Ways to reduce shyness,
stage frightens, stress and
speaker’s anxiety
Lt Col Tauhidul Islam
BGBM, PBGMS (Bar), psc, G+
Associate Professor
Ref: -The Complete Presentation Skill, Handbook by Suzy Siddons
Classic Presentation and Public Speaking by SM Wahiduzzaman
Ways to reduce shyness, stage
frightens, stress and speaker’s anxiety
Content
Different techniques used to Reduce Shyness
Different techniques used to reduce Stage Frightens
Different techniques used for reducing stress
Different techniques used Speaker`s anxiety
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
It is estimated that nearly 17 million American adults at
some point will meet criteria for social anxiety disorder
or social phobia. The number of adults who struggle with
shyness greatly exceeds that number. Fortunately, there are
some effective strategies to overcome shyness and social
anxiety and gain confidence:
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
1. Act confidently
Confidence comes through action, learning, practice,
and mastery. Remember when you learned how to
ride a bike? It was terrifying at first, but after you
just went for it and tried it, you got it, and felt
confident. Social confidence works the same way.
Feeling anxious is not the problem; avoiding social
interactions is the problem. Eliminate avoidance and
you will overcome your anxiety.
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
2. Engage
This means participating in small talk in the checkout
line and talking to strangers at bars, stores, sporting
events, and the gym.
Life is short. Who cares if you get rejected? There
are seven billion people on this planet. You’re not
expected to like or be liked by all of them. Take
some chances and put yourself out there to meet
new people.
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
3. Try new things, even if they make you anxious
Join a club, a sports team, or an improve class. Pick up a new
project, take on a difficult task at work, or learn a new skill. Do
something to get out of your comfort zone.
Part of overcoming shyness is about developing confidence in
several areas of your life and not letting anxiety, fear of failure,
fear of rejection, or fear of humiliation get in your way. By
practicing new activities, you are confronting your fear of the
unknown and learning to handle that anxiety more effectively.
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
4. Talk
Start practicing giving speeches or presentations and telling
jokes or stories at every opportunity. Be more talkative and
expressive in all areas of your life. Whether you’re at work,
with friends, with strangers, or walking down the street, you
can practice talking more openly. Let your voice and your
ideas be heard.
Confident people are not preoccupied with whether
everyone is going to like what they have to say. They speak
their mind because they want to share, engage, and connect
with others. You can do this too. Anxiety and shyness are not
reasons to stay quiet.
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
5. Make yourself vulnerable
A fear of being judged contributes to social anxiety and
shyness. The only way to overcome this fear is to make
yourself vulnerable. Practice doing this with the people you
are close to and can trust. You might realize the more you
do it, the closer you feel to others and the more pleasure
and meaning you get out of those relationships. This will
lead to increased confidence in yourself and in social
interactions.
Being vulnerable requires a willingness to let others see
the real you. Be proud of who you are. Being genuine and
vulnerable is often the quality that others will appreciate
the most about you.
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
6. Practice displaying confident body language
Make eye contact when talking to someone. Walk with your
head held high. Project your voice clearly and effectively.
Shake hands. Give hugs. Stay in close proximity to others.
Different techniques used to Reduce
Shyness
7. Be mindful
Mindfulness has been defined simply as awareness. Wake up. Be
present to all of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and
memories in any given moment. There is no part of your
experience that you have to run from, escape, or avoid. Learn to
appreciate yourself and the world around you, including those
“panicky” thoughts and feelings, and just notice them without
judgment.
When you are fully present in the moment, you will realize that
social interactions are not something you need to avoid. You will
perform better because you are actually paying attention to the
conversation and the cues in your environment. With practice,
you can continually incorporate and improve upon your social
skills that you learn from the world around you, ultimately
making you feel more confident.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
There are two types of people in the world: those who love
speaking in public and those who are scared stiff at the
thought of it.
Performance anxiety and stage fright are perfectly normal
phenomena that occur to many people. It is important for you
to understand what stage fright is, so that you can fully
overcome it.
Stage fright or performance anxiety is a persistent phobia
which is aroused in an individual when required to perform in
front of an audience.
So how do you overcome stage fright when speaking in public?
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Know Your Stuff
Nothing will stop stage fright in it’s gripping tracks like being
prepared. Know your content, your speech and more
importantly your audience. If you know what you are talking
about then you have no reason to be nervous.
Understanding your topic will enable you to speak more
naturally and hence more confidently. Also, should a technical
hitch occur, this won’t faze you as you are already confident
on the subject.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Practice, Practice, Practice
Knowing your stuff helps, but it doesn’t necessarily eradicate
the problem. You need to practice as much as you can before
the performance or public speaking d-day.
Really know your content inside out and practice (preferably in
front of a live audience) as much as possible to build your
confidence.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Talk Yourself Down
You need to realize that even though stage fright is “all in
the mind,” the fear manifests itself in physical ways. The
best offence is to change your negative talk. Stop worrying
about, “What if I forget the content?”
Change that into positive talk like, “What if I am great at
this?” It may sound simplistic or too easy, but positive
affirmation will go a long way in reducing stage fright
when speaking in public.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Wallow in the Worst
If you can’t calm yourself down with positive talk, then
maybe it is time you thought about the worst case
scenario. Once you do this, you’ll realize that the worst
case scenario isn’t really that bad. This might help calm
your nerves.
Visualize the Outcome
Call it what you will: reflection, visualization,
meditation. Whatever you call it, just do it. Spend time
visualizing yourself giving a perfect presentation and
speaking in public – filled with humor, warmth,
confidence and intelligence.
The more you imagine being great, the more likely you
will achieve it.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
It is Not All About You
Though you might feel like everyone is out to laugh, criticize
or judge you, that is not the case. Get over the feeling that
the world is going to hang on your every mistake.
Focus on your speech, audience and what they deserve from
you. This will ease the pressure that is already accumulating.
When Things go Wrong
Sooner or later, something will go wrong. Your projector or
microphone might stop working. If you already know your
content, then chances are that this won’t faze you as much. If,
for instance, your microphone stops working, don’t stress over
it, carry on with a louder voice. Chances are the technical
people are already stressing and working to sort the problem
out, so you getting worried over the same issue won’t help.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Keep Calm, Don’t Rush It
Don’t rush your presentation. Start slow and allow yourself time to
get into a comfortable pace. You need time to get used to the
audience and the audience also needs time to get used to you.
Focus on Getting Through the First 5 Minutes
Imagine your entire presentation is only five minutes long. This
will make it less stressful. Focus on just getting through the first
five minutes and by this time you will have already calmed down
and the rest is downhill.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Don’t Share Your Mistakes
You have prepared, practiced and feel good about your speech
or presentation. Suddenly, on stage you realize you mixed the
order of topics or you forgot an important point. But remember,
you’re the only one who knows about this. Your audience
doesn’t. So, don’t make them aware of a mistake that they
didn’t even know existed. If you bring it up, some people might
start looking for more holes, which ultimately distracts from the
whole purpose of your presentation in the first place.
Arrive Early
Obviously, if you are late, this will only heighten your
anxiety. Arrive early and acclimate to your surroundings. You can
even check out the stage and the auditorium as get yourself
used to the environment.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Stretch
If you are nervous, odds are your body will be stiff and
your muscles tight. Fifteen minutes before speaking in
public and going on stage, do a few stretches. This will
loosen the tense muscles and relax your body.
Breathe
Nervousness is always accompanied by fast, short
breaths and if this is not addressed, it will throw you off
balance. Minutes before you go on stage, take some
slow, deep breaths, so that by the time you get to the
stage your breathing is relaxed.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Double Check Everything
Do you have a laptop or notes? Check that everything
works. When you walk on stage and suddenly realize that
you forgot your notes, it’s too late. Of course, your nerves
will take over. Know your speech or presentation so well
that should this happen, you can continue without a hitch.
Don’t Fight Your Stage Fright … Work With It
You have to expect and accept the fact that you will feel
anxious, especially the first few minutes of your
presentation. The more you resist your anxiety, the more it
will work against you. Again, focus on the presentation
when speaking in public and the anxiety will slowly ease
off.
Different techniques used to reduce
Stage Frightens
Different techniques used for
reducing stress
Different techniques used for
reducing stress
Different techniques used for
reducing stress
Different techniques used for
reducing stress
Different techniques used for
reducing stress
Different techniques used for
reducing stress
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
1. Recognize that stress or social anxiety is a natural reaction. Tell
yourself this is to be expected and many presenters, even after
years of presenting, still get the jitters. It’s OK.
2. Front it. If you are nervous sometimes it is best to tell your
audience, “I am really nervous;” I have personally done it and
many well-known performers, for example, have done the same
when receiving an award because they were nervous. It’s OK.
Remember, your audience wants you to succeed and they will
understand. So let them know; they will smile back to make you
comfortable and that alone often helps.
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
3. Prior to going on stage drink water. Anxiety causes our
mouths to dry so you want to be hydrated and have water
available on stage—just in case.
4. Stretch before going on stage. I often see professional
speakers stretch their neck forward and back as well as sideto-side and this helps them to deal with their anxieties. Others
will open their mouth really wide several times—they tell me
that helps. Others move their shoulders up, hold, then lower
them slowly. Each person has his or her own go-to favorites—
see what works best for you.
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
5. Try the push away—it is easy to do and one of my favorites.
Stand about two feet away from a wall and do push-aways much
as you would do a push-up. Five quick push-aways is often just
enough to lessen anxiety.
6. Our subconscious deals with threats or potential issues so
often we tend to focus on those in the audience that seem
unhappy, displeased, or disinterested with our presentation.
Override this survival instinct by forcing yourself to focus only
on friendly faces—even if there is just one in the room—that will
go a long way to help you relax. Once you find one then look for
another and skip the unhappy or those that are disinterested—
they are needless distractions.
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
7. We spend all day pacifying ourselves by engaging in hand to body
touching (rubbing our nose, touching our faces, rubbing our hands together,
biting our lips, etc.). When we are stressed we do more of these things
(blink rate also goes up, hand-wringing, hand massaging, playing with
wedding bands, etc.) and on stage these can be very distracting. Tell
yourself “I know I am going to do these things—this is
natural.” Acknowledge to yourself that you do these things and that it is
normal. On stage repeat to yourself, “I will still do these things, only this
time I will do them more slowly and gently.” You still get to have your
favorite security blanket/pacifying behavior—it just won’t be as
distracting.
8. Learn to accept that the stage is your friend. It is there for your
benefit: to focus attention, to reach a broader audience, or to enhance
your presentation—it is not your enemy. Reframe your thinking—it will
reduce your anticipatory stress level.
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
9. If you still find yourself struggling on stage, take a deep breath and
exhale really slowly, longer than you would normally exhale—repeat if
needed. Don’t hesitate to let the audience know this is hard for you—
they understand and will admire you for trying.
article continues after advertisement
10. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. I often find great speakers in the
green room quietly rehearsing outloud the same lines they have
delivered many times. Why? Because it helps them to relieve stress
and they can hear that all familiar voice; their own voice, and that alone
helps them to calm down.
Different techniques used Speaker`s
anxiety
Chapter 1
Projects in Contemporary Organizations