Fear of Public Speaking,

Speech Anxiety or Stage Fright 

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Speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking. Some people have this specific fear, while others may also have broader social fear or social anxiety disorder.

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What may be the causes of stage fright?

In relation to public speaking, this type of fear is known as speech anxiety which is the fear of speaking before an audience. Sometimes, the anxiety happens long before the anticipated activity. There are many causes of stage fright but the most common is that the individual lacks self confidence.

It's a normal emotion. For example, you may feel nervous when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. Anxiety feelings are different, though. They are a group of emotional issues, and the distress they cause can keep you from carrying on with your life normally.

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What may be the feelings of speech anxiety?

the feelings of speech anxiety may include:

• intense anxiety prior to, or simply at the thought of having to verbally communicate with any group,

• avoidance of events which focus the group's attention on individuals in attendance,

• physical distress, nausea, or feelings of panic in such circumstances.

Speech anxiety can range from a slight feeling of “nerves” to a nearly incapacitating fear. Some of the most common symptoms of speech anxiety are: shaking, sweating, butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, and squeaky voice.

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How can hypnosis help?

As with most phobias, glossophobia isn't something you can control consciously. People may tell you to relax, but usually this does little to control your feelings. This is because the feelings you experience stem from your unconscious.

Hypnosis works with your unconscious to find out where the root of your anxiety comes from. Typically it comes from misinformation gathered from a past experience. Hypnosis can help to identify this and use suggestion techniques to correct any misinformation.

Suggestion and visualization techniques can also be used to instill positive thinking, boost confidence and reduce anxiety. This will help you feel calm and collected when you are required to speak in public. 

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Fear and your mind

When we experience fear, our minds tend to work against us. We have an influx of automatic, negative thoughts that feed into our sense of self-doubt. Becoming more aware of these thoughts and speaking to yourself with kindness is a great first step to managing your fear of public speaking. Fear makes our minds behave differently, to a point where logic and reason is all but forgotten. It does this by distorting reality and fixating on the negative. 

Reality distortion

Fear has a habit of distorting reality. You may think "If I forget my words, everyone will laugh at me and I'll lose their respect." In reality however, it is highly unlikely that this would happen. If you were to lose track of what you were saying, it is far more likely that everyone would simply wait for you to remember. And even if some people did judge you, this wouldn't affect your life.

This fear and anxiety can cause us to lose our perspective, thinking our lives will be over if it doesn't go perfectly. Try to challenge this way of thinking by asking yourself - "Will this situation matter in five, 10 or 20 years time?".

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Fixating on the negative

Another common behavior of the mind when it feels fear is to focus on the negative. This can lead us to think back to times in our lives when public speaking hasn't gone to plan. It can also cause us to fixate on the physical sensations that are frightening us, like an increased heart rate or tight chest.

Recognizing this is helpful as you can re-direct these fixations on to something more positive. In a hypnotherapy session your hypnotherapist can teach you relaxation and visualization techniques. Try to utilize these and imagine yourself doing well.

 

How hypnosis for public speaking works

Hypnosis is essentially a state of deep relaxation. When a hypnotherapist puts you into this state, your unconscious becomes more receptive. This means the hypnotist can communicate with this part of your mind to uncover root causes of behavior and influence thinking patterns.

In some cases it may be easy to pinpoint the underlying cause of a fear. You may be able to recall an event that triggered a fear response for the first time. For many people however, it is hard to identify what caused the fear.

If you don't know why you have a fear of public speaking, hypnosis can help. Once you are in a deeply relaxed state, your hypnotist can talk to your unconscious and help to uncover the situation or event that triggered your fear. Much of the time, the event is seemingly insignificant, but over time it grows in our mind to become something we can no longer control.

Once the root cause is revealed, your hypnotist can use suggestive language to change the route of your thoughts. The aim here is to promote positive thinking and a sense of calm when faced with public speaking, instead of the previous flood of negativity.

Our hypnotist will also teach you self-hypnosis, relaxation techniques and visualization exercises. These enable you to continue your progress away from the hypnosis sessions themselves. You can utilize them before you need to speak publicly to help you stay calm and confident.

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