Are You Afraid of Speaking in Public?

My life's first formal presentation was a disaster as I used to have serious speech anxiety (Glossophobia).

Are You Afraid of Speaking in Public?

Truth be told, when I look back, I must acknowledge that my life's first formal presentation was a disaster as I used to have serious speech anxiety (Glossophobia). Overtime with practice and patience, public speaking became not only my passion but my profession too.

Recently, I addressed an august gathering of more than 1,600 school teachers. It was an absolute honor to be the Keynote Speaker on the occasion of 'Shikshak Samman Samaroh' at Swami Vivekanand Subharti University. Truth be told, when I look back, I must acknowledge that my life's first formal presentation was a disaster as I used to have serious speech anxiety (Glossophobia). Overtime with practice and patience, public speaking became not only my passion but my profession too.

Glossophobia or speech anxiety is a form of social anxiety disorder (SAD).

Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking. It is a form of social anxiety disorder (SAD). The word 'Glossophobia' derives from the Greek word glōssa, meaning tongue, and phobos, meaning fear or dread. The aspect of speaking publicly whether it be in front of a group of unknown people, or a close group of friends, is what triggers the anxiety for the speaker. A recent study reports that appropriate training and able guidance can help students in improving their public speaking skills drastically.

Today, Simran is a super-confident working professional with zero stage fear and loads of zeal as a public speaker.

Meet Simran Sethi, who started her journey like any other individual with fear of public speaking. I still remember her first presentation, where she tried her best but didn't seem much satisfied with her performance. She took the feedback seriously, followed the suggestions rigorously, worked genuinely on her presentation skills and left no stone unturned to become better as a presenter. Today, she is a super-confident working professional with zero stage fear and loads of zeal as a public speaker. 

Here is a brief list of Top ten don'ts, one should remember as a public speaker, 

1. Don’t use jargon, slang and superfluous words. 

2. Don’t forget to smile. 

3. Don’t speak in monotone. 

4. Don’t talk to the screen or wall. 

5. Don’t forget to show your enthusiasm while you speak. 

6. Don’t look at your feet or at the ceiling (indication of nervousness or timidity). 

7. Don’t go too fast or too slow. 

8. Don’t use jokes unless they are really funny and relevant. 

9. Don’t read or “parrot” the slides. 

10. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” to a question asked. 

"We grow fearless by walking into our fears."

And also don't forget, "We grow fearless by walking into our fears." 

Good Luck!

*If you like this blog post and wish to share your experiences/ remarks/ views with me, you are most welcome to write to me at pdpbygauravmisra@gmail.com. Thanks!