PUBLIC SPEAKING
Does the thought of speaking in public leave you with butterflies in your stomach and your legs feeling like jelly?
Public speaking, making presentations, giving a talk, making a speech - however it's described it can be a terrifying experience for many, if not most, people. This could be addressing a small group of colleagues in a business meeting, giving a presentation to three or four customers, talking in a committee, or giving a speech at a club meeting or at a public function.
Many people feel anxious about giving a formal talk or presentation and have a real phobia of speaking in public. This is backed up by fear of public speaking research.
In asurvey in the USA, where 3,000 adults were asked to listtheir ten worst fears, public speaking emerged as the number one fear - above even fears of death and financial ruin! (Christine Stuart, "Effective Speaking").
Why is public speaking such a source of anxiety? Here are some of the main possible reasons for this "stage fright":
Unfamiliar situation - because most people speak formally to an audience only rarely, the novelty of the situation is a cause of apprehension
Lack of confidence - stems often from a feeling that others are better speakers than ourselves, or that they know more about the topic in question
Sense of isolation - the speaker is alone and vulnerable
Self-consciousness - about our accent, grammar, voice and image generally
Fear of looking foolish - we may worry that we will forget what we wanted to say, and will stumble over our words, or will say the "wrong" thing
The fear of public speaking, which is a form of social phobia, is of course irrational but is all too real to those who suffer from it. The good news is that hypnotherapy can help you to get over public speaking anxiety by using the power of your own subconscious mind.
Hypnosis can help with building up your confidence, helping you to remain calm and relaxed. You can learn how to recognise yourbody's unique reaction to stress and anxiety and to develop new healthy and positive ways of thinking and feeling.
Deep relaxation techniques used in hypnosis help you to focus inwards and start to build your feeling of confidence, calm and self-belief.
Hypnosis can help with building up your confidence, helping you to remain calm and relaxed. You can learn how to recognise your body's unique reaction to stress and anxiety and to develop new healthy and positive ways of thinking and feeling. Deep relaxation techniques used in hypnosis help you to focus inwards and start to build your feeling of confidence, calm and self-belief.
In hypnotherapy we teach techniques at the subconscious level, using the power of your imagination to rehearse or practice a speech or presentation in your mind. By doing so you will have already experienced the feeling of delivering a great performance , and your mind has been pre-programmed for success. With your feelings of total confidence and control restored, public speaking can be approached with a new level of calmness and assurance.