Sean Kenaston is the author of Stress Handbook: Stress Management Guide.
A phobia, or anxiety, of public speaking is common to most people throughout the world. Many of us would rather communicate by email or phone than in front of a group of people. Whether it’s large or small, standing in front of a group of people is psychologically difficult and it can often lead to physical discomfort, excessive sweating, and a rapid heartbeat.
There are many reasons why you might develop public speaking anxiety, which include low self-confidence, a lack of preparation, and fear of failure. However, public speaking is a basic requirement for many jobs from sales, to public relations, to teaching. If you don’t learn to deal with this anxiety, you’re likely to create excessive work stress, which can jeopardize your career. Fortunately, there are many ways of overcoming your public speaking anxiety.
1. Take care when planning your speech. Your presentation should be tailored to your audience and it should answer the question, “what’s in it for them?” Don’t try to stuff too much information in the speech; if it’s 10 minutes long, don’t fit in more than three main points. Finally, be sure to include a clear beginning, middle and end to the speech.
Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself; it helps listeners hear the main points. You can experiment with a variety of different vocal techniques and body language, and use anecdotes to illustrate various concepts.
2. Prepare emotionally and mentally. Meditation or yoga can help you to prepare physically and can help you learn to quiet your mind. This helps control your public speaking anxiety. It will also help control your breathing, which is critical for a confident and clear speaking voice.
3. Practice every chance you get. This doesn’t just include reading your speech in front of a mirror. That definitely helps, but there’s more you can do in everyday life. Whenever have to talk to someone, such as a waiter or sales clerk, practice controlling your breathing and speaking with confidence. Once you’re able to interact one-on-one with various types of people, you’ll begin to feel more confident speaking in front of larger groups and be well on your way to overcoming your public speaking anxiety.
Public speaking can be a powerful activity that can transform you. As you increase your confidence making speeches, you will feel a heightened sense of pride and accomplishment, and the benefits of this will spill over into other areas of your life.
Excessive stress can be a critical factor preventing you from having the confidence to overcome public speaking anxiety. Learn to defeat your stress and take back control of your life using Stress Handbook.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Public Speaking - The Art of Speech Making
- Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety
- Public Speaking And Hypnotherapy
- Fear of Public Speaking Phobia - How To Overcome
- Public Speaking - How To Begin
- On Public Speaking: Making Utter Terror Look Good
- Fear of Public Speaking: is it Justified?
- Do You Feel Anxiety When Speaking?




Nigeria: State and City police
By: korloki | 28/12/2009Nigeria can not run away from stating state and city police to sove the issue of insecurity in the country.Nigeria can not run away from State and City Police
Delivering a Good Best Man Speech The Dos and Donts
By: Steve Robbins | 28/12/2009Have you ever delivered a best man speech? It is, for most people, probably the hardest thing to do - only next to getting married. So, if you are a little tense, don't worry. You are not alone.
Three Ordinary Faults Persons Make Following to Get Attractive Six Pack Abs
By: Owen Linnen | 25/12/2009Almost of the millions of people shooting to get good looking six packs abs for themselves create the similar three mistakes time and time again. This article is going to talk about them only.
Best Man Speeches The Deadly Sins You Need to Avoid Part 2 of 2
By: Steve Robbins | 22/12/2009You should ignore the romantic comedy movies you watch, where the best man of the wedding ruins the big day with an awful speech. You should follow these seven tips of what not to do during your speech if you have been drafted to be a best man. This is part 2 which outlines the last three of the seven deadly sins of Best Man Speeches.
Choose Your Words Wisely - A Brief Look at the Dynamic Power of Language
By: James M. Hussey | 22/12/2009This is a thoughtful look at the power of words - the spoken word as well as written. Written after a lifetime of consideration on the subject from a first-hand witness to both the healing and devastating nature of what we let slip from our mouths daily.
Best Man Speeches - The Deadly Sins You Need to Avoid - Part 1 of 2
By: Steve Robbins | 22/12/2009Ignore the romantic comedy movies you watch, where the best man of the wedding ruins the big day with an awful speech. As a best man, you should follow these seven tips of what not to do during your speech. This is part 1 which outlines four of the seven deadly sins of Best Man Speeches.
Finding it Hard to Prepare a Funny Best Man Speech? Here Are Some Tips to Help You
By: Steve Robbins | 22/12/2009A funny best man speech is something that everyone enjoys. Delivering a funny, witty, and appealing speech is easy once you understand the key aspects.
Pakistan Valentine’s Day
By: Mansoor Lakhani | 19/12/2009Valentine’s Day is a holiday that is celebrated in almost all countries of the world in some form or another. The idea behind this special holiday is to celebrate love and appreciate the ones close to you. Pakistan Valentine’s Day is celebrated with as much enthusiasm as it is in the Western World. In fact, this is one occasion that gives young couples a chance to express their undying love for each other. It has become quite a trend in most universities and schools to organize carnivals, bake s
3 Powerful Techniques To Help Master Persuasive Public Speaking!
By: Sean Kenaston | 24/02/2009 | Public SpeakingDiscover the techniques used by the most influential speakers, such as John F. Kennedy or Susan B. Anthony, to inspire people to take action and motivate them to change.
Do You Need Better Stress Relief Techniques?
By: Sean Kenaston | 26/01/2009 | Stress ManagementIf you’re not handling your stress correctly, you stand the risk of suffering serious physical and mental health problems. Find out if your current stress relief techniques are working for you and what you can do to fix them.
Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety
By: Sean Kenaston | 22/01/2009 | Public SpeakingDiscover the techniques needed for overcoming public speaking anxiety and discover the confidence you never thought you had!
Do You Value Stress Management?
By: Sean Kenaston | 16/01/2009 | Stress ManagementThe value of stress management should never be underestimated. Find out how proper stress management can allow you to take back control of your life!
The Best Way to Choose an Email Autoresponder
By: Sean Kenaston | 03/10/2007 | EmailDiscover how to choose the best email autoresponder for your business.
How to Ensure your Email Reaches your Readers
By: Sean Kenaston | 08/08/2007 | EmailLearn what you should do to ensure your marketing emails reach your subscribers.
Why Should you Cloak your Affiliate Links?
By: Sean Kenaston | 17/07/2007 | Affiliate ProgramsLearn about the problems plaguing affiliate links and the best ways to get around them so you can protect your affiliate sales.
Are you Sending Spam by Mistake?
By: Sean Kenaston | 10/07/2007 | EmailDiscover the techniques you must be aware of to ensure your marketing emails never get flagged as Spam and are always delivered to you subscribers.