subject: Bad Advice For Dealing With Fear Of Speaking Publicly [print this page] Unless you are a very outgoing person and enjoy giving public speeches, the fear of speaking publicly can cause you a great deal of anxiety and fear. There is a great deal of information available on public speaking and how to reduce the fear, through either a public speaking class or through techniques that are available online or in books. While most of these tips are helpful, there are some that can cause even more stress and shouldn't be tried.
To eliminate the fear of speaking publicly, it is often said that you should rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. While preparation and practice are essential steps for producing a quality speech, too much rehearsal can cause more problems than it solves. This is especially true if you have strong public speaking phobias. Constantly focusing on your speech can make you stressed out, and you may get the speech so set in your mind that if a change occurs for some reason, you may not be able to cope.
The alternative strategy for trying to deal with your dread of addressing a group is sometimes similarly fatal. Some people consider that the only real option to conquer a fear like this is by just diving in with very little preparation. While the fear of talking to groups of people might be overcome by placing yourself in settings where you are required to talk to others, starting with important events without sufficiently getting ready is more likely to amplify your anxiety than to eliminate it.
Finally, some individuals will try to end their terror of speaking in front of groups of people through the use of alcohol to calm down. These individuals claim that a drink or two before a major presentation can alleviate their anxiety and allow them to give a presentation that goes much more smoothly. This may be a dangerous thing to do when giving a speech, since an excess of alcohol can lead to a greater number of blunders and a diminished reaction time in case of problems. A lot of credibility will also be lost if the crowd believes that you have consumed alcohol.
While some people will swear that these techniques worked for them in reducing or eliminating their fear of speaking publicly, you must remember that not everyone can be successful in giving a speech if they've had a drink, have rehearsed continually or have given the speech without preparation or some practice. The majority of people will find that these tips don't work, and thus will find themselves with more fear or anxiety about the next speech that they may have to give.
