According to a recent study, death tops the list of the factors of which people fear the most. But the bigger surprise was the second factor in the list which was public speaking. That shows how much people fear public speaking. It can also be called as stage fright.

As a famous saying goes ‘The average person at a funeral would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy’. Even the most confident and competent of personalities go through anxiety and fear when it comes to making a public speech. It’s common to find people having fast heart beat, sweating profusely and stammering during the time of public speaking. Glossophobia is the term for fear of public speaking. Many people in different walks of life suffer from this problem.

But like all other fears, Glossophobia can also be conquered by following a step by step process.

  • Begin practicing public speaking in front of friends and family. One needs to begin on a small scale. Family and friends are most likely to be co-operative and encouraging. One can build up from there. One must remember, the number of audience never makes much difference. Having a deft control over the subject topic is very helpful in removing stage fear.
  • Knowing the speech material is a big asset when it comes to making public speech. This not only gives confidence of having the command over topic but also reduces speech fear to a great extent. It also helps to rehearse quite a few times before the final speech.
  • One of foremost requirement for overcoming public speaking fear is one should never memorize the material. Just having key points in mind goes a long way in making an effective speech.
  • One innovative but effective method to get rid of Glossophobia is by making few friends in audience by introducing oneself before the actual speech starts. During the actual speech, looking into those friends’ eyes helps in easing nerves and also in connecting with the audience.
  • Finally, before entering onto the stage, one must try to visualize a positive outcome and indulge in some deep belly breathing techniques. This proves very fruitful in enhancing confidence, increasing personality development and reducing stress.

Following these steps will go a long way in overcoming fear of public speaking.