How to overcome the fear of public speaking

Researchers at the University of Western Australia have found that a simple and inspiring message will help significantly reduce the excitement before performing in public, as well as take control of nerves just before going on stage. Lead researcher Dr. Ben Jackson, who is a senior lecturer in the Department of Humanities at the University of Western Australia, said that speaking in public is a task that many people consider stressful. Moreover, concern for public speaking is the most common form of concern among the entire population.

The course of the study

The study, conducted by scientists, included a group of more than 200 students who needed to make a presentation. Half of the students were given a message that was supposed to reduce the pressure to speak to the public, and also help the speakers understand the source of their concern. The researchers found that students who received this message later told that they experienced a much lower level of stress before the performance, and also during it compared to those students who did not receive this message. Also, the students who received the message said that it helped them to have a more sober look at the reasons for their anxiety. This was the first time that so-called "inoculation" messages were tested as a way of reducing anxiety before public speaking. There is a possibility that such an approach can offer a simple and effective way to mitigate widespread fear.

What is this message?

This report contains data that allows a person to soberly look at their worries about public speaking, such as "everyone will see that I'm nervous," "everyone will condemn my appearance and my clothes" and "I can not normally make a speech, because That I'm nervous. " For example, the report contained scientific evidence that other people who will be in the audience are not as good at recognizing someone else's emotional state as you might think, and also that having a slight concern is not something bad.

Previous attempts

Although some ways of dealing with anxiety during public appearances were previously quite effective, they were difficult to use on a large scale. Many of these methods require a lot of effort, a lot of time, and also require repeated repetition, expert help and tete-a-tete conversations. These methods include training stressful inoculation, hypnotic methods and various programs that study oratory.