Are you frightened
of public speaking? If so you’re in good company. Even well-known public
figures like Richard Branson of Virgin fame finds the thought of having to talk
in public daunting.
The problem with
uncontrollable nerves is that they can seriously impact your ability to do
anything very much in public – let alone speak.
Some people believe
that fear is a necessary part of speaking. It’s true that a certain level of
nervous energy can actually help us give a better performance. The adrenalin
released helps you to think more quickly. But there’s a fine balance. Too much
adrenalin can lock us up entirely and that’s not useful if you’re trying to
sound clear and confident.
The ultimate
objective is to become the master of your nervous energy but that takes a lot
of practice. Initially it’s more about managing nerves. Expecting to be nervous
isn’t giving in; it’s being realistic. It allows you to prepare for the
particular way that nerves hit you.
It doesn’t sound
like a great strategy, just breathing. In fact it’s one of the best. Learning a
good breathing technique will:
·
Help
you speak more clearly and confidently,
·
Help
you centre and calm yourself,
·
Protect
your voice against straining.
·
Counteract
stress hormones like adrenalin
·
Enable
you to project your voice and be heard
Get an information
sheet on breathing technique from the Clearly Talking website.
As always practice
doesn’t make perfect it makes better. Finding opportunities to speak and doing
it often is one of the best ways of learning to conquer fears. Learning to tame
and harness your nerves will produce great returns.
Robert Williams
Voice & Speech Coach,
Clearly Talking, Melbourne, Australia
July 2015
Voice & Speech Coach,
Clearly Talking, Melbourne, Australia
July 2015
