How do I overcome my fear of speaking in front of groups?

Question

Please help me. I get so nervous when im about to speak in front of people. My stomach gets in knots, my palms sweat, my hearts pounds. What should I do?

Answer 1

OK... first you need to know that ALL speakers feel that way, especially when they're inexperienced.

I've heard it said that if you look at someone in the audience and visualize them standing there in silly bathing suit or underware, that it relieves the tension.

Another trick would be to go to your library and offer to do reading times to children, or go to a grammar school and do a speaking event for a few classes, or the entire student body telling about your work. Children are a less threatening audience. With children you can stand there and laugh at your mistakes.

I am sure there are other things you can do, but I think these would work.

Answer 2

It takes work.
First, try practicing your speech simply in front of yourself in a mirror...Continue to do that until you're confident in your words. Where you could practically recite the speech verbatim without cues or notes.
Then, when you've learned your speech sufficiently, ask a trusted friend or relative to listen to it. Practice in front of them in the same manner... until you've completed the speech a couple of times successfully.
Then you just increase the size of your audience slowly... invite the whole family to listen... some neighbors... friends... co-workers...

But trust me... the majority of public speakers have the same fears and insecurities.

When you're actually giving the speech...

It's okay to have notecards or something to which you can refer if you lose your train of thought.

Don't feel rushed. The audience wants to hear everything you have to say, so speak clearly and slowly enough that they can hear and understand.

Understand that when you DO make a mistake, the audience isn't going to judge you for it. As I stated earlier... most people have the same fears. They support you and can relate to your difficulties.

And lastly, just be confident in yourself. Make sure that you look good, are well-rested, and have a sufficiently full stomach. Have fun with it. =-)

Answer 3

Who says that you should do anything? Sometimes experience is the best medicine. You should understand as well as possible your fear. Are you afraid of rejection? Are you afraid of mistakes? Are you afraid of people? As you learn you can make a decision. Example: I am afraid of rejection. The worst that will happen is... I am not really afraid of that. Hence, I am not afraid of rejection. Again, experience counts for something. Public speaking won't hurt you. Prepare. Know your subject. Further realize that you are in no danger. You are quite safe. You will speak, probably be congratulated and go home.

Answer 4

What makes me feel better about presenting in front of people is knowing that no one will remember this speech in the future. My speech will disappear from their short term memory in a matter of seconds to a matter of days. It's no big deal if you don't treat it like one. Talk to the group like you are talking to just ONE person that you are comfortable with. Look at the TOP of a person's head to give the illusion that you are giving them eye contact. If you still need help, have a drink to loosen up. Not piss drunk mind you but just a bit happier.

Answer 5

overcome fear speaking front groups

Answer 6

Relax.inhale.exhale.and practice talking / speaking when in an informal group as if it is already your real talk,to allay your fears. Be with people to overcome your fears and build up your self confidence in public speaking.

Answer 7

There are several steps of tricks to use to overcome this fear:
1-Be well-prepared before speaking to a group
That means: prepare your material, plan what you're going to talk about, have with you an outline of facts and information. Be aware of what type of audience you will be speaking before. This will give you an idea of the subject matter and tone of your speech.

2-Practice your speech
Practice your speech many times before you give it.
(a) Practice alone.
Ways to practice alone are to first simply say the speech out loud. This is good to get the material more ingrained in your memory.
(b) Use a mirror.
Then say the speech, looking into a mirror. This is good to do, because you must concentrate more. You also get an idea of how you look when speaking. Finally, if you must refer to notes, it allows you to practice eye contact with the audience.
(c) Stand in the corner.
An interesting trick is to say your speech while standing in the corner. The sound reflects back to you, and you can get a good idea how you sound when you speak.
(d) Record your practice.
Another way to practice is using a tape recorder. This forces you to avoid pausing to try to remember things. It also allows you to play the speech back to study how you sound, your phrasing, and the content of the material.
(e) Use a friendly audience.
Practice before friends. This is a very important way to practice, because it is getting closer to the "real world" of speaking to a group. Even an audience of one person is good for this type of practice.

3-Have a backup, in case you forget what you want to say
Have an your speech outlined on a few sheets of paper or on 3X5 cards. This will provide you with a safety net, thus reducing your anxiety.

4-Reduce the fear of your audience
One method to overcome this fear is to visualize the people as not all that important. An old trick is to imagine that the audience is naked. Or perhaps imagine them all in clown outfits. A ridiculous image will make them seem not all that important.

5-Relax yourself just before you speak
When you are introduced to speak, take three breaths to settle you down before you get out of your chair, thank the person who introduced you and then count to 10 before you start speaking. This will allow the audience to get settled and ready to hear you. It also is a way that you are showing that you are now in control.

It is not easy to do, because you have to look at the audience and panic may settle in. But if you have made all the preparations, you can be sure of yourself and deserve to be in control of the situation. It is a good feeling.

It is good to practice speaking more often to hone your skills and to reduce any fears you may have.

In other words, practice. As with many other things, practice makes perfect.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Same thing happens to me. Go to a doctor, tell them you get nervous and ask them for beta blockers. It's a blood pressure medication that happens to help stage fright. They don't have a psychoactive effect (affect your mental state), they just keep you from getting the symptoms of nervousness (heart pounding, dry mouth, difficulty speaking).

If you don't want to go to a doctor you can buy propanolol (AKA inderol) online (google it) for about thirteen dollars for 100 tablets with no prescription. It's what I use. Make sure to read the counterindications to make sure you don't have any conditions or prescriptions which would conflict with it.

Answer 9

For a group presentation, you should really rehearse in front of a mirror until you feel comfortable with the material you are about to present. You should practice until your speech flows naturally, and there are no pauses for "hmmm..." and "huh...".

If you feel this when speaking in front of people regardless of the situation, you may have social anxiety and should seek a therapist/psychiatrist for help.

Answer 10

1. Roll a fatty
2. Smoke it
3. Wait 5 to 10 min
4. Go speak in front of anybody without a care in the world