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Do you fear judgement? Do you feel extreme stress during a presentation? Leading you to participate only in activities that doesn't require public speaking, or making you avoid public speaking at all cost. The fear in public speaking is referred to as "glossophobia". It is when a person extremely feels fear and anxiousness when required to speak in public. In severe circumstances, sufferers encounter increased anxiety, panic attacks, and nausea. Glossophobics will then go to considerable efforts to refrain from speaking in front of others.
The question is, how can we overcome, or prevent having glossophobia aka the fear of speaking in public?
Let's Get To Know These People!
If you are a fan of "Star Wars", then you must know Harrison Ford, the first person who portrayed the character of Han Solo. Harrison described public speaking as "a mixed bag of terror and anxiety". However, that didn't stop him from starring in a number of big budget films - like "Indiana Jones" - and win an award.
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Glossophobia has affected many well-known people, including presidents, legislators, and even actors. Aside from Harrison Ford and Samuel L. Jackson, a few well-known examples include Renée Zellweger, Nicole Kidman, Thomas Jefferson, Sigmund Freud, Abraham Lincoln, and Gandhi. At some point, they all mention actually going out of their way to avoid speaking in public.
It may not be a serious condition, but having glossophobia could greatly affect one's daily lifestyle, especially students. Many students tend to avoid public speaking due to speech anxiety, resulting to several difficulties such as low self esteem, social isolation, poor socialization skills, pessimism, and poor academic performances. Now, if you are one of those people who fear public speaking, a technique I called the SPEAK Method might be of help to you.
S is for Stand Up!
First and foremost, you must learn to stand up for yourself. You must believe in yourself that you are confident and capable of doing great things. Know that your opinion matters, and you have the right to voice out your thoughts.
P is for Practice Makes Perfect!
Practicing is the best way to improve yourself. As a person who fears speaking in public, you can start by practicing speaking in front of a mirror. Fix your posture, you way of delivering speech, and other qualities that can make you an effective speaker. After some time, try doing it in front of people who are close to you and you are comfortable with. Through them, you can get constructive critiques that can help you improve and be better, until you're ready speaking out in public.
E is for Express!
Talking, writing, music, painting, dance, and other forms of expression are all ways to express yourself. There is no end to the ways you can communicate your feelings or the range of factors that make it crucial. Self expression is important as it how people will perceive you. By expressing ourselves thoughtfully or creatively, we can better communicate, collaborate, and build a community with others.
A is for Acknowledgement!
Showing humility acknowledging people who helped and supported you through your journey is also important. With their help and support, it was made possible for you to reach your goals. Remember that it wasn't always you and yourself who got you to the top! And being humble and recognizing them as one of the reasons behind your success is one way to repay their kindness and support to you.
K is for Keep it up!
Lastly, keep it up! You're doing great! Be consistent in improving yourself and be successful. The main force behind success is consistency. Being consistent entails committing to your objectives and maintaining attention on the tasks and endeavors necessary to fulfill them. And as you do so, consider helping other people who are experiencing what you used to be before.
Through this method, you may slowly but surely overcome your fear in speaking in public, aka glossophobia. There are a lot more different ways to battle this fear. Conducting seminars and workshops is also a great platform for advocating overcoming glossophobia, sharing it to everybody, especially us, students. I hope after reading this, you are all encouraged to SPEAK! Stand, Practice, Express, Acknowledge, and Keep it up!
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Bailey, E. (2020, June 15). Harrison Ford Talk About His Fear Of Public Speaking. HealthCentral. https://www.healthcentral.com/article/celebrities-with-anxiety-harrison-ford-fear-of-public-speaking
Syed, A. (n.d.) Glossophobia: What Is It, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, And More. Osmosis From Elsevier. https://www.osmosis.org/answers/glossophobia#:~:text=Signs%20of%20glossophobia%20may%20include,do%20not%20require%20public%20speaking.
Johnson, N. (2016, October 10). How To Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking. British Council. https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-overcome-fear-public-speaking#:~:text=Many%20famous%20people%20have%20suffered,to%20avoid%20speaking%20in%20public.
The Importance Of Developing Public Speaking. Boys & Girls Club of Greater Conejo Valley. https://www.bgcconejo.org/the-importance-of-public-speaking/#:~:text=Public%20speaking%20helps%20to%20progress,Planning%20experience
DeVries, H. (2019. October 27). Overcome Speaking Like Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts and Samuel L. Jackson. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/henrydevries/2019/10/27/overcome-speaking-fear-like-harrison-ford-julia-roberts-and-samuel-l-jackson/?sh=7e098c4d20f6
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