I often get asked about the nerves, fear, butterflies, and sheer unadulterated terror that, for most people, accompany public speaking to some degree.  Following are a few ways to ease that fear and make your public speaking more fun.  I’ll start with the best and work my way down to the quick and dirty.

1.  Rehearse and practice.  By far the best way to get over the fear of public speaking is to do it, over and over again.  Both rehearsal and practice help enormously, because you learn that you will live through the experience, that the audience is not going to tar and feather you and make you leave town, and that you do know your stuff.  The best way to rehearse?  In front of a video camera – not the mirror – assuming you haven’t hired a coach like me.  The video camera will show you things that you don’t realize you’re doing and greatly speed up your learning curve. 

2.  Engage in positive self-talk.  The fear comes (for most people) from the mental doom loop that starts up as soon as you get close to giving the talk.  You begin to get a little nervous, and your mind notes the symptoms, and says to itself, “Whoops, my heart is racing, my hands are clammy, my knees are wobbly – it’s going to be a disaster!”  That, of course, makes your physical symptoms worse, and soon you’re in a fine state.  Instead, cut off the doom loop before it begins by chanting to yourself, “I’m going to be fine.  I’ve rehearsed (see #1), I know my stuff, and the audience wants me to succeed.”  Do this constantly, if necessary, and at least whenever a worry thought creeps into your mind.  With practice, you’ll find your negative thoughts virtually disappear.

3.  Breathe deeply and slowly.  I’ve blogged many times on the importance of breathing, but it is the single most important thing to get right after having good content.  We inhabit physical bodies, and they run on fuel – calories and air.  Without the calories, you’ll live for at least a week, but without air you’ll die in minutes.  So breathe!  If you breathe deeply, from the belly, like well-trained singers and yoga instructors, you’ll find that it calms you and grounds you.  With practice, it will dissipate your fears whenever you take a deep breath before you speak. 

4.  Work on your unconscious.   The fear of public speaking comes from deep in the unconscious part of your brain.  We know a lot more now about how that works.  See my new book, Trust Me:  Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma, for the science behind communication and the fear it provokes.  In the space I have here, I’ll just say that the way to eliminate that fear may sound a little ‘New-Agey’ but it works.  Every night, as you’re falling asleep, chant something to yourself over and over again, like, “I love public speaking and I’m confident when I do it.”  If you do this regularly EVERY NIGHT for at least 3 weeks, your fear of speaking will leave you. 

5.  If all else fails, do what the musicians do:  take beta blockers.   The other ways are much better for you, but if you lack the discipline or the will power, then get a beta blocker prescription from your doctor.  It’s what three quarters of professional musicians do, by one poll.  It’s the pharmaceutical way to calm you down.  You’ll still have the panicky thoughts, but you won’t care. 

Good luck!