Not always easy to express ourselves in public! Here’s some valuable tips to help us control our stage fright and regain self-confidence.
Speaking in front of an audience is stressful. Why?
This fear is linked to the environment in which we operate: an overly normative educational system, a family unit, a cultural heritage which transmits a discreet and gentle vision of women… These words which call us back in “our place” have a very strong influence on our construction.
In order to free ourselves from these injunctions, we can start by thinking about the origin of our blockages. This helps us to “extricate ourselves” from the place that has been assigned to us and with which we identify. Deconstructing our history allows us to shed new light on it, with our adult eyes.
Getting ready help alleviate the stage fright!
Preparing well, and as soon as possible, gives us full possession of our means. Since the voice depends on it, it is essential to work on your breathing (pulmonary and abdominal), in order to amplify the diaphragm and relax it. This exercise puts you in a state of inner calm and gives presence.
And since stage fright imaginatively plunges us into the situation ahead, the practice of positive visualization is very effective. Since the brain does not differentiate between a lived experience and an imagined experience, we project ourselves into the scene as we would like it to unfold, in full of detail. When the time comes, the brain, which will have already experienced and integrated it, will gain in ease.
Getting rid of some received ideas!
Contrary to popular belief, communication is not just about the content of the message. To be listened to, it is essential to create a connection with the audience. The look, the gestures, the enthusiasm, the hesitations too, bring life and create closeness. These are all conditions for a successful speech. It’s about being as close as possible to yourself. You may have learned your speech by heart, but what matters more than the content of the message is the emotional resonance. So we assume our emotions and the unforeseen that could arise.
Taking the time to present the context!
In our fast-paced society, we tend to want to get straight to the point when speaking out. It’s a decoy. Taking the time to present the context of our intervention to our audience helps to capture their attention. It is helpful to explain to him why he is going to listen to us and how interesting what we have to say to him.
Rehearsing!
It is better to know where we are going and how. It works! First of all, by being present in what we are doing, convincing ourselves before convincing the audience. By repeating our presentation aloud, and in the posture in which we are going to intervene (standing or sitting), by imagining the people in front, their expectations, their needs, their knowledge of the subject, wee acquire ease. Fine-tuning the start – the first sentences must be known by heart – gets us on track and reassures us. And finally, the opportunity to recall the context and end with an anecdote, to mark the audience even more.
Reference: https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/9-ways-anyone-can-be-better-public-speaker-ncna779896
Photo by fauxels from Pexels
