everyone. My name is Vatsal Sharma, and I am going to present before you a  speech on Fear. So, let’s talk about the actual connotation of the word “fear”. What is fear? Fear can be defined as a complicated emotion one feels in response to certain stimuli. Fear might be a response to either an external or an internal stimulus. It might be triggered on the rarest of occasions and under the rarest of circumstances. If we take an example, it might feel like my heart is in my throat, and I lose my ability to focus on anything else without any conscious choice. When fear strikes, you lose control of everything happening around you, and everyone else around you disappears. Fear is generally perceived as a negative emotion. Still, it can also be positive and healthy as it serves as a survival instinct helping humans recognise situations that can be harmful or dangerous.

Must Read: Speech Topics

If the speech is for 5 to 10 minutes, refer to the following sample speech on fear.

Good morning to all. My name is Ashita Kumar, and today I will present before you a relevant topic in today’s time – a speech on fear. Through this speech, I would try my best to explain this topic. Fear, the quintessential human emotion, is an unavoidable human emotion that every human experiences at some point. Although the extent or range of fear may vary from person to person, the emotion is the same. This particular emotion is capable of causing psychological changes, which ultimately lead to behavioural changes in a person. Fear might be a response to either an external or an internal stimulus. It might be triggered on the rarest of occasions and under the rarest of circumstances occurring in the present or an anticipated future threat that is a risk to oneself. The response to fear generally arises through recognising danger, leading to the confrontation of the situation or escaping the fear or avoiding the. Fear can be classified into two types, innate fears and identity fears. Innate fears are the fears humans are born with, and every individual has them on some level. This fear also serves as a kind of survival instinct. Identity fear is the type of fear that humans develop with age. Any speech on fear is incomplete without the physical effects it has on our bodies. Although fear is an emotion experienced in the mind, it triggers a strong physical reaction in one’s body. As soon as one’s body recognizes fear, the brain starts working, alerting the nervous system, which sets the body’s response to fear into motion. As a result of fear, the human brain releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which increase blood pressure, and adrenaline. As a result, one may start breathing faster, and the direction of blood flow in the body changes – blood flows away from the heart into the limbs. Thank you for listening. I hope this speech was insightful and informative.

Must Read: Speech on Indian Education System

Start a fear speech with an engaging and interesting lead.

Speech on fear is all about accepting the emotion but not letting it take over our lives.

Fear is an important emotion since it readies you for what is to come.

With this, we come to the end of our blog on Speech on Fear. If you are studying for your exams and need quick notes for revision, check out other study blogs on Leverage Edu and subscribe to our newsletter to get regular updates. Follow us on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn .

Explore: English Speech Topics for Students

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To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, Stop Thinking About Yourself

• Sarah Gershman

Tips for before and during your presentation.

Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s how our brains are programmed, so how can we overcome it? Human generosity. The key to calming the amygdala and disarming our panic button is to turn the focus away from ourselves — away from whether we will mess up or whether the audience will like us — and toward helping the audience. Showing kindness and generosity to others has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which has the power to calm the fight-or-flight response. When we are kind to others, we tend to feel calmer and less stressed. The same principle applies in speaking. When we approach speaking with a spirit of generosity, we counteract the sensation of being under attack and we feel less nervous.

Most of us — even those at the top — struggle with public-speaking anxiety. When I ask my clients what makes them nervous, invariably they respond with the same answers:

• Sarah Gershman is an executive speech coach and CEO of Green Room Speakers. She is a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where she teaches public speaking to leaders from around the globe.

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How to Overcome Fear, Build Confidence, and Deliver Impactful Presentations

Public speaking can be a daunting task for many. The mere thought of standing in front of a crowd and delivering a speech can send shivers down the spine. However, with the right approach and mindset, you can conquer this fear and transform it into a strength. This guide will provide you with a roadmap to overcoming your fear of public speaking.

Understanding the Fear

The fear of public speaking, also known as glossophobia, often stems from past negative experiences or the fear of being judged. It's essential to acknowledge this fear as the first step towards overcoming it. By understanding the root cause, you can start to address it and work towards building confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Steps to Overcome the Fear

Acknowledge the fear.

Recognising your fear of public speaking is the first step towards overcoming it. It's okay to be nervous. Even the most experienced speakers feel a certain level of anxiety before a presentation. The key lies in harnessing this nervous energy and using it to your advantage.

Understand Your Audience

Knowing your audience can significantly reduce your anxiety. Research about their interests, their knowledge level about the topic, and what they expect from your presentation. This will help you tailor your speech to their needs and expectations, making it more engaging and effective.

Master Your Content

Confidence in public speaking comes from knowing your material inside out. Spend time researching your topic, understanding the key points, and anticipating possible questions. This will not only boost your confidence but also help you deliver a more impactful presentation.

Practice Regularly

Practice makes perfect. Regular practice can help you become more familiar with your content, improve your delivery, and reduce anxiety. Try practising in front of a mirror, recording yourself, or presenting to a small group of friends or family.

Use Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualisation can help reduce anxiety and promote calmness. Use these techniques before and during your presentation to keep your nerves in check.

The Importance of Effective Public Speaking in Professional Settings

Public speaking plays a crucial role in professional settings. It's not just about delivering presentations or speeches; it's about confidently communicating your ideas, influencing others, and making an impact. This section explores why public speaking skills are essential for career advancement and promotion.

Role of Public Speaking in Career Advancement

Effective public speaking can be a career booster . It can help you stand out in meetings, influence decisions, and demonstrate leadership potential. Whether you're introducing yourself in meetings, pitching an idea to your team, or speaking at a conference, your ability to communicate effectively can open doors to new opportunities.

Impact on Professional Relationships

Public speaking skills can also improve your professional relationships. By clearly and confidently communicating your thoughts and ideas, you can build trust, earn respect, and foster stronger relationships with your colleagues, clients, and superiors.

Boosting Personal Confidence

Mastering public speaking can significantly boost your personal confidence. It can empower you to voice your opinions, share your ideas, and contribute more effectively to discussions and meetings.

How Training Can Help You Conquer Public Speaking Anxiety

Public speaking anxiety can be a significant barrier to effective communication. However, with the right training, you can overcome this fear and become a confident speaker. This section explores how public speaking training can help you conquer your anxiety and develop essential presentation skills.

Overview of Training Programs

Public speaking training programs are designed to help individuals overcome their fear of public speaking and develop confident communication skills. These programs typically cover a range of topics, including understanding your audience, structuring your speech, using visual aids effectively, and managing anxiety.

Addressing Public Speaking Anxiety

One of the key focuses of public speaking training is managing anxiety. Through various techniques such as relaxation exercises, cognitive restructuring, and exposure therapy, these programs can help you manage your fear and anxiety, enabling you to deliver your speeches with confidence.

Benefits of Training for Public Speaking

Public speaking training can provide numerous benefits. It can help you develop essential presentation skills, build confidence, and improve your overall communication skills. Moreover, it can also enhance your career prospects by enabling you to effectively present your ideas, influence others, and demonstrate leadership potential.

Top 10 Tips for Becoming a Confident Public Speaker

Public speaking can be a daunting task, but with the right strategies, you can transform this fear into a strength. Here are ten tips that can help you become a confident public speaker.

Knowing your audience can significantly reduce your anxiety. Research their interests, their knowledge level about the topic, and what they expect from your presentation. This will help you tailor your speech to their needs and expectations, making it more engaging and effective.

Use Positive Visualisation

Visualise yourself delivering a successful speech. This technique can help reduce anxiety and increase confidence. Imagine the audience clapping and appreciating your speech. Positive visualisation can be a powerful tool for building confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Control Your Body Language

Your body language can communicate confidence. Stand tall, make eye contact, and use gestures to emphasise your points. A confident posture can not only make you appear more confident but also make you feel more confident.

Use Pauses Effectively

Don't rush through your speech. Use pauses to emphasise key points and give your audience time to absorb the information. Pauses can also give you a moment to gather your thoughts and control your pace.

Engage with Your Audience

Engage your audience by asking questions, encouraging participation, or sharing personal stories. This can make your speech more interactive and engaging, and help you build a connection with your audience.

Handle Mistakes Gracefully

Everyone makes mistakes. If you stumble or forget a point, don't panic. Take a moment, gather your thoughts, and continue with your speech. Remember, it's not about being perfect, it's about effectively communicating your message.

Seek Feedback and Improve

Feedback is a valuable tool for improvement. Seek feedback from trusted friends, colleagues, or mentors, and use it to improve your public speaking skills. Remember, improvement is a continuous process.

Keep Learning and Evolving

Public speaking is a skill that can always be improved. Keep learning new techniques, exploring different styles, and challenging yourself. This will help you grow as a speaker and keep your speeches fresh and engaging.

The Benefits of Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking

Overcoming your fear of public speaking can have numerous benefits. From boosting your confidence to enhancing your career prospects, here are ten benefits of conquering this fear.

Improved Self-Confidence

Overcoming your fear of public speaking can significantly boost your self-confidence. It can empower you to voice your opinions, share your ideas, and contribute more effectively to discussions and meetings.

Enhanced Career Opportunities

Effective public speaking can open doors to new career opportunities. It can help you stand out in meetings, influence decisions, and demonstrate leadership potential.

Better Interpersonal Communication

Public speaking skills can improve your interpersonal communication. You can become more effective in expressing your thoughts and ideas, and build stronger relationships with colleagues, clients, and superiors.

Increased Personal Satisfaction

Mastering public speaking can bring a sense of personal satisfaction. It can help you overcome a significant challenge and achieve a personal goal.

Greater Influence and Leadership Potential

Effective public speaking can enhance your influence and leadership potential. It can enable you to inspire and motivate others, and lead teams and projects more effectively.

Enhanced Ability to Advocate for Oneself and Others

Public speaking skills can empower you to advocate for yourself and others. You can become more effective in standing up for your rights and the rights of others.

Improved Critical Thinking Skills

Public speaking requires clear, logical thinking. This can help improve your critical thinking skills, which are valuable in many areas of life.

Greater Resilience in the Face of Challenges

Overcoming your fear of public speaking can make you more resilient. It can show you that you can face and overcome challenges, which can boost your confidence in handling other challenges in life.

Enhanced Ability to Inspire and Motivate Others

Effective public speaking can enable you to inspire and motivate others. You can share your ideas and experiences in a way that inspires others to take action or change their perspective.

Increased Personal Growth and Self-Awareness

The process of overcoming your fear of public speaking can lead to personal growth and increased self-awareness. It can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to manage your emotions and reactions.

How to Prepare for a Public Speaking Event: A Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing for a public speaking event can be a daunting task. However, with the right approach and preparation, you can deliver a successful speech. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you prepare for a public speaking event.

Knowing your audience is the first step in preparing for a public speaking event. Research their interests, their knowledge level about the topic, and what they expect from your presentation. This will help you tailor your speech to their needs and expectations.

Define Your Objective

What do you want to achieve with your speech? Do you want to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain your audience? Defining your objective can help you structure your speech and deliver a more effective presentation .

Research Your Topic Thoroughly

Spend time researching your topic. Understand the key points, anticipate possible questions, and gather relevant facts and statistics. This will not only boost your confidence but also help you deliver a more impactful presentation.

Create a Compelling Introduction

The introduction is your chance to grab your audience's attention and set the tone for your speech. Start with a compelling fact, a thought-provoking question, or a personal story to engage your audience from the start.

Structure Your Speech Effectively

A well-structured speech is easier to follow and more engaging. Organise your speech into clear sections, each with a key point and supporting information. Use transitions to guide your audience from one point to the next.

Use Visual Aids Where Appropriate

Visual aids can enhance your presentation and make your points more memorable. Use slides, charts, images, or props to support your points and engage your audience.

Practice Your Speech

Practice makes perfect. Rehearse your speech several times to become more familiar with your content, improve your delivery, and reduce anxiety.

Prepare for Potential Questions

Anticipate possible questions from your audience and prepare your answers. This can help you feel more confident during the question and answer session.

Plan Your Attire and Logistics

Plan what you will wear and check the logistics for the day. Make sure you know the location, the time, and the technical requirements for your presentation.

Relax and Visualise Success

Finally, take some time to relax and visualise your success. Use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or visualisation to reduce anxiety and boost your confidence.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking can seem like a daunting task, but with the right strategies and mindset, it's entirely achievable. By understanding your fear, taking steps to overcome it, and recognising the importance of effective public speaking, you can transform this fear into a strength. The tips and techniques provided in this guide can help you become a more confident and effective public speaker, opening doors to new opportunities and career advancement.

Remember, public speaking is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice. So, don't let fear hold you back. Start your journey towards confident communication today and unlock your full potential.

If you need further guidance or support in your public speaking journey, don't hesitate to get in touch with Fearless . Our team of experts is here to help you every step of the way, providing worldclass communication skills training tailored to your specific needs. Let Fearless be your partner in overcoming your fear of public speaking and achieving success.

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How to Manage Public Speaking Anxiety

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Speech Anxiety and SAD

How to prepare for a speech.

Public speaking anxiety, also known as glossophobia , is one of the most commonly reported social fears.

While some people may feel nervous about giving a speech or presentation if you have social anxiety disorder (SAD) , public speaking anxiety may take over your life.

Public speaking anxiety may also be called speech anxiety or performance anxiety and is a type of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Social anxiety disorder, also sometimes referred to as social phobia, is one of the most common types of mental health conditions.

Public Speaking Anxiety Symptoms

Symptoms of public speaking anxiety are the same as those that occur for social anxiety disorder, but they only happen in the context of speaking in public.

If you live with public speaking anxiety, you may worry weeks or months in advance of a speech or presentation, and you probably have severe physical symptoms of anxiety during a speech, such as:

• Pounding heart
• Quivering voice
• Shortness of breath
• Upset stomach

Causes of Public Speaking Anxiety

These symptoms are a result of the fight or flight response —a rush of adrenaline that prepares you for danger. When there is no real physical threat, it can feel as though you have lost control of your body. This makes it very hard to do well during public speaking and may cause you to avoid situations in which you may have to speak in public.

How Is Public Speaking Anxiety Is Diagnosed

Public speaking anxiety may be diagnosed as SAD if it significantly interferes with your life. This fear of public speaking anxiety can cause problems such as:

• Changing courses at college to avoid a required oral presentation
• Changing jobs or careers
• Turning down promotions because of public speaking obligations
• Failing to give a speech when it would be appropriate (e.g., best man at a wedding)

If you have intense anxiety symptoms while speaking in public and your ability to live your life the way that you would like is affected by it, you may have SAD.

Public Speaking Anxiety Treatment

Fortunately, effective treatments for public speaking anxiety are avaible. Such treatment may involve medication, therapy, or a combination of the two.

Short-term therapy such as systematic desensitization and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be helpful to learn how to manage anxiety symptoms and anxious thoughts that trigger them.

Ask your doctor for a referral to a therapist who can offer this type of therapy; in particular, it will be helpful if the therapist has experience in treating social anxiety and/or public speaking anxiety.

Research has also found that virtual reality (VR) therapy can also be an effective way to treat public speaking anxiety. One analysis found that students treated with VR therapy were able to experience positive benefits in as little as a week with between one and 12 sessions of VR therapy. The research also found that VR sessions were effective while being less invasive than in-person treatment sessions.

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If you live with public speaking anxiety that is causing you significant distress, ask your doctor about medication that can help. Short-term medications known as beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol) can be taken prior to a speech or presentation to block the symptoms of anxiety.

Other medications may also be prescribed for longer-term treatment of SAD, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). When used in conjunction with therapy, you may find the medication helps to reduce your phobia of public speaking.

In addition to traditional treatment, there are several strategies that you can use to cope with speech anxiety and become better at public speaking in general . Public speaking is like any activity—better preparation equals better performance. Being better prepared will boost your confidence and make it easier to concentrate on delivering your message.

Even if you have SAD, with proper treatment and time invested in preparation, you can deliver a successful speech or presentation.

Pre-Performance Planning

Taking some steps to plan before you give a speech can help you better control feelings of anxiety. Before you give a speech or public performance:

• Choose a topic that interests you . If you are able, choose a topic that you are excited about. If you are not able to choose the topic, try using an approach to the topic that you find interesting. For example, you could tell a personal story that relates to the topic as a way to introduce your speech. This will ensure that you are engaged in your topic and motivated to research and prepare. When you present, others will feel your enthusiasm and be interested in what you have to say.
• Become familiar with the venue . Ideally, visit the conference room, classroom, auditorium, or banquet hall where you will be presenting before you give your speech. If possible, try practicing at least once in the environment that you will be speaking in. Being familiar with the venue and knowing where needed audio-visual components are ahead of time will mean one less thing to worry about at the time of your speech.
• Ask for accommodations . Accommodations are changes to your work environment that help you to manage your anxiety. This might mean asking for a podium, having a pitcher of ice water handy, bringing in audiovisual equipment, or even choosing to stay seated if appropriate. If you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder such as social anxiety disorder (SAD), you may be eligible for these through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Don’t script it . Have you ever sat through a speech where someone read from a prepared script word for word? You probably don’t recall much of what was said. Instead, prepare a list of key points on paper or notecards that you can refer to.
• Develop a routine . Put together a routine for managing anxiety on the day of a speech or presentation. This routine should help to put you in the proper frame of mind and allow you to maintain a relaxed state. An example might be exercising or practicing meditation on the morning of a speech.

Practice and Visualization

Even people who are comfortable speaking in public rehearse their speeches many times to get them right. Practicing your speech 10, 20, or even 30 times will give you confidence in your ability to deliver.

If your talk has a time limit, time yourself during practice runs and adjust your content as needed to fit within the time that you have. Lots of practice will help boost your self-confidence .

• Prepare for difficult questions . Before your presentation, try to anticipate hard questions and critical comments that might arise, and prepare responses ahead of time. Deal with a difficult audience member by paying them a compliment or finding something that you can agree on. Say something like, “Thanks for that important question” or “I really appreciate your comment.” Convey that you are open-minded and relaxed. If you don’t know how to answer the question, say you will look into it.
• Get some perspective . During a practice run, speak in front of a mirror or record yourself on a smartphone. Make note of how you appear and identify any nervous habits to avoid. This step is best done after you have received therapy or medication to manage your anxiety.
• Imagine yourself succeeding . Did you know your brain can’t tell the difference between an imagined activity and a real one? That is why elite athletes use visualization to improve athletic performance. As you practice your speech (remember 10, 20, or even 30 times!), imagine yourself wowing the audience with your amazing oratorical skills. Over time, what you imagine will be translated into what you are capable of.
• Learn to accept some anxiety . Even professional performers experience a bit of nervous excitement before a performance—in fact, most believe that a little anxiety actually makes you a better speaker. Learn to accept that you will always be a little anxious about giving a speech, but that it is normal and common to feel this way.

Setting Goals

Instead of trying to just scrape by, make it a personal goal to become an excellent public speaker. With proper treatment and lots of practice, you can become good at speaking in public. You might even end up enjoying it!

Put things into perspective. If you find that public speaking isn’t one of your strengths, remember that it is only one aspect of your life. We all have strengths in different areas. Instead, make it a goal simply to be more comfortable in front of an audience, so that public speaking anxiety doesn’t prevent you from achieving other goals in life.

A Word From Verywell

In the end, preparing well for a speech or presentation gives you confidence that you have done everything possible to succeed. Give yourself the tools and the ability to succeed, and be sure to include strategies for managing anxiety. These public-speaking tips should be used to complement traditional treatment methods for SAD, such as therapy and medication.

Crome E, Baillie A. Mild to severe social fears: Ranking types of feared social situations using item response theory . J Anxiety Disord . 2014;28(5):471-479. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.05.002

Pull CB. Current status of knowledge on public-speaking anxiety . Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2012;25(1):32-8. doi:10.1097/YCO.0b013e32834e06dc

Goldstein DS. Adrenal responses to stress . Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2010;30(8):1433-40. doi:10.1007/s10571-010-9606-9

Anderson PL, Zimand E, Hodges LF, Rothbaum BO. Cognitive behavioral therapy for public-speaking anxiety using virtual reality for exposure . Depress Anxiety. 2005;22(3):156-8. doi:10.1002/da.20090

Hinojo-Lucena FJ, Aznar-Díaz I, Cáceres-Reche MP, Trujillo-Torres JM, Romero-Rodríguez JM. Virtual reality treatment for public speaking anxiety in students. advancements and results in personalized medicine .  J Pers Med . 2020;10(1):14. doi:10.3390/jpm10010014

Steenen SA, van Wijk AJ, van der Heijden GJ, van Westrhenen R, de Lange J, de Jongh A. Propranolol for the treatment of anxiety disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis . J Psychopharmacol (Oxford). 2016;30(2):128-39. doi:10.1177/0269881115612236

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking 

Effective ways to deal with this common fear..

Posted June 29, 2022 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

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"At a funeral, the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.” —Jerry Seinfeld “When you draw a bow, you don’t hold two arrows.” —Japanese saying

Having an opportunity to speak in front of an audience, whether it be three or three hundred people, being confronted with the chance to greet new people, or the chance to present to new clients can fill us with dread. One of the biggest obstacles that many of us face is the fear of public interaction. Research in the USA shows the fear of public speaking (or ‘glossophobia’) ranks among the top fears people face, even surpassing the fear of heights, the fear of spiders, and the fear of death itself.

The Fear of Public Speaking

The very fact of being in the spotlight opens us up to the possibility of evaluation, criticism or even rejection. Research from the University of California, Los Angeles demonstrated that the distress of rejection activates the same part of the brain, called the anterior cingulate cortex, that also responds to physical pain. Another study conducted by Edward E. Smith, director of cognitive neuroscience at Columbia University, demonstrated that the feeling of rejection is one of the most painful emotions and can be sustained even longer than fear. Therefore, we can say that fear and anxiety before socialising or public speaking may be caused not only by a fear of public speaking per se, but also by others' perceived responses to us. We can become fearful of our own ability to perform by worrying that we may end up embarrassing ourselves. Accepting our fear helps us to take steps to respond. The fear we feel is usually proportionate to the desire to do well and to be seen in a good light. This anxiety can generate complex psychophysiological reactions that we may perceive to be life-threatening such as:

• Pounding heart
• Shaky hands
• Quivering voice
• Cold, sweaty palms
• Stomach cramps.

Fear is not only a normal reaction to a public-speaking event, but can actually boost our performance.

Transforming Fear

Most people who fear presenting or public speaking apply the same or a similar solution to that of trying to maintain control over their fear, which ironically drives them to lose control, quite similar to having panic attacks. When facing the feared situation, our strategy of thinking about the worst fantasy can enable people to overcome their problem and mobilize their resources. The attempt to try and keep control over the situation through the avoidance of public speaking and trying to avoid thinking about what might happen increases our fear. But trying not to think about something is also the best way to think even more about it.

So, in such cases, we must self-prescribe a daily space and time, precisely planned, with a beginning and an end, in which we voluntarily concentrate all our worst fantasies . This will gradually help contain and overcome our fears and anxiety when asked to speak or perform in public. Another important strategy on presentation day is to give yourself the possibility to choose between two options. The first option is to declare your weakness and make public your fear or the second which now seems less frightening and easier to do, which is to continue to speak in public. This mental trick can allow our mind, when faced with two options, one less frightening than the other, to choose the least frightening one and move to speak.

In those rare cases when we declare our secret, the same result is obtained. People report that soon after their secret “confession,” all their tension dissolves and their speech occurs remarkably well and relaxed. Unfortunately, the usual attempt to control one’s tension leads to a loss of control. When humans let go of control and declare their weaknesses they become stronger. Using this strategy allows our weakness to become a strength. Refusing to accept our own limitations makes our weakness unmanageable, and negative results ensue. A person who declares their fragility to others appears strong because it demonstrates their courageous side.

The Worst Fantasy

There is a phrase in Latin that is also used in medicine: ‘similia similibus curantur’, which means ‘like is cured by like’. This adage is also true in the case of fear-based problems. Fear itself can be overcome by and through fear. A technique we use at my clinic to fight any fear is the so-called ‘worst fantasy’, where the patient is asked to literally evoke their ghosts and touch them to make them disappear. This simple but highly effective, paradoxical procedure immediately blocks the patient’s usual attempted solution of trying to stop the fear from occurring. Moreover, this procedure transforms something which is out of control into a form of prescribed, self-induced, and therefore controlled, behaviour.

Reiteration of this process ritually, at a specific time and space in the day, progressively brings the undesired sensation to saturation, and to self- annulment . It involves taking an alarm clock and setting it for 30 minutes, whereupon you will imagine your speech or conversation with others, conjuring up all of your fears, worries, thoughts and images, and allowing, maybe even forcing them, to occur during the half an hour time period. After this time, you stop and return to everyday life. The effect can be quite dramatic.

Deep Breathing

Such strong emotions as anxiety and fear trigger in your body a very specific ‘fight, freeze or flight’ response: Your muscles tighten, your heart rate increases, your blood pressure goes up and your breathing becomes shallow. While this physical reaction may be helpful in escaping danger, it is hardly helpful during the presentation (as you can neither run away from your audience nor fight with it). However, since your breathing rate is directly connected to your emotional reaction, the fastest and easiest way to keep your emotions under control and regain confidence is through deep breathing. Whether you are to talk to potential clients or to make a presentation to your team, make sure that you remember to breathe deeply and evenly before, and during, your speech.

Shifting Focus Outwards

Paul L. Witt, Ph.D., the Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Texas Christian University, believes that many people perform worse than they could because they focus too much on their physical symptoms (i.e. butterflies, shaky hands, sweaty palms) and on their embarrassment , instead of concentrating on their breathing and their speech. This problem could be avoided by shifting focus from how we feel or look to the message we want to share with our audience.

Visualising

Visualisation or ‘mental rehearsal’ has been routinely used by many top athletes as part of their training for a competition . In addition to athletics, research has shown that visualisation helps to improve performance in such areas as communication, public speaking and education . To ensure that your presentation goes smoothly, aside from the actual preparation and rehearsal of your speech, take 10-15 minutes a day to relax, close your eyes and visualise the room you are speaking in, the people in the auditorium and yourself confidently delivering your speech, smiling, and moving across the stage.

Focusing on Facts, Not Fears

Instead of focusing on fears (e.g. your mind going blank, the audience getting bored ), concentrate your thoughts on positive facts such as: “I have practised my speech many times,” “I am an expert on this topic,” and “I have notes with major bullet points to structure my talk.” Focusing on positive facts and on what you can offer takes your thoughts away from irrational scenarios about what might go wrong.

Gibson, P. (2022) The Persuasion Principle. Comuncation Strategies, to Persuade, Influence and Change. Strategic Science Books.

Jackson, D., Watzlawick, P, Bavelas, J. (1967). The Pragmatics of Human Communication. Norton Books. NY.

Padraic Gibson, D.Psych, is a Consultant Clinical Psychotherapist and is the Clinical Director of The OCD Clinic®, and director of Training and Organization Consultation at The Coaching Clinic®, Dublin. He is senior research associate at Dublin City University.

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Fear of public speaking: how can i overcome it, how can i overcome my fear of public speaking.

Fear of public speaking is a common form of anxiety. It can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic. Many people with this fear avoid public speaking situations altogether, or they suffer through them with shaking hands and a quavering voice. But with preparation and persistence, you can overcome your fear.

These steps may help:

• Know your topic. The better you understand what you're talking about — and the more you care about the topic — the less likely you'll make a mistake or get off track. And if you do get lost, you'll be able to recover quickly. Take some time to consider what questions the audience may ask and have your responses ready.
• Get organized. Ahead of time, carefully plan out the information you want to present, including any props, audio or visual aids. The more organized you are, the less nervous you'll be. Use an outline on a small card to stay on track. If possible, visit the place where you'll be speaking and review available equipment before your presentation.
• Practice, and then practice some more. Practice your complete presentation several times. Do it for some people you're comfortable with and ask for feedback. It may also be helpful to practice with a few people with whom you're less familiar. Consider making a video of your presentation so you can watch it and see opportunities for improvement.
• Challenge specific worries. When you're afraid of something, you may overestimate the likelihood of bad things happening. List your specific worries. Then directly challenge them by identifying probable and alternative outcomes and any objective evidence that supports each worry or the likelihood that your feared outcomes will happen.
• Visualize your success. Imagine that your presentation will go well. Positive thoughts can help decrease some of your negativity about your social performance and relieve some anxiety.
• Do some deep breathing. This can be very calming. Take two or more deep, slow breaths before you get up to the podium and during your speech.
• Focus on your material, not on your audience. People mainly pay attention to new information — not how it's presented. They may not notice your nervousness. If audience members do notice that you're nervous, they may root for you and want your presentation to be a success.
• Don't fear a moment of silence. If you lose track of what you're saying or start to feel nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem like you've been silent for an eternity. In reality, it's probably only a few seconds. Even if it's longer, it's likely your audience won't mind a pause to consider what you've been saying. Just take a few slow, deep breaths.
• Recognize your success. After your speech or presentation, give yourself a pat on the back. It may not have been perfect, but chances are you're far more critical of yourself than your audience is. See if any of your specific worries actually occurred. Everyone makes mistakes. Look at any mistakes you made as an opportunity to improve your skills.
• Get support. Join a group that offers support for people who have difficulty with public speaking. One effective resource is Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization with local chapters that focuses on training people in speaking and leadership skills.

If you can't overcome your fear with practice alone, consider seeking professional help. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a skills-based approach that can be a successful treatment for reducing fear of public speaking.

As another option, your doctor may prescribe a calming medication that you take before public speaking. If your doctor prescribes a medication, try it before your speaking engagement to see how it affects you.

Nervousness or anxiety in certain situations is normal, and public speaking is no exception. Known as performance anxiety, other examples include stage fright, test anxiety and writer's block. But people with severe performance anxiety that includes significant anxiety in other social situations may have social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia). Social anxiety disorder may require cognitive behavioral therapy, medications or a combination of the two.

Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P.

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• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association, 2013. http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• 90 tips from Toastmasters. Toastmasters International. https://www.toastmasters.org/About/90th-Anniversary/90-Tips. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• Stein MB, et al. Approach to treating social anxiety disorder in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• How to keep fear of public speaking at bay. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/02/tips-sidebar.aspx. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• Jackson B, et al. Re-thinking anxiety: Using inoculation messages to reduce and reinterpret public speaking fears. PLOS One. 2017;12:e0169972.
• Sawchuk CN (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 24, 2017.

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The Fear of Public Speaking: 25 Tips to Calm Your Nerves

by Matt Eventoff

1. Prepare:  The more you prepare and the better handle you have on the material you are presenting, the better it will go.

2. Practice:  Once you have prepared, you MUST practice, early and often. Rumor has it that Churchill practiced for one hour per one minute of speech content he was delivering. 5 minute presentation = 5 hours practice. How long are you practicing ?

3. Check out the Room:  Familiarity breeds comfort. Surprises the day of a presentation are not fun and ratchet up anxiety tenfold. Is there a podium? What technology are you using and does it work?

4. Read the Room:  While not always an option, when you have the opportunity to meet a few audience members beforehand, take it! Arrive ten minutes early and introduce yourself to a few people. If you are presenting mid-day, arrive before a key break to meet a few folks.

5. “Seed” the Audience:  Ask friends, associates or colleagues come to your presentation. Talk to the conference organizers when you arrive. Locate them before you take the stage, if possible. Identify where friendly faces are sitting. The purpose – to have friendly faces to focus on if the anxiety starts to build.

6. Remember the audience is on your side:  9 times out of 10, the audience is rooting for you to succeed, not waiting for you to fall flat.

7. Breathing:  My three favorite breathing techniques – 3 Deep Belly Breathes, Ujjaiy breathing, and the Alternate Nostril technique – these techniques are explained in further detail at the end

8. Listen to Music:  Watch a boxing or MMA competition or an NFL or NBA pre-game show and you will see world class athletes entering the locker room listening to music, getting in the zone, eliminating distraction and chasing away anxiety and negative thoughts. It works prior to public speaking as well; an iPod can be a presenter’s best friend.

9. Visualization:  It works. Professional boxers, when shadow boxing, do not throw random punches — they are visualizing an opponent and quite literally sparring with that visualization. Ballplayers do the same thing before approaching the plate. Elite athletes, musicians, actors and dancers utilize visualization regularly — Todd Hargrove has an excellent article on visualization in athletics here . Visualization, if done properly, works for speakers and presenters as well.

10. Body Movement:  A few minutes before “taking the stage” – “Waggle” (lateral movement) your jaw; bend forward and dangle your arms and let them shake; shake your hands over your head; utilize simple stretches and isometric stretches (more on that later) — all of these movements, when incorporated with proper breathing, warm the body, relax the mind and calm your nerves.

11. Body Movement, Pt. II:  As a former amateur boxer, nothing prepares me to speak better than light shadow boxing a few minutes before I have to speak. I know a CEO who (literally) does 20 pushups prior to every earnings call. Focused movement helps even more than just generic movement because it tends to take your thought process in a different direction.

12. Do Sit-Ups:  There is a school of thought that suggest that constricting the abdominal wall prevents the production of epinephrine, a hormone associated with fight or flight response. The most effective way to utilize this approach prior to speaking is to “crunch” and release the abdominal muscles while standing (lying down and doing sit ups is probably not optimal!)

13. Put the Pressure Elsewhere:  The more interactive your presentation, the less pressure you will feel, as the presentation becomes a true conversation, and most people are much more comfortable in a conversation than delivering a presentation.

14. Caffeine Free:  I always avoid copious amounts of caffeine (due to the epinephrine effect), and salty foods (to avoid drying out my mouth) on presentation day. I also tend to eat lighter on performance day as this keeps me sharp and “light.”

15. Utilize Props:  A properly placed water bottle and well-timed break in the presentation to take a sip not only gives the presenter a break for a few seconds, it draws attention back to the presenter, and can be effective to “reset” the audience.

16. Work on your Open:  The first minute of the presentation is usually when your tension will peak; having a well prepared, effective, engaging open will lessen anxiety dramatically. You can find some ideas on how to open effectively here.

17. The Restroom:  Don’t laugh, on presentation day the restroom is your ally. Ten or fifteen minutes before presenting, head into the restroom to allow yourself the opportunity to breathe, listen to a last minute song or inspirational music, close your eyes and get into your zone. If called upon to do a last minute presentation, you will always be able to steal five minutes in the restroom – use it to pull yourself, and your thoughts, together.

18. Anxiety…Interrupted:  When the anxiety is building and you are less than five minutes from taking the stage, your heart is starting to pound, heat is building and you keep telling yourself to calm down my favorite technique is to pick a random number – 1,795 and start counting backwards….by another random number – 7s, 9s, 11s, etc. It is not easy and allows for thought interruption, essentially plateauing the building anxiety

19. Anxiety…Distracted:  Maybe you are a math wizard, or the number technique is not effective for you. Start reciting the alphabet backward (mentally). Again, more thought process disruption.

20. Remember the reality:  I have worked with thousands of speakers over the years and have to come to the conclusion that you are always more nervous than you appear.

21. Remember the reality, Pt. II:  In most cases, your presentation is infinitely more important to you than to your audience members – it is your job to peak their collective interest. The reality is that 99.9999…% of the time, the nightmare scenarios you envision will not come true.

22. Breathing Exercise # 1:  Three Deep Belly Breaths – Sounds like what it is. Slowly inhale through the nose for a count of 5-15 (15 is optimal). Keep one hand on your diaphragm and feel it enlarge as you inhale. Hold for 5-10 seconds, and then exhale through your mouth slowly, again for a count of 5-15 seconds (15 is optimal). Repeat three times. This is awesome to do for the few minutes before you are actually going to be speaking.

23. Breathing Exercise #2:  Ujjaiy Breathing – Also known as Oceanic or Victorious Breathing – it is remarkable. It is a yogic breathing technique I first learned from struggling through Vinyasa yoga classes. Similar to deep belly breathing, however this time the mouth stays closed the entire time.

24. Breathing Exercise #3:  Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique (my favorite) – All you need for this is your thumb, your pinkie finger, and your nose. To begin, simply cover your left nostril with your left thumb, and slowly and deeply inhale for 5 seconds to start (10 is optimal). Then immediately cover your right nostril with your left pinkie finger, while keeping your left nostril pressed closed – at all times your mouth is closed as well, so at this point you are essentially holding your breathe. Again, hold for 5 seconds (10 is optimal). Then remove your left thumb from your left nostril and slowly exhale for a 10 count. Wait two seconds and repeat the same technique, inhaling through your left nostril as your right nostril is still closed, etc.

25. Use Notes:  Memorization + anxiety = poor performance. An index card with key bullet points, just to keep you on track, will help free your mind to stay in the moment, rather than allowing the pressure to remember to add to the anxiety you are already feeling on presentation day.

There are other effective tactics and strategies including taking advantage of great programs that allow you to practice presenting in front of likeminded professionals (Toastmasters), seeking professional help to develop individual techniques to deal with a specific anxiety or aspect of presenting and in extreme cases seeking the expertise of a therapist.

One last technique is one I frequently suggest to people who have had a traumatic public speaking experience in the past, and the technique is scaling.  After a traumatic experience your memory tends to exaggerate how poorly the event went, and the more time that goes by without that thought pattern being interrupted, the “bigger” the event feels, and the more anxious you feel prior to the next presentation. In this case it is critical to break this pattern, and that is done through scaling – finding low stakes…..

The next time you are about to present, do yourself a favor and take a deep breath. Picture Winston Churchill or Abraham Lincoln. Two of the greatest orators ever, both suffering from a fear of public speaking. Think about major Hollywood actors and actresses, many of who also suffer from glossophobia. You are not alone, and I can promise that if you institute much of what you just read, your next presentation will be better.

6 thoughts on “ The Fear of Public Speaking: 25 Tips to Calm Your Nerves ”

Matt, your posts are inciteful and extremely helpful. Thank you…..

I am a music teacher in a small Las Vegas studio and I am scheduled to give a seminar this weekend on calming performance jitters.  I have read many useless articles (roll your shoulders, etc) but this was the first list I've ever seen that is right on target and extremely helpful.  Thank you so much for your insights and good advice.  I'm sure my students will find this as beneficial as I do.

P.S.  My seminar is entitled, "Picturing them in their underwear doesn't work."

Thanks Matt. Another tip that I try to use is to remind myself of other, more important presentations I have done in the past and how well they went despite me feeling very nervous. I always got through them. I have a list of about 25 presentations I have done in work, at conferences, at University, viva exams, etc. They remind you that you know your stuff and can get over the fear. I try to think of my heart racing as "feeling alive" and try to use it as a positive. Practice is the best tip though. The more comfortable you are, the easy it is. That first few lines are the key. Nail them and you will feel great and the practicing will kick in for the rest of the presentation. You will live. No one is dying. Your life doesn't depend on it. Focus on what you will be able to do afterwards and how good you will feel once it is all out of the way.

Thank you 🙂

This really helped! My worst fear is public speaking and after reading this article, I feel pretty confident about my speech tomorrow. Thanks!

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PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY

The fear of public speaking is the most common phobia ahead of death, spiders, or heights. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, affects about 40%* of the population. The underlying fear is judgment or negative evaluation by others. Public speaking anxiety is considered a social anxiety disorder. * Gallup News Service, Geoffrey Brewer, March 19, 2001.

The fear of public speaking is worse than the fear of death

Evolution psychologists believe there are primordial roots. Our prehistoric ancestors were vulnerable to large animals and harsh elements. Living in a tribe was a basic survival skill. Rejection from the group led to death. Speaking to an audience makes us vulnerable to rejection, much like our ancestors’ fear.

A common fear in public speaking is the brain freeze. The prospect of having an audience’s attention while standing in silence feels like judgment and rejection.

Why the brain freezes

The pre-frontal lobes of our brain sort our memories and is sensitive to anxiety. Dr. Michael DeGeorgia of Case Western University Hospitals, says: “If your brain starts to freeze up, you get more stressed and the stress hormones go even higher. That shuts down the frontal lobe and disconnects it from the rest of the brain. It makes it even harder to retrieve those memories.”

The fight or flight response activates complex bodily changes to protect us. A threat to our safety requires immediate action. We need to respond without debating whether to jump out of the way of on oncoming car while in an intersection. Speaking to a crowd isn’t life threatening. The threat area of the brain can’t distinguish between these threats.

Help for public speaking anxiety

We want our brains to be alert to danger. The worry of having a brain freeze increases our anxiety. Ironically, it increases the likelihood of our mind’s going blank as Dr. DeGeorgia described. We need to recognize that the fear of brain freezing isn’t a life-or-death threat like a car barreling towards us while in a crosswalk.

Change how we think about our mind going blank.

De-catastrophize brain freezes . It might feel horrible if it happens in the moment. The audience will usually forget about it quickly. Most people are focused on themselves. We’ve handled more difficult and challenging situations before. The long-term consequence of this incident is minimal.

Leave it there . Don’t dwell on the negative aspects of the incidents. Focus on what we can learn from it. Worry that it will happen again will become self-fulfilling. Don’t avoid opportunities to create a more positive memory.

Perfectionism won’t help . Setting unachievable standards of delivering an unblemished speech increases anxiety. A perfect speech isn’t possible. We should aim to do our best instead of perfect.

Silence is gold . Get comfortable with silence by practicing it in conversations. What feels like an eternity to us may not feel that way to the audience. Silence is not bad. Let’s practice tolerating the discomfort that comes with elongated pauses.

Avoidance reinforces . Avoiding what frightens us makes it bigger in our mind. We miss out on the opportunity to obtain disconfirming information about the trigger.

Rehearse to increase confidence

Practice but don’t memorize . There’s no disputing that preparation will build confidence. Memorizing speeches will mislead us into thinking there is only one way to deliver an idea. Forgetting a phrase or sentence throw us off and hastens the brain freeze. Memorizing provides a false sense of security.

Practice with written notes. Writing out the speech may help formulate ideas. Practice speaking extemporaneously using bullet points to keep us on track.

Practice the flow of the presentation . Practice focusing on the message that’s delivered instead of the precise words to use. We want to internalize the flow of the speech and remember the key points.

Practice recovering from a brain freeze . Practice recovery strategies by purposely stopping the talk and shifting attention to elsewhere. Then, refer to notes to find where we left off. Look ahead to the next point and decide what we’d like to say next. Finally, we’ll find someone in the audience to start talking to and begin speaking.

Be prepared for the worst . If we know what to do in the worst-case scenario (and practice it), we’ll have confidence in our ability to handle it. We do that by preparing what to say to the audience if our mind goes blank. Visualizing successful recovery of the worst will help us figure out what needs to be done to get back on track.

Learn to relax

Remember to breathe . We can reduce anxiety by breathing differently. Take slow inhalations and even slower exhalations with brief pauses in between. We’ll be more likely to use this technique if practiced in times of low stress.

Speak slowly . It’s natural to speed up our speech when we are anxious. Practice slowing speech while rehearsing. When we talk quickly, our brain sees it is a threat. Speaking slowly and calmly gives the opposite message to our brain.

Make eye contact with the audience . Our nerves might tell us to avoid eye contact. Making deliberate eye contact with a friendly face will build confidence and slow our speaking.

Join a group . Practice builds confident in public speaking. Groups like Toastmasters International provide peer support to hone our public speaking skill. Repeated exposure allows us to develop new beliefs about our fear and ability to speak in public.

The fear of our mind going blank during a speech is common. Job advancement or college degree completion may be hampered by not addressing this fear.

Get additional practical suggestions on overcoming public speaking anxiety in this CNBC article by the director of NSAC Brooklyn, Chamin Ajjan, LCSW, A-CBT, CST.

How to Get Help for Social Anxiety

The National Social Anxiety Center (NSAC) is an association of independent Regional Clinics and Associates throughout the United States with certified cognitive-behavioral therapists (CBT) specializing in social anxiety and other anxiety-related problems.

Find an NSAC Regional Clinic or Associate which is licensed to help people in the state where you are located.

Places where nsac regional clinics and associates are based.

Overcome Your Fear of Presenting in Class

Many middle and high school students feel nervous when they have to present in class. Public speaking is a common fear— you're not alone . But with the right tools, mindset, and a few practical tips, you can overcome this fear and give your presentation with confidence.

7 ways to improve your classroom presentation skills

To succeed in high school, you need strong communication skills . You have to be able to communicate clearly during team projects and speak up about your opinions and needs. You also need to develop public speaking skills for giving presentations and reports.

Improving these skills can make school easier, more successful, and more enjoyable, too. But what if you have a fear of presenting in class? Below are some school presentation tips you can start using today.

1 Practice makes progress

First, remember that skills take time to develop. Give yourself lots of chances to practice. You might give a presentation to your parents about why you deserve a raise in your allowance. Or you could explain your favorite hobby, show, or video game to a friend.

If you're nervous about a report or presentation you have to give, make sure to practice it at home. Present your report to family members or even just to yourself in the mirror.

2 Practice abdominal breathing 

Abdominal breathing is also called belly breathing. It helps ensure you have enough air to speak clearly and confidently.

Breathing from your abdomen, which is right below your ribcage, improves how your speech sounds and how your voice projects. If you feel scared when you have to do a presentation, it also slows your heart rate and helps you relax.

To do belly breathing, take a full, deep breath before beginning to speak. Use your abdomen to breathe, rather than your chest. Breathing only with your chest leads to shallow breathing, so you might not get enough air for clear, confident speech.

3 Add pauses

When you’re talking, pause between ideas. Adding pauses allows you to think about what to say next. It also gives your audience time to process your words.

You shouldn’t wait until you run out of breath to pause and take another breath. Remember, you’re trying to communicate a message, not just get all the words out.

Let’s look at this sentence, for example: “When you hear my knock, open the door.” Most people can say this in one breath without pausing. However, pausing between “When you hear my knock” and “open the door” makes it easier for the listener to process each part.

4 Pace yourself 

Some people talk too fast when they’re nervous. Speaking at the right pace makes your speech clearer and helps you sound confident. Try not to speak too quickly or too slowly:

Aim to speak between 120 and 150 words per minute for most situations.

If you’re presenting to a large audience, slow down to about 100-120 words per minute.

If you’re talking about complicated information, aim for closer to 100 words per minute.

For practice, you can time yourself to see how long it takes you to read 120-150 words.

5 Use notes as you speak

Jot down key points on paper to ensure you cover all your main ideas and stay on track during your speech. Having a list of key points in front of you helps you remember everything important. That makes you feel more self-assured as you present.

6 Use eye contact and body language

Make eye contact with people in your audience. Use gestures and move around a bit to keep your audience interested. This will make your presentation more dynamic and engaging.

7 Try positive visualization

This technique can lower your anxiety about speaking and boost your confidence. To do it, simply imagine yourself giving a successful presentation. Picture a positive outcome. When you picture yourself succeeding before your presentation, you'll feel more prepared and self-assured.

How speech therapy can help with fear of of speaking

Middle school and high school isn’t always easy. It takes practice to build confidence and communication skills. If you're struggling with talking in front of the class, know that help is available.

At Expressable, we believe communication is more than just words. It's about expressing what you believe, sharing your feelings, and showing who you are. You don't need to have a speech problem to benefit from working with a speech therapist. Many people simply need help managing their nerves and improving their speaking skills.

Communication is about expressing what you believe, sharing your feelings, and showing who you are.

Speech therapy can help improve social skills, professional speaking, and overall confidence. A speech-language pathologist (SLP), also known as a speech therapist, will create a plan based on your needs and goals. Your therapy sessions will include interactive lessons with fun, relevant activities. You'll learn to navigate new situations, advocate for yourself, make friends , lead projects, and believe in your abilities.

Speech therapists work with teens on various strategies to build confidence when speaking. This might include setting goals like "thinking of what to say," "speaking without stuttering," or simply "feeling confident when I speak." Working with a licensed speech therapist can help you feel less nervous about speaking.

Confronting fears isn’t easy, but a speech therapist can help you gradually reduce your anxiety and improve your communication skills. Your voice matters, and what you have to say is important. If you want to overcome a fear of public speaking, consider talking with a speech therapist. You and your parent or guardian can schedule a free consult call and speak to one of our speech therapists anytime!

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