Category: Fear
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Fear of Public Speaking: When Is It More Than Just Nerves?
The fear of public speaking is one of humanity’s most common anxieties. Whether addressing a small group of colleagues or standing before a large audience, the prospect of speaking in public can send shivers down our spine. Some research from the University of California, Los Angeles, reveals that this fear (often referred to as glossophobia)…
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The Power of asking questions to become a better speaker
We all know how difficult it can be to stand on the stage and answer the audience’s questions, but how about the other side? How about standing up in front of everyone, picking up a microphone, and asking the speaker a question? Asking questions For those who fear public speaking and feel exposed, asking a…
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Traumatic Memories: how do they impact your ability to shine?
When speaking in public, you feel incredibly vulnerable because you are too exposed. Many anthropologists have theories about that discomfort and its relationship with being apart from the group. In other words, far from the safety of the group. Yet, some of us seem to deal better with it, while others can reach the anxiety…
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“Tell me about yourself.”
Do you remember that first day of school, when the teacher would ask you to stand up and “Tell the class about yourself.”? You would probably close your eyes, take a deep breath, and wish very hard that some natural catastrophe would destroy the whole school at that very moment. Now that you’re an adult,…
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Fight your anxiety: allow yourself to be bad.
Self-deprecated humor is a shield most comedians use to fight their insecurities and anxieties. They learn how to laugh at themselves to raise their confidence. Like them, we all have insecurities that will harm our performance if we don’t find a way to deal with them. Why are we so scared when stepping up a…
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When to say ‘no’? – Not all opportunities are good opportunities
We repeatedly talked about how important your public speaking skills are to evolve in your career, to reach your goals. You know you’ll never be as good as you can be if you do not practice. The best way to be a good communicator is to communicate! Does this mean you should jump in every…
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Positive Imagery to ward off anxiety
When anxiety kicks in, we all tend to imagine the worst scenarios. Usually, in our anxious minds, there is always danger around the corner. This is what happens in your imagination before a presentation. The imagination is a powerful tool. You can travel to infinite places inside your mind, and it has a true impact…
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5 Rituals to Prep for Public Speaking
We use rituals in so many areas of our lives. Previously most associated with religion, but now used much more broadly, we see benefits from practicing specific actions in a sequence to get us into a certain physical and mental state. The wonderful thing about rituals and routines that I’ve noticed, is that over time,…
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This is how anxiety medication interfere with your speech
The number of people taking anxiety medication around the world is bigger than ever. The prescriptions increased a lot in the late years, and it has an impact on your whole life. Have you ever consider what impact it may have on your presentations? Anxiety in Numbers Anxiety disorders are, currently, the most common mental…
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How to apply “The Work” of Byron Katie to Public Speaking
The basis to overcome all our fears is to understand them. What is upsetting to you? What scares you? Why? What can you do about it? These are questions you must ask yourself to approach a problem in order to solve it. Eventually, if it has no solution, to accept it. You must know yourself;…