How to Get Over the Fear of Public Speaking & Going Live

I’m here to talk to you about… the Fear of Public speaking….. AHHHH.

Public speaking, who else is terrified of public speaking? Believe it or not, I hate public speaking!

Tips on How to Get over your Fear

What does the fear of public speaking feel like?

Before I get started on getting over the fear of going live or public speaking, let’s talk about what the fear of public speaking feels like.

Symptoms:

• Dry mouth
• Racing heartbeat
• Sweaty palms
• Lightheadedness
• Upset stomach
• Trembling
• Stammering speech
• Rambling.

How do you get over the fear of public speaking?

1. Be prepared.

Know your subject matter backward and forwards. That way, if you trip up and you make a mistake, you can always rely on your knowledge. If you don’t know it, and you’re fumbling through your notes, or whatever the case may be, then it’s going to be much harder to regain that sense of confidence. 

2. Don’t expect perfection.

Nobody expects perfection. We tend to be more critical of ourselves than we are on others. Just know, that in any speech you’re probably gonna flub up, stutter on some words, and/or forget something. Just know that going in, that way when it happens it doesn’t trip you up. I don’t know about you, but somethings when I make a mistake my mind starts reeling. I start thinking about the mistake I made, which leads to more mistakes.

3. Speak in Small Groups

If you have a fear of public speaking, you should practice to assuage that fear. Speaking in small groups will help you build up a tolerance for the discomfort you experience. In other words, you will start getting comfortable with speaking in front of others. This is especially true if it’s a group that you are already comfortable with. It can be family, friends, and trusted colleagues. You can even practice via zoom to get comfortable with speaking “live”. Sometimes it can be easier to practice in front of strangers, people that you will never have to see again. Look for virtual or in-person (after COVID) public speaking groups. No matter what, you should continue practicing, and doing so in front of a small crowd. 

4. Have a Backup Plan.

So what are you going to do if you get all nervous and forget your material? And you’re just like AHHHH. Have a backup plan. Many platforms allow you to can play a video clip during your live stream. In a presentation, you can have a video clip ready to go. If you get really nervous, and you can collect yourself during that time. And the audience may not even realize that there was anything wrong. 

5. Relax

Relax before you take the stage (or go live). You can try meditation, you can do a silent prayer, whatever fits your lifestyle and needs. Just take a moment to center yourself before you start your speech. That alone will help you immensely. It is something that I’m still working on. In fact, I’m going to enlist my friends at Last Life Ever to see if one of them will pop on here with us and let us know how to get better at speaking in public.

But this is about getting over your fear. I figure if I can jump out of a plane, and go on zip lines when I’m terrified of heights, I can speak in public.

For other articles on personal growth and development, check out my blog.

Check out the video above and watch to the end to hear my super embarrassing Public Speaking Story.