the fear of public speaking essay

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To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, Stop Thinking About Yourself

Sarah Gershman

Tips for before and during your presentation.

Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s how our brains are programmed, so how can we overcome it? Human generosity. The key to calming the amygdala and disarming our panic button is to turn the focus away from ourselves — away from whether we will mess up or whether the audience will like us — and toward helping the audience. Showing kindness and generosity to others has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which has the power to calm the fight-or-flight response. When we are kind to others, we tend to feel calmer and less stressed. The same principle applies in speaking. When we approach speaking with a spirit of generosity, we counteract the sensation of being under attack and we feel less nervous.

Most of us — even those at the top — struggle with public-speaking anxiety. When I ask my clients what makes them nervous, invariably they respond with the same answers:

Sarah Gershman is an executive speech coach and CEO of Green Room Speakers. She is a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where she teaches public speaking to leaders from around the globe.

Glossophobia (Fear of Public Speaking)

Causes and How to Overcome Your Fear

Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is the most common phobia among people. The good news is that there are ways to cope and learn to overcome your fear, such as using strategies to calm your nerves, practicing the presentation frequently, and engaging your audience with questions.

Public speaking causes feelings of anxiety in 15% to 30% of the general population, and it can sometimes hinder a person's day-to-day life. This is especially true regarding school- or work-related situations involving speaking in front of others.

This article discusses the symptoms, causes, treatment, and healthy ways to cope with glossophobia.

Mikolette / Getty Images

What Is Glossophobia?

"Glossophobia" is the official term used to define a fear of public speaking. It may sometimes also be referred to as public speaking anxiety.

Phobias are categorized into one of three categories:

Specific phobia : A fear related to a specific object, like spiders or confined spaces, or a situation, such as flying
Social phobia : A fear that involves a significant and persistent feeling of social anxiety or performance-based anxiety
Agoraphobia : A fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or that help wouldn't be available if things go wrong. This term is most often used to describe a fear of crowded spaces.

Glossophobia is a social phobia that causes more intense feelings than are normal to experience when it comes to public speaking. Instead of just butterflies in their stomach, those with glossophobia can feel extreme distress in situations that involve speaking in public, interacting with new people, or talking in a group.

Symptoms of Glossophobia

People with glossophobia may experience a variety of symptoms depending on the severity of their condition. They may only experience a fear surrounding performance and public speaking, but they may also have other social anxieties.

Symptoms of glossophobia typically include:

A significant fear or dread of public speaking
Avoidance of situations that require speaking publicly, either formally in front of an audience or informally via small talk

Those with glossophobia may have other symptoms of social phobia, as well. These may occur before, during, or after a social situation.

Symptoms may include:

Avoidance of group conversations
Avoidance of parties
Avoidance of eating with others
Worrying about activities like speaking on the phone or in work meetings
Worrying about doing something embarrassing
Worrying about blushing or sweating
Difficulty doing tasks with others watching
Avoiding eye contact
Having low self-esteem
Worrying about being criticized or judged

Those with social phobia are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than the general public.

As with many phobias, glossophobia may also cause a variety of physical symptoms. Panic attacks are also possible and may lead to increased heart rate, chest pain or tightness, and trembling. Other symptoms include:

Hot flushes
Feelings of choking
Feeling short of breath
Feeling light-headed or faint
Feelings of pins and needles
An urgency to go the bathroom
Ringing sound in the ears
Upset stomach
Feeling disorientated

Causes of Glossophobia

A fear of public speaking often begins in adolescence. Social phobias like glossophobia can be caused by a range of factors.

Biological Factors

Glossophobia may be due in part to genetics. Genetics can determine how the brain regulates feelings of anxiety, stress, nervousness, and shyness.

Some people may be born naturally shy, and find social situations difficult to navigate. Most people who have a social phobia have had a shy temperament their whole life.

Learned Behavior

A fear of public speaking can develop after learning the fear from a role model. A child with shy parents who avoid social interactions or speaking in public may be influenced to have the same fear.

A child who witnesses such avoidance may grow up to think speaking in public or socializing with others is upsetting and to be avoided.

Likewise, if a parent overprotects a child who is shy, the child won't have opportunities to become used to situations that involve new people or speaking in public. This can result in a social phobia like glossophobia later in life.

Past Experiences

A life event or past experience that is stressful or upsetting can cause people to associate negative emotions with situations that involve public speaking or interacting with others.

If someone has been criticized or feels humiliated, they may develop a social phobia. If a person is pressured into interacting in a way they are not comfortable with, they may also develop a social phobia.

Those who are bullied are more likely to hide away from others and be afraid of opening themselves up to more criticism by speaking in public.

Since the fear of public speaking is a social phobia, it is typically diagnosed as a nongeneralized type of social anxiety disorder. One study indicated that the fear of public speaking is a common feature of social anxiety disorder, but it may also be present without other signs of social anxiety.

For a person to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, a mental health professional will perform a psychological evaluation using criteria in the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" ( DSM-5) .

You may also undergo a physical exam or lab tests to look for any irregularities in physical health, which will often check a person's hormone, vitamin, and blood levels.

Overcoming a Fear of Public Speaking

Dealing with a fear of public speaking isn't easy. Many people feel nervous if they have to deliver a speech in front of an audience, but there are ways to cope.

The American Psychological Association suggests the following tips to cope with nerves when speaking in public:

Begin your speech or presentation with a discussion question : This gets the audience involved and talking and takes the pressure off you for a while.
Recognize where your anxious feelings are coming from : Nervousness can be due to excitement. Remember that even if you feel nervous, you can still speak in public without failing.
If giving a presentation, remember it's about the topic : The people you are speaking to are focusing less on you personally and more on what you're saying.
Try to make eye contact : You may find that making eye contact with the individuals in the group you are addressing allows you to interact with them, and they may nod or smile as you speak, which can help boost your confidence.
If giving a formal presentation, rehearse a lot beforehand : It may help to rehearse in the actual space you will be giving a speech. Practicing in front of a group beforehand may help calm your nerves.
Experiment with different strategies to calm your nerves : Try deep breathing exercises, visualization techniques, or smiling during your presentation (it releases endorphins, which lowers stress). Find out what works for you and then prepare in the same way every time you need to speak in public.

Treating social phobias like glossophobia can be complex, and it may require a number of approaches. Psychological interventions like therapy are known to be effective in the treatment of fear of public speaking.

Treating social phobias involves talk therapies, such as:

Cognitive behavioral therapy : Also referred to as CBT, this type of psychotherapy (talk therapy) is used to change unhealthy behaviors, particularly those that are related to anxiety, trauma, and depression.
Exposure therapy : This type of therapy can help a person overcome their avoidance of a certain object or situation by gradually exposing them to their phobia.

Typically, medication is not used in the treatment of phobias. However, a healthcare provider may prescribe medication for people experiencing significant symptoms of anxiety.

These may include:

Beta-blockers
Tranquilizers
Antidepressants

The fear of public speaking is a social phobia and may be caused by several factors, including genetics, learned behavior, and past experiences. It is the most commonly held fear, and people with glossophobia may experience anxiety surrounding either interaction with others, performing in public, or a combination of both. Using coping techniques and treatment involving psychotherapy can help people overcome the fear of public speaking.

Ebrahimi OV, Pallesen S, Kenter RMF, Nordgreen T. Psychological Interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: A Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol . 2019;10:488. Published 2019 Mar 15.

Tejwani V, Ha D, Isada C. Observations: Public Speaking Anxiety in Graduate Medical Education--A Matter of Interpersonal and Communication Skills? J Grad Med Educ. 2016 Feb;8(1):111. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-15-00500.1

American Psychological Association. Specific phobia.

American Psychological Association. Social Phobia.

National Health Service. Overview - Agoraphobia .

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Social Phobia .

National Health Service. Social anxiety (social phobia) .

National Health Service. Symptoms - phobias .

Heeren A, Ceschi G, Valentiner DP, Dethier V, Philippot P. Assessing public speaking fear with the short form of the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker scale: confirmatory factor analyses among a French-speaking community sample. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat . 2013;9:609-18. doi:10.2147%2FNDT.S43097

American Psychological Association. How to keep fear of public speaking at bay .

National Health Service. Overview - Phobias

By Elizabeth Pratt Pratt is a freelance medical and mental health journalist with a master's degree in health communication.

How to Conquer the Fear of Public Speaking

Are you ready for a standing ovation.

Posted November 28, 2017 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

What Is Fear?
Find a therapist to combat fear and anxiety

Fear of public speaking is very common, with almost 1 in 4 people reporting being anxious when presenting ideas and information in front of an audience. Being a good public speaker is an essential skill that can help you advance your career , grow your business, and form strong relationships.

Researchers have identified many reasons why we are afraid of public speaking , which you can read more about here . It seems that the way we feel, think, and act with respect to having to speak in public can raise or lower the amount of fear we experience significantly.

While fear teaches you to protect yourself in risky situations, letting that fear stand between you and your audience could prevent you from sharing inspiring ideas, speaking about important work, and presenting interesting solutions to problems that affect many people. In short, it’s everyone’s loss.

What can we do about it?

The factors that cause fear of public speaking are also the factors that researchers have targeted to help people overcome it. Several methods exist for conquering the fear of public speaking. Some of them address the physiological aspect of fear, others focus on the cognitive aspects, and a few focus on the behavioral components that contribute to higher levels of fear and anxiety around public speaking. Based on that research, here is where to start:

1. Learn how to put your body in a calm state.

A variety of relaxation techniques can reduce the increased physiological activity that the body produces automatically when confronted with an event or situation that causes fear. In the case of public speaking, the stimulus that causes fear can range from the actual speaking event itself to the mere thought of having to speak in public. Learning to relax while thinking about, preparing for, or giving an oral presentation reduces the experience of fear and prevents it from interfering with performance. Relaxation techniques involve learning to control your breathing, to lower your heart rate, and to lessen the tension in your muscles. These techniques work best when paired with gradual exposure to public speaking. For example, you begin applying these techniques first when you agree to speak, then as you prepare your speech, and eventually when you present it. You could also gradually increase the scale of the events as you learn how to manage your anxiety through relaxation, starting with very small audiences and moving up in numbers bit by bit. You could also start with speeches that are easier to prepare for or less scary to deliver to master the relaxation techniques, and then continue to use them as you enter speaking situations where the stakes are increasingly higher. Relaxation is an effective technique, with quick, but not necessarily long-lasting results.

2. Challenge your beliefs about public speaking.

Another way to conquer the fear of public speaking is to challenge your beliefs about your ability to prepare and deliver an effective and impactful speech. Cognitive reframing approaches target your negative self-statements ( I am not a good speaker; audiences find me boring ), or any irrational beliefs about public speaking ( People can see how anxious I am on stage ). Irrational, in this case, means that your beliefs are not supported by the facts or by your experience. Cognitive reframing helps you challenge negative statements and beliefs and replace them with favorable, supportive, and proactive statements. It is important to note that these techniques are not intended to simply replace negative thinking with vapid and meaningless statements. They challenge you to think more pragmatically and intentionally. In essence, you are teaching yourself to see public speaking as a non-threatening event that you can learn to handle and to see yourself as a confident speaker-in-progress.

3. Shift your focus from performance to communication.

A different cognitive approach includes shifting your perspective from being evaluated to being of value. You train yourself to see public speaking as a situation where you are communicating with people something that you think they will benefit from, instead of thinking of it as a situation where you will be tested and judged. That shift in perspective relieves you of the worry of how you will come across and focuses you on how to best get your message across.

4. Prepare, prepare, prepare.

A public speaking appearance is only the culmination of a thorough process of preparing and rehearsing your presentation. The more prepared you are, the less worried you will be about looking nervous, forgetting your lines, or losing your train of thought. Think about the amount of work actors put into delivering entire scripts in front of audiences. Approaching public speaking the same way actors approach performing will help you shift your focus from worrying to preparing, and the more prepared you are, the more focused on your message and the less distracted by your fear you will be. In this TEDx talk , Amy and Michael Port (author of Steal the Show ) encourage people to see themselves as performers and apply techniques similar to those that actors use “to create a reality of their choosing” in high-stakes situations that involve sharing ideas and information with other people. Such an approach allows you to accomplish your goal and at the same time maintain your authenticity . Remember, being underprepared is always more nerve-wracking than being overprepared.

5. Seek out more opportunities to speak.

Whether you are working on your body responses to fear, your view of yourself as a speaker, or your general approach to public speaking, the more experience you get, the more confidence you'll gain. Finding and creating opportunities to speak gives you the chance to practice what you have learned and get better at it. In addition, it helps you learn how to use your own experiences to continue improving your presentation skills. Essentially, you learn from what didn’t work well, instead of punishing yourself for it. And the more often you speak, the more you realize that what makes a good speaker is a combination of the noble intention to inform or inspire an audience, a positive mindset, and a lot of prep work.

6. Ask for help.

While you can do a lot to overcome the fear of public speaking on your own, there are many options available for a little extra help. Getting help can, in many cases, be a more effective way of achieving results than doing it alone. There are several tested interventions available to help overcome the fear of public speaking and many specialized professionals who deliver them . In addition to asking professionals for help, there are consumer-organized groups, like Toastmasters , which also provide opportunities for building your skills in a non-threatening and non-committal environment. Many people join such groups specifically to overcome their fear of public speaking.

The bottom line is that if something scares you, you will avoid it, and if you avoid it, you will not get enough practice, and when you don’t get enough practice, you will not get better at it, and if you are not getting better at it, you will continue to be afraid of it. This cycle of fear can go on and on. But it doesn’t have to. With the number of options available, it is up to you to decide when and how to break this cycle of fear of public speaking.

LinkedIn Image Credit: fizkes/Shutterstock

A Racing Heart, Rattling Knees, and Ruminative Thoughts: Defining, Explaining, and Treating Public Speaking Anxiety Graham D. Bodie, Louisiana State University

Theo Tsaousides, Ph.D. is a neuropsychologist, assistant professor, and author of the book Brainblocks: Overcoming the Seven Hidden Barriers to Success .

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Fear / Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

Category: Life , Sociology , Psychology
Topic: Fear , Personal Life , Phobias

Pages: 1 (647 words)

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