FINDING
YOUR VOICE
Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking |  |
Everyday
women make decisions based on whether or not they have to speak in public. Students
have dropped courses or limited their career choices, activists and civic-minded
citizens have given up their causes, and professionals have turned down promotions
or have been passed over because they were afraid to speak. You
are not alone
The #1 fear in this country is speaking before a group.
Millions of people suffer in silence with the fear and anxiety associated with
public speaking. Accept
the Feelings
Don't focus on the fear or try to push it away. You fuel
the fear by concentrating on it. Positive
Self-talking and Visualization
A positive and a negative cannot inhabit
the same space at the same time. Fill your mind with positive imagery and messages
and you push the negative, anxious thoughts and feelings out. Use
Manageable Mind Fillers
Anticipatory anxiety before speaking can sometimes
be worse than actually speaking. Fill your head with diversions such as counting
backwards from 100 by 3's, tell yourself a joke, sing silly children's songs in
your head, count paisley's on someone's dress pattern, or really focus in on what
someone else is saying. Calm
Breathing
Don't forget to breathe and don't breathe high in the chest.
Both will cause shortness of breath, light headedness, and dizziness, which are
also symptoms of panic. Diaphragmatic breathing, or breathing from the diaphragm
or abdomen, has a calming effect. Relaxation
Exercises
Use in combination with breathing and visualization exercises.
The effects are cumulative. The more comfortable you are with these practices,
the easier it is to enter into a relaxed state when panic and fear arise. Lessons
for the Lectern
SMILE! You look more relaxed, feel more comfortable, and
people will enjoy looking at you and listening to you. Also, the audience mirrors
your facial expressions. Rehearse.
Practice. Prepare.
Practice in front of a mirror to notice gestures
and eye contact.
Rehearse with a hand held recorder. Spoken language
and written language differ. Practice. Reassess. Revise. Never Wing It!
It sends a message to your audience that you really don't care. Pause
A thoughtful pause or moment of silence is always preferable to "AHS, UMS, and
YOU KNOWS"! These are verbal crutches. A pause can be dramatic, let's information
sink in, and gives us time to collect our thoughts. Use
Eye Contact
Look around the room briefly catching the eye of your audience
members. A nod or smile from them is a great comfort and looking at them gives
you a connection. Gesture
Use your hands and arms. If you clutch yourself or the lectern, nervous energy
has nowhere to go. Move around and gesture and you will help your body relax. Don't
forget to BREATHE!
Holding your breath will increase your anxiety and
your feelings of panic (not to mention make it difficult to get your words out!). Memorize
Memorize the beginning and end of your speech so you don't have to read from
your notes. You make a stronger first and last impression if you have eye contact
with your audience. Be
Persuasive
Be more persuasive and less informative. The more information,
the more you will be tuned out. You need personal stories, drama, and emotion
to bring your presentation to life. Remember
Most often your audience is rooting for you and wants you to succeed. Speak
your mind
Share your ideas, and find your voice. Your spirit wants
to be heard. Express the beauty and knowledge you hold within and let it be
your gift to the world. For
information about FINDING YOUR VOICE workshops, contact Janet Terban Morris (JanTM@aol.com)
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