Glossophobia is the fear of the stage and public speaking. How to Overcome Stage Fright: The Science of Public Speaking

Glossophobia is the fear of the stage or public speaking. In many professional fields, people have to face the need for public speaking, communication with a large audience in one way or another. Politics, pedagogy, jurisprudence, management, acting - all this requires public speaking, communication with the audience, the ability to convince it, control the emotions and mood of the crowd.

All of us, one way or another, found ourselves in a situation in our lives when there was a need to speak on stage, to show our oratorical and intellectual abilities in front of a large number of people. As a result of a psychological study, it was revealed that more than 95% of all people experience fear of performing on stage. Stage fright is one of the most common and, unfortunately, topical phobias. After all, it not only causes severe stress, provokes unpleasant somatic reactions and diseases. Many people want to learn how to deal with stage fright for a very different reason. Glossophobia causes them a significant decrease in the quality of life, interferes with the development of career activities, an increase in financial income, and the fulfillment of professional tasks.

Among people with glossophobia, paradoxically, there are often famous and public figures: singers, theater and film actors, musicians. For those who are afraid of public speaking, it will be useful to read the stories of such people with glossophobia as Faina Ranevskaya, Arthur Rubinstein, Pablo Casals, Glenn Gould and others.

Stage fright is a serious and severe disorder that many people attach great importance to. This is especially true for those who, by the nature of their activities, are forced to constantly speak in public. If such individuals start their disease, do not correct the disorder, do not turn to a therapist in a timely manner, this can lead to severe mental pathologies, other anxiety-phobic disorders, the development of chronic somatic diseases, as well as alcohol and drug addiction. Some people try to overcome stage fright by developing certain protective "rituals" and behaviors. Or they take doping, strong antidepressants and sedatives, and more often alcohol or drugs. Such artificial ignoring of the problem helps only for a while. The symptomatology seems to be “driven” even deeper into the subconscious, the fear only gets worse. Personal growth and development stops, new phobias are formed (for example, the fear that others will convict the individual of alcoholism or drug addiction), addictions and bad habits are aggravated. It is not uncommon for stage fright to become a prerequisite for the development of schizophrenia, personality disorders, psychopathy and other serious mental illnesses.

That is why it is so important in the presence of symptoms of an anxiety disorder in a timely manner to objectively assess the situation, acknowledge the existence of a problem and begin immediate psychological work on it.

How does glossophobia manifest itself?

Among psychologists and psychiatrists, stage fright is usually called glossophobia or peyraphobia. When analyzing the manifestation of stage fright, it is worth clearly distinguishing between normal, natural pre-performance experiences that everyone experiences, knowing that a large audience will listen to him. After all, almost all of them are strangers. Everyone will evaluate his appearance, every word, manner of holding and speaking. Everyone, without exception, to one degree or another, is worried during an exam, defense of a diploma or dissertation, a debut performance on stage with a dance or a piece of music. Moreover, those who have been performing on stage for many years are also worried. However, a little excitement is a completely normal and healthy reaction. The normality of the reaction is determined by the absence of unbearable panic: upon entering the stage, a person gradually switches to his speech / speech / conversation with the audience and simply performs his task.

Some experts even note that normal and adequate excitement before a performance has its advantages. On the eve of an important event, a person responsibly approaches the upcoming performance. Becomes more attentive and collected, carefully prepares, thinking through every detail. As a result, moderate anxiety leads to the fact that the performance is carefully prepared and is a success with the public. At the same time, those who are not afraid of the public do not always have the incentive to think through every moment of the performance enough. As a result, their appearance on the stage becomes a failure.

Pathological stage fright is manifested by intense feelings, strong and uncontrollable anxiety. Even if a person has to perform in front of a small audience, most of whose representatives he knows personally, he is lost and experiences a panic attack. That is, he does not choose who to fear and who not. He is afraid of performances in any form and in any environment.

Symptoms of glossophobia

Despite the causes that provoke glossophobia, its symptoms in all individuals appear approximately the same. On the eve of an important public event, a person experiences severe anxiety and anxiety. It grows every day as the “important” day comes. The subcortical system of the brain activates a powerful production of stress hormones, which, in turn, enhances the motor activity of all muscles, changes the work of the whole organism, bringing it into a state of “combat readiness”, and activates it to fight an imaginary danger.

Common symptoms of glossophobia are:

• Muscle spasms and tension.
• Anxious gestures, atypical facial expressions.
• The voice changes: it becomes quiet, muffled.

At the level of the vegetative system, the following symptoms appear:

• increased sweating;
• rapid pulse;
• increase or decrease in blood pressure;
• migraines and headaches;
• breathing difficulties.

Characteristic of glossophobia and behavioral reactions:

• Feeling thirsty.
• Trembling in voice.
• Emotional stupor.
• Loss of speech, inability to connect thoughts from excitement.
• Involuntary diurination.

In some cases, strong excitement leads to fainting spells or an irresistible desire to flee directly from the stage. Before fainting, reactions such as:

• general weakness;
• tremor;
• gagging;
• pallor of the skin;
• slow, barely perceptible pulse;
• cold, "icy" hands.

The presence of symptoms and the intensity of its manifestation in each person are individual and are determined by his type of nervous system, the strength of experiencing emotions, general health and physical condition (fatigue, lack of sleep), from a specific activity at the time of an attack of fear. If glossophobia is strong, then a person can happen on stage.

Causes of glossophobia

Psychologists identify two main factors influencing the development of stage fright. This is hereditary predisposition and social influence.

Heredity implies an innate tendency to intense experience of any emotions, a reaction only to certain objects of a phobia, a genetically inherited fear of society. In the event that the cause of stage fright was inherited social phobia, the fear of the public itself is based on the fear of being judged, scolded, rejected or ridiculed by the public. By inheritance, the type of temperament, character traits, and the intensity of experienced emotions are also transmitted. Parents and children are really very similar to each other psychologically: they have the same objects of phobias, similar emotional perception, they react the same way to certain stressors, and the duration of attention fixation on them is identical.

Experts in the field of psychology believe that social prerequisites influence the development of glossophobia to the greatest extent. Among them:

• Non-pedagogical, despotic upbringing in childhood.
• Strict and conflict, aggressive behavior of parents with a child.
• Giving importance to outside criticism.
• A high degree of self-criticism, as a result - complete obedience to authoritative personalities, the desire to please everyone.
• Self-dislike, rejection of one's personality, low self-esteem as a result of the influence of overly strict upbringing and criticism from parents.
• A failed, unsuccessfully performed in childhood, but an important task, the results of which were criticized from the outside.
• Surreal vision of reality, interpreting facts in a negative direction.

Another prerequisite for the development of peyraphobia may be uncertainty in one's competence, insufficient preparedness for a speech, lack of knowledge and information. Also, many people are afraid of stage performances because they have never had enough practice in it.

Excessive perfectionism, the desire to be the first in everything, to master everything perfectly often leads to stage anxiety. For such people, the opinion of their public is vital. And since it is very variable, and the crowd does not always meet the speakers with absolute delight (which is the norm), the development of fears is inevitable.

Glossophobia is also prone to pedantic and scrupulous personalities who seek to keep everything under control. A huge gathering of people is very difficult to control, it is not always possible to achieve the desired result. This provokes the development of pathological anxiety in such individuals.

How to overcome stage fright?

How to overcome stage fright? This question is asked by many of us. This phobia can be successfully corrected if you seek help in a timely manner and work with a competent, qualified specialist. The intervention of a psychologist is required if the fears are pathological, obsessive, if a person suffers from panic attacks and intense somatic manifestations. As for people for whom the stage is a permanent place of professional activity - actors, musicians, speakers, regular participants in conferences, presentations, meetings and other public figures, then in their case it is quite possible to defeat the phobia on their own.

The treatment of such a phobic disorder as glossophobia is carried out in 4 stages:

• Recognition of the presence of the disease.
• Analysis and identification of the prerequisites for its development.
• Formation of possible solutions, drawing up an action plan.
• Implementation of the plan.

Let's take a closer look at possible options for anxiety reduction that would help an individual raise self-esteem and cure phobic anxiety disorder.

1. Rethinking how we treat strangers.

The audience for the speaker is always something unknown, unpredictable and uncontrollable. By revising the perception of the audience as unknown persons, having received information about these people, it will be much easier for the speaker to speak, the excitement will noticeably decrease. So, before speaking, carefully consider the following points:

• Contingent (gender, age, social status, possible interests and hobbies of people who are going to attend your performance)
• Think about exactly what these people would like to hear from you. What information will be interesting to them, and what - not so much. Is it necessary to approach them with humor, or does the performance require maximum seriousness and concentration. What will they take with them after your presentation, what information will be useful to them.

Having worked through these points, you will be able to plan an ideal, informative speech, think over the behavior on the stage in advance, anticipate possible questions from the audience, etc.

1. We cease to be afraid of the “terrible and critical” public.

Many performers on stage are nervous because they perceive the audience as a stern critic. They pay attention to chuckles from the audience, to disapproving facial expressions, critical displeased looks, disapproving whispers.

Reconsider your attitude towards the audience: stop taking it as criticism, concentrate on the positive points. The opinion of the public can never be unambiguous. Therefore, pay attention to interested listeners, approving nods, exclamations of delight, a close attentive look. Also visualize in your mind a positive, approving perception of your presentation.

1. Eliminate the possibility of a failed performance.

To reduce the chance of failure to a minimum, carefully prepare for your presentation. Let your competence, level of knowledge and awareness block the excitement and anxiety. After all, a knowledgeable, competent person always feels much more confident, can easily answer the most tricky and complex questions of the public. Work out a detailed speech plan, hone every detail to perfection.

For example, you are giving a presentation. Your preparation plan should be as follows:

• Finding, analyzing and processing information from various sources.
• Writing an original speech based on the materials studied.
• Summary of key points, landmark points (so as not to forget anything).
• Consider the sequence of all parts of the speech.
• Pick up the facts: how can you support your point of view in case of questions from the public.
• Learn prepared speech.
• Anticipate possible questions from the audience in advance, compose answers to them in advance.

It's better if you have a few rehearsals before the performance. Let your friends, relatives, colleagues become listeners. This method also works very well: record your speech on a voice recorder, and then listen and evaluate it critically. Do this several times. With each new entry, you will notice improvements, clean up shortcomings. These techniques will allow you to feel much more confident on stage and help eliminate possible mistakes.

1. Give yourself permission to make mistakes.

Do not attach exaggerated importance to criticism from other people. Remember that anyone can make mistakes. And criticism is not always fair: often the reason to criticize your performance can be a bad mood of the listener, his skeptical cynical view of most phenomena, personal dislike and antipathy towards you, regardless of the quality of the speech, a biased attitude towards you. It is also worth remembering that approval is not always objective.

Constantly work on psychotechnics that form an adequate self-esteem, increase your significance in your own eyes, and help you perceive yourself objectively and independently of other people. These techniques can be affirmations and meditation.

1. Optimism is above all.

Fix your attention on the process, not on the outcome of the performance. While speaking, think over every word, focus on the subject you are talking about. Notice all the benefits of your performance on stage. After all, you are in the field of view of all people! How much information you can convey to them, how much useful information to give, entertain, cheer, give knowledge and good mood. Try to pay attention to all the benefits, tune in to the positive!

An excellent additional measure to overcome stage fright will be the following methods:

• Complex gymnastics, which is aimed at strengthening all the muscles of the body.
• Breathing practices.
• Training the left hemisphere of the brain - doing logic, mathematics, performing tasks that require analytical thinking.
• Vocal lessons - train the voice, tone the diaphragm.
• During the performance, your posture should be as open to the audience as possible.
• meditation techniques.
• Affirmations and self-hypnosis.

Do not forget about the simplest way to cheer up yourself and the audience. Even if it is very difficult for you to do this, force yourself to smile, to say a few important and pleasant words to all these gathered people. Undoubtedly, you will receive a lot of smiles in return. And this will instill confidence in you and levels your anxiety!

So, we hope that the information provided here has allowed you to clarify the causes and patterns of development of glossophobia, and the listed psycho-techniques and tips will help you cope with stage fright. If the article seemed useful to you, please share it with your friends on social networks. Your feedback and wishes are also very important to us, which you can write below.

Did you know that, according to American research, the fear of public speaking ranks first among all other fears? In second place is the fear of death! If you are afraid of public speaking, you are not alone. First of all, you need to understand what fear is. Fear is the expectation of pain. So is your fear real or fictional?

Steps

Overcome your fear of public speaking

Recognize the source of fear. That source is not knowing what might happen when you speak to people. What you are afraid of is not that you do not own the subject of your speech. You are afraid that you don't know what will happen when you step on stage or stand in the pulpit.

• On the way to a good speech (speech, seminar, presentation) there is a fear of condemnation, the fear that you will make a mistake, miscalculate something and experience physical or emotional pain. Remember that the people in the audience really want you to succeed. No one comes there hoping that you will perform badly and boringly. If you go out in front of them with reliable information and present the material clearly enough, you have already won 3/4 of the battle with your inner fear.

1. Face your fears. If you feel your knees shaking and buckling with fear, remind yourself that fear is holding on to something that doesn't exist that seems real. We can say with almost 100% certainty that whatever you are afraid of, it will not happen. If there really is a real cause for concern, for example, you forgot an important prop, figure out how to get out of the situation and stop worrying about it. Remember, you can always defeat fear with your mind.

   Take a deep breath. Do breathing exercises the night before your performance to help you relax your body and mind. One of them you can do anywhere, even a minute before the exit. Stand up straight and calm, feel the solid ground under your feet. Close your eyes and imagine that you are floating somewhere near the ceiling. Listen to your breath. Tell yourself there is no hurry. Slow down your breath so that you can count 6 seconds on the inhale and 6 on the exhale. This way you will achieve a relaxed and self-confident state.

   Relax. To truly relax, you need to master the art of letting your imagination run wild. Imagine yourself being made of soft rubber. Or imagine that you are sitting in front of a mirror and make a horse neigh with your lips. Why not lie down on the ground and imagine that you are flying? Or just collapse to the ground like a weak-willed doll. Imagination allows you to release tension in the muscles of the body, and this, in turn, gives a general feeling of lightness and relaxation.

   Learn to engage your audience. If you haven't taken a professional public speaking course yet, look for a course that's right for you. Mastering the art of public speaking will greatly increase your success in meetings, sales presentations, and even increase your chances of moving up the corporate ladder. This is a must-have skill for any leader and business owner.

   Use the wall breaking technique. This is a technique used by Yul Brynner, star of the musical The King and I. Here's what to do. Stand at a distance of about 50 cm from the wall and rest against it with both palms. Push the wall. At the moment of the push, your abdominal muscles will contract. As you exhale, push the air out with a noise and tighten the muscles below the chest, as if you are sailing in a boat against the current. Repeat the exercise several times and your stage fright will disappear.

   Realize that people don't see if you're nervous. When you walk on stage or on the podium, no one knows that you are excited. Your stomach may cramp, and nausea may rise to your throat, but your behavior will not betray excitement. Sometimes, when it comes to public speaking, people think that their excitement is obvious to everyone. And that makes them even more nervous. There are not many signs, and extremely subtle ones, that betray a person's excitement - usually, if they appear, then only for a fraction of a second. So don't worry about it. People around you do not see the panicking creature inside you.

   • Bluff. Stand straight with your shoulders back and your head held high. Smile. Even if you don't feel particularly happy or confident, still act like that. If you look confident, your body will trick your brain into believing that you are truly confident.

2. Keep in mind that adrenaline causes a rush of blood to the fight centers of the brain at the base of the skull. Place your hands on your forehead and gently massage it. This will cause a rush of blood to those brain centers that are responsible for the success of your speech.

   Exercise. Use every opportunity to practice - find communities or organizations where you can organize performances. Don't forget that for public speaking, you should choose a topic in which you can consider yourself an expert. Talking about a topic you don't know much about will only increase your stress and make it harder for you to speak.

   Buy software that allows you to record your speech on your computer. Take notes and listen to them so you can see what needs to be worked on in the future. Invite professionals in the field to your presentation and ask for feedback. Every time you have to speak, use it as an additional learning opportunity.

3. Get ready. Make sure you are fluent in your presentation material. Write a detailed plan, break it down into major sections and memorize them. Write subsections and title your presentation. The following is an idea that helps memorize the logic of the speech:

   • Match each part of the plan with a specific room in your apartment / house. The first point is the hallway. The second is a corridor, a kitchen, a hall, etc. (take a walk in your imagination around your house)
   • Match each subsection of the plan with the picture on the wall. Imagine an image in the picture that will help you remember the main idea of ​​the subsection. The funnier the image, the better your memory will work (the main thing is that these images do not distract you from the performance).
   • In the morning before the presentation, mentally “walk around the house” to “decipher” the memorization technique.
   • Trust yourself.
   • Only you know what you're going to say or do, so there's no harm in making changes to your presentation in the middle of a presentation. (And it's perfectly fine not to say word for word what you've written ahead of time.)
   • It gets easier over time. Practice is a great thing.
   • Remember: your excitement is imperceptible to you.
   • Don't take anything personally.
   • SMILE and try to put in a couple of jokes to hide your excitement. The audience (in a good way) will laugh and think you have a great sense of humor. Just don't try to make your audience laugh in serious situations - at funerals or high-profile events - or you risk getting yourself in trouble!
   • Remember: even the best professionals use every opportunity to learn something new!
   • Say to yourself: "The one who stands before everyone is worthy of admiration."
   • If you think that the people you are speaking to will be too critical of you, imagine your loved ones, relatives, friends in their place and speak as if for them. Those closest to you will not criticize you for mistakes.
   • Be yourself.
   • Remember that when you are asked to speak, if you come from a position of service, you will never fail. Remember, it's not about you. It's about who you're speaking to - your audience. You are not a star, they are stars.
   • If you go to school, always volunteer to read a text or assignment aloud.

   Warnings

   • Don't ruin your presentation using Power Point! Abuse of this format will put your audience to sleep!
   • Do not give incorrect or unsupported answers. Offer to put the question on hold and ask, "Would you mind if I answer your question during the break as I need to clarify the information."
   • If you don't know the answer to a question, ask the audience (you don't even have to admit that you don't have the answer - you just address the question to the audience).
   • (avoid standing behind lecterns, tables, or any other physical object that acts as a barrier between you and your audience).

There are two types of people in the world: those who like to speak in front of a crowd, and those who turn to stone with fear at the sight of a microphone. How to become the first type and how not to be afraid of public speaking, read on.

How not to be afraid of public speaking

Fear of failure and stage fright are completely natural and happen to many people. It is important for us to understand what is really behind the fear of performance so that we can effectively counteract it.

Stage fright or fear of possible failure is a state of ongoing anxiety that grips a person who has to perform in front of a large audience.

Heed the following tips:

Know your subject

Nothing quells the fear of speaking better than preparedness. Know the topic and text of your speech. And most importantly, know your audience. If you know what and to whom you are talking - you have no reason to panic.

Knowing the subject will allow you to be more natural and persuasive in your presentation. And if some technical failure suddenly happens, then it will not embarrass you at all: after all, you are 100% sure of your knowledge!

Know your report like the back of your hand and rehearse as much as possible (preferably in front of people) - and you will have faith in yourself.

Calm down yourself

Despite the fact that stage fright is “just in the head,” fear has specific physiological manifestations. Your listeners will notice it. The best way to fight is to replace negative expectations with positive ones. Instead of worrying about what will happen if you forget your words, think about what will happen if you perform well in front of an audience. Although it sounds trite and simple, positive affirmations really help relieve stress before public speaking.

Imagine the worst possible scenario

If positive thoughts don't help you, think of the worst possible scenario. Once you imagine it, you will realize that this scenario is not so terrible. This will help you relax.

Mentally imagine the results

Call it whatever you like: reflection, imagination, meditation. It doesn't matter what name you give it - just do it. Imagine your ideal performance in front of an audience where you shine with enthusiasm, humor, confidence and professionalism. The more you think about success, the more likely you are to achieve it.

The world doesn't revolve around you

You may feel like everyone is just waiting to ridicule, criticize, or judge you. But it's not. Get rid of the feeling that the whole world will blame you for all the mistakes.

Focus on your presentation, on the audience, on what you are ready to give them. By doing so, you will reduce the tension that is already accumulating inside you.

When something didn't go according to plan

Sooner or later something will go wrong. The microphone or projector may stop working. If you own the topic and content of your report, then this will not unsettle you much. The microphone is not working? It doesn't matter, raise your voice and continue speaking. Technical staff is probably already working on a solution to the problem. And yes, let them worry, not you.

Calm down and don't get ahead of yourself

Do not rush to finish your report as quickly as possible. Begin the presentation calmly, without rushing. This will allow you to choose the optimal pace of speech, get used to the audience and allow the audience to get used to you.

Focus on the first five minutes

Imagine that your entire presentation is only five minutes long. This makes the performance less stressful. Focus on "living through" the first five minutes of your presentation - that's enough time to calm you down and get you into the process.

Never apologize for your excitement

For most of your presentation, you will appear calm and show no sign of your excitement. So why tell the audience about it at all? Let it seem to you that your knees are trembling - no one in the hall will notice this, believe me. So just don't mention it, otherwise your listeners will get nervous themselves, stop listening to what you say to them, and begin to judge the way you speak.

Don't talk about your mistakes

You have prepared and rehearsed your speech, you feel great. But, being already on stage, you suddenly realize that you are confused or forgot to say something important. At such moments, you need to remember that you are the only one who knows about this error. Your listeners don't suspect a thing. So let them remain in happy ignorance, do not inform them about it. If you admit your mistakes, some listeners will purposefully look for other shortcomings. You will divert the attention of the audience from the main purpose of your speech.

Come early

Being late will only increase your anxiety. Come to the place of your performance in advance, get used to it. You can even go up on stage or walk around the hall to feel more relaxed.

Warm up

When you are nervous, the muscles in your body become stiff. Fifteen minutes before your performance, do a little warm-up. This will relieve muscle tension and relax your body.

Breathe

Excitement is always accompanied by rapid breathing, which leads to a lack of oxygen and loss of self-control. A minute before you get up on stage, take a few deep breaths to calm down.

double check everything

Do you need to use a laptop or any notes in your report? Check if everything works. When you are at the microphone, it will be too late to run for forgotten papers and records. And it will greatly reduce your confidence. Know the text of your speech so well that you can continue to speak without hesitation even in case of force majeure.

Don't try to overcome your fear of speaking. Work with him! You must prepare and accept the fact that in the first few minutes of the performance you will be extremely excited. The more you try to suppress your excitement, the stronger it will become. So focus on your report and the excitement will slowly recede.

How to get rid of the fear of public speaking - video

A person who wants to achieve some success in modern society has to constantly talk with other people and speak in front of small and large audiences. The profession of a teacher and a politician, a scientist and an ordinary manager requires developed communication skills. Stage fright (peiraphobia, glossophobia,) which almost 95% of the population has can prevent a person from revealing oratorical talents.

Glossophobia: symptoms

Fearpublic speakingfamiliar to everyone: trembling limbs, slight excitement, insomnia that appears only on the eve of that most important day, and confused thoughts. However, it is enough to speak in front of the audience, to see approval and understanding in the eyes of the audience, and the newly minted speaker becomes more confident and liberated. Peiraphobia causes a person much deeper anxiety and anxiety; it is just one of the variants of the fear of speaking at all. In medicine, the fear of talking to people associated with stuttering is called logophobia or glossophobia. If stage fright is connected precisely with how you start stuttering in public, this variant of the disorder is called lalophobia. There are situations when panic fear makes it necessary to say some specific words, the pronunciation of which causes a person to stutter. This form of the disorder is called verbophobia.

Logophobia in any of its manifestations causes characteristic symptoms:

• high blood pressure and pulsation in the temples;
• tachycardia and increased sweating;
• dry mouth and "wadded" legs;
• sometimes the voice disappears, its timbre may change: it becomes squeaky or chesty, too loud or quiet;
• in other cases, the person panics so much that he cannot get a word out of himself.

If the patient is emotional and sensitive, then at the moment when he is in front of an audience, his face may turn pale, nausea appears, dizziness, limbs may become cold. Such a speech will end quickly enough, because in most cases the speaker either gathers his courage and calms down, or loses consciousness. In young children who are forced to recite a rhyme in front of a crowd of relatives or answer in front of a whole class, sometimes lalophobia is accompanied by involuntary urination. In adults, this symptom is rarely observed.

Stage fright as a result of upbringing

Lalophobia develops more often in children brought up by strict and authoritarian parents. It is enough for mom or dad to tell the child that you can’t talk loudly on the street or in public places and attract attention to yourself so that he eventually develops stage fright. They try to bring up other children as intelligent and modest, they inspire that it is better to sit in the audience than to try to take the place of a lecturer.

The fear of public speaking often haunts people who at a young age were forbidden, intimidated, who were subjected to physical or psychological violence. The atmosphere of constant pressure and depreciation of any achievements contributes to underestimation of self-esteem. When a speaker is not sure of his mental abilities, external data or the significance of the proposed idea, it is more difficult for him to pull himself together and overcome the fear of the audience.

Children who have been instilled with ambition and the need to always be first suffer from perfectionism and inflated self-esteem. It makes them value the opinion of society, which is why the fear of speaking is formed. A person is frightened by the possibility of being ridiculed or hearing criticism from the audience, which will hurt his pride and make him doubt his own abilities.

Fear of public speaking: genetic memory

Some psychologists argue that logophobia is a genetic problem. In primitive society, man tried not to separate from the masses, so as not to be rejected. Exile in most cases meant death by predator or starvation. Modern speakers are quite adapted to survive in splendid isolation, but subconscious instincts and fears can play a cruel joke with them.

The reason for the development of a phobia is also considered the presence of bad experience in the past. For example, when a schoolboy or student was publicly ridiculed, making him feel worthless. Memories deeply cut into the subconscious if not only classmates, but also the teacher himself took an active part in the persecution. Strong personalities try to get the maximum benefit from such situations, use the experience gained to train willpower and character. People who are sensitive, prone to self-criticism and depressive states, withdraw and simply refuse the opportunity to share their thoughts with others.

Logophobia appears in patients with speech defects. They are quite comfortable in the company of friends, but a large audience scares them, because listeners can ridicule his speech impediments. Such people are recommended treatment, which is aimed at improving diction and increasing self-confidence.

Fear of blushing as the cause of glossophobia

Patients with erythrophobia refuse public speaking due to the characteristics of their own body. Experiencing excitement or other strong emotions, they blush. Among the causes of a traitorous blush, there are problems with the nervous and vascular systems, hormonal disorders and the consequences of stressful situations.

More often, glossophobia in this form is diagnosed in blue-eyed and fair-haired patients with thin and pale skin. Erythrophobes try once again not to appear in public, because the accumulation of strangers makes them worry and panic, blush and be embarrassed even more.

Erythrophobes refuse high positions, because a director or a successful lawyer will have to take part in conferences, speak to subordinates or juries. For some patients, breathing exercises and self-hypnosis treatment help to get rid of the fear of public speaking, while others have to work with psychologists for a long time. If treatment with drugs and psychotherapy does not help, the person is offered surgical ways to overcome the problem. They just pinch certain nerve endings, and the patient gets the opportunity to communicate with other people, speak in front of huge audiences and not blush.

How to overcome the fear of public speaking?

Someone considers stage fright a trifle, but neglected logophobia can develop into a serious problem. The patient at first avoids public speaking, after that he is shy of friends, and over time he tries to isolate himself from society as a whole so as not to get into awkward situations.

The classic advice given to all new speakers is to mentally undress the audience or dress in ridiculous costumes to relieve tension. Others recommend making friends with the audience, focusing on the listeners who follow every word spoken with interest and admiration. A smile, gestures of approval and support help to cope with stress.

To overcome panic and excitement, it is recommended to carefully prepare for the performance. Select interesting and reliable material, rehearse your speech several times in front of a mirror or a pet. You can dictate a speech on the phone, then listen to it in order to find mistakes and get rid of them before the speech.

Perfectionist, pedantic people should relax a bit. Give yourself the right to make one or more frivolous mistakes, because no one is perfect, even opponents who try to find inaccuracies in the given facts with a satisfied smirk.

Getting rid of negative memories

It is more difficult to cope with the memories of the past, which prevent you from relaxing and make you expect the worst. Psychologists give some advice on how to overcome stage fright and believe in yourself. At home, it is useful to perform special exercises and master breathing exercises that will help normalize the heartbeat and muffle fear.

Meditation can overcome the tension that lalophobia causes, but it takes at least a few months to do it. A couple of hours before the performance, it is helpful to solve simple or complex mathematical equations in order to activate the left hemisphere of the brain. Then it will be easier to concentrate on the topic and answer all the questions of the audience.

Toovercomepanic, you should tune in to a positive result. Imagine the audience jumping up from their seats and giving a standing ovation, amazed by the performance. How the proposed idea will turn the world upside down or make people's lives easier, and bring universal recognition and fame to its creator.

You need to watch your body: do not cross your arms or legs, do not close yourself from the audience. Muscles and gestures should be as relaxed as possible, and postures should be open. In serious cases, when peyraphobia interferes with career advancement, and you cannot get rid of the problem on your own, you should consult a psychologist and undergo a course of treatment. You may need to take sedatives or tranquilizers.

Treatment by a specialist will help you relax and reveal your oratorical potential. But the main weapon of all successful lecturers, lawyers and business coaches is a smile. Sincere, broad, confident and disarming. After all, sometimes it is enough to smile at the world for it to smile at you.

The professional responsibilities of many people include regular public speaking and being in continuous contact with large audiences. The activities of politicians, teachers, lawyers, managers, artists are directly related to the stay, interaction, communication and often persuasion of a large group of people.

In his life, almost every person is faced with a situation when it becomes necessary to show their oratory and speak to an audience. According to psychologists, a certain level of fear of speaking is present in the vast majority of people - over 95% of the population. Stage fright is one of the most common phobias, which not only causes inconvenience, worsens mental well-being and physical health, but also makes it difficult to perform job duties and hinders further career growth.

Such fears are familiar to many prominent artists and musicians who regularly perform in front of large audiences. The actress experienced a strong pathological stage fright Faina Ranevskaya, singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, musicians Pablo Casals, Glenn Gould, Arthur Rubinstein.

For many people, stage fright is a significant stressful situation, untimely, incorrect and incomplete therapy and correction of which can become a factor in personality accentuation and go into the category of mental disorders. As a result of exposure to fear as a traumatic factor, a person resorts to the so-called defensive behavior. This mechanism helps only for a while, and if the problem is not resolved in the future, and the person is unable to cope with the fear that is taking place, it is the defense mechanisms that become an obstacle to personal growth. They give rise to new emotional problems, forming the desire to escape from reality into the "artificial world of simplification" and are the cause of mental illness.

Therefore, it is extremely important to recognize the symptoms in time, analyze the cause, give a frank and, at the same time, optimistic assessment of what is happening, and take psychological correction measures.

Manifestation of glossophobia

In psychology, the pathological fear of public speaking is called glossophobia or peyraphobia. One should clearly share the natural excitement that any person experiences before the upcoming solo monologue, focused on a large crowd of people, both familiar and unfamiliar. So, a completely adequate reaction of the body - excitement, occurs before the upcoming solo performance of a novice dancer and musician, before the oral entrance exams to the university. At the same time, this person will not experience anxiety, tension and fear when they have to demonstrate their talents or read a report in front of a familiar audience: colleagues, classmates, teachers.

Psychologists emphasize that a moderate amount of anxiety and excitement has its positive aspects. In anticipation of a crucial event, a person becomes more attentive, more collected, more energetic, and as a result, his performance is successful and of high quality. And the "solo" in public for those who do not experience excitement at all often turns out to be a failure.

An individual suffering from glossophobia will experience an inexplicable and indomitable fear during or before a speech, even in front of well-known listeners or in front of a small group of people. His fear is not selective, but constant when in public.

Symptoms of the disorder

Although the factors causing distress in phobic disorders are different, they all elicit essentially the same non-specific biological response. Before or upon the onset of an unfavorable situation for the individual, in this case, in anticipation of being in public, emotional stress arises and grows. A high level of activity of the subcortical system, which activates the cerebral cortex, motor centers, glands of the internal system, the sympathetic autonomic system, changes the functioning of the internal organs. So, common manifestations of stage fright:

• Enlargement and muscle tension;
• Change in gestures and facial expressions;
• Changing the timbre and tone of voice;
• Vegetative manifestation: excessive sweating, palpitations, "jumps" in blood pressure;
• Headache, unpleasant, pressing sensations in the region of the heart.

An attack of glossophobia may be accompanied by:

• dry mouth
• trembling voice,
• loss of the ability to speak
• involuntary urination.

In rare cases, in people with increased nervous excitability, such a phobia causes fainting of varying duration. Loss of consciousness, as a rule, is preceded by dizziness, weakness, nausea, pallor of the face and lips, cold extremities, weak frequent pulse.

The strength of the manifestation and the number of symptoms are purely individual and depend on the characteristics of the person’s character, the way they respond to alarm signals, the functional state of the body, mood, fatigue and the nature of the activity at the moment.

Reasons for the appearance

The main reasons for the formation of glossophobia:

• genetic predisposition;
• social factors.

Genetic inheritance has an individual tendency to specific types of fear, fear of society in general, an innate level of anxiety. A person, as a constituent unit of society, is afraid of not being accepted, not understood, not appreciated by the community, afraid of being socially isolated. Among the hereditary psychological characteristics, it is worth highlighting the basis for further character formation: temperament, genetic accentuation and the degree of anxiety. The psychological characteristics of parents and offspring are quite similar: they have similar fears, a certain way of perceiving them, the same reaction force and degree of "stuck".

Psychologists consider social factors to be the most significant sources of the formation of a phobia before public speaking:

• incorrect, overly strict upbringing;
• incorrect behavior of parents in the family: intimidation, prohibitions, threats in childhood;
• excessive susceptibility to criticism of others and internal "censorship", giving rise to anankastic timidity and humility;
• negative attitude towards one's own "I", low self-esteem, due to the pressure of adults on the child's psyche;
• negative childhood experience that has been subjected to significant criticism for the individual;
• distortion of the strength of stress factors in the direction of their strengthening;

Peiraphobia can manifest itself due to a lack of confidence to be understood by the audience, which is associated with poor, insufficient preparation and lack of necessary knowledge. For many, performing on stage is difficult due to lack of sufficient experience.

A likely factor in the emergence of stage fright is the desire for perfection. Very often, glossophobia manifests itself in perfectionist people striving for the ideal and having the habit of cherishing public opinion.

Also, people whose anxiety is accompanied by accentuation of a pedantic type are afraid to be in front of everyone.

Treatment: how to fight?

Of course, it is necessary to get rid of this phobia, and these fears are eliminated successfully and completely by the appropriate specialists. Professional help to get rid of glossophobia is necessary only for those whose fears turn into, to determine the clear boundary of which is only possible for a psychotherapist. For all other speakers, lecturers, actors and musicians, you can overcome the phobia on your own.

Steps to overcome your fear of speaking in public include four steps:

• awareness of the problem;
• analysis of the causes of occurrence;
• development of solution ideas;
• testing ideas in practice.

Let us dwell in more detail on possible resolution methods designed to reduce the level of anxiety, increase self-esteem and get rid of glossophobia.

Stage 1. Get rid of the unknown

We carefully analyze the audience: size, social status, age, life positions, interests of the audience. It is necessary to clearly understand what society expects from your speech, and what kind of response you expect to receive. Your awareness will negate the factor of uncertainty, it will become predictable to get a certain result.

Stage 2. Taming the "monster"

Your nervousness is exacerbated by giving the audience negative traits and fixation on "cons", such as: skeptical smirk, gestures of disapproval, critical whispers, etc., allegedly taking place in the audience. You can change your perception of the public by forming thoughts of approval. Endow objects with positive features, pay mental attention to pleasant little things coming from the hall: approving gestures, jubilant voices, interested glances. A great way to overcome stage fright is visualization, when you put your great work in perspective.

Stage 3. Don't let the performance fail

If stage fright causes fear of failure and failure, careful preparation is the best remedy. When a person is confident in his knowledge and sufficient study of the topic, he will be much less worried.

For example, you have a report. The algorithm of your actions is as follows:

• search, analysis and study of source data from several sources,
• creating unique text
• summarizing the main points
• making a speech plan,
• selection of compelling arguments
• memorization or close retelling of the composed text,
• studying possible questions and compiling answers to them.

Rehearse your report in front of a mirror or perform in front of loved ones. Listening to the text dictated by your voice will bring a good effect. Pay special attention to the non-verbal part: your gestures, facial expressions and appearance. Such a preliminary presentation will help to identify and correct possible errors, and will give confidence in your oratory skills.

Stage 4. Recognize the possibility of error

It is necessary to reduce the often exaggerated importance of other people, it is logical to evaluate criticism, to recognize the presence of shortcomings in each individual, including: sarcasm, cynicism, skepticism, malevolence and other disadvantages. The realization that anyone can make mistakes, and fair criticism does not always come from the lips of well-wishers, will give you great confidence.

It is necessary to regularly engage in techniques aimed at forming an objective self-esteem and increasing self-esteem. Affirmations on the topic of feeling one's own value and accepting oneself as a unique person give an excellent result.

Stage 5. Fixing on the positive

It is advisable to focus on the process itself, and not on the expected result. It will be more productive to fixate on the course of the action in the present, and not on the yet illusory future result. Imagine all the pleasant aspects of your being in public, your success and recognition. The existing negative experience must be transformed into a positive one.

In addition, good methods to overcome stage fright are:

• exercise for different muscle groups
• correct breathing,
• activation of the left hemisphere, for example: mathematical calculations,
• singing mentally or aloud a pleasant melody,
• changing body position to a more open posture,
• regular meditation,
• use of self-hypnosis techniques.

A smile has fantastic power. A sincere smile will reduce mental stress and discomfort, deceive the subconscious (after all, it is impossible to be afraid and experience joy at the same time). Smile in front of the audience and when you receive a smile in return, you will feel your fears leave you. Do not avoid speaking and communicating with the public, confidence will come with experience!

More about stage fright

Audio lecture on techniques for dealing with the fear of public speaking.

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