Glossophobia | Stage Fright | How can you overcome Public Speaking Anxiety?

Glossophobia basically is the fear or  nervousness to speak in public.Psychologists consider it as Social Phobia- social anxiety disorder.You can also call it as stage fright.People hesitate to speak in front of public and this level of hesitation increases as the number of people in front of increases.

Glossophobia is not a dangerous disease or a chronic condition but it is very common especially in young people. Researches have shown that Glossophobia is present in almost 65-70% of population.

What Happens in Glossophobia?

Whenever you give presentation in front of class or your present your  point/ thoughts in public, you experience trembling of legs/hands , increase sweating, increase heartbeat , dizziness or squeaky voice, etc. Glossophobia may also be due to social, biological, and psychological factors.I think everyone faces this condition in his life but those who don't put efforts to overcome this condition and don't courage to speak,they may become Glossophobic.

How Glossophobia affects your life ?

Glossophobic people can't express their motives or thoughts properly to people.They are unable to impress the audience with their speech.They lack in communication skills therefore they hesitate to take part in discussions.People don't give importance to their narratives.Its very difficult for them to convince anyone.Mostly they feel hesitation and nervousness when they give interview.

How to overcome Glossophobia?

Many people think about their bad performance before speech and may increase their nervousness. Get rid of this kind of bad performance think positive and visualize your wonderful performance at the stage."Practice makes a man perfect ".So, practice in front of yours friends family or mirror. In this way, your confidence level will rise.Before your turn,take deep breath. It will help you to increase your thinking power on the spot.
Hydrate yourself before speech.

Remember one thing, you are at the stage to increase the knowledge of the Audience or to tell them something new. So,focus the Audience to deliver your message.When suddenly you forget your content or brain-freez or blank then,What will  you do? You should have a backup plan like any question to ask your audience or other activities.

Author:
Shoaib Maqbool
Rahbar Medical College Lahore