4 Foolproof Tips to Master Public Speaking (kids and adults)

 

Public speaking or performing in front of others continues to be the number one fear with research estimating that around 72% of the population struggle with this fear. Close behind is acrophobia (a fear of spiders, but we will handle that one in a later blog).

Now, there are the lucky few actors or seasoned speakers who actually enjoy and thrive on this activity but even they often have some techniques to help reduce the initial anxiety or fear prior to them stepping onto the stage.

There are only two fears that we are born and all the others are learned behaviour. These are fear of loud noises and a fear of falling. When an infant hears a loud and unexpected noise, the infant generally experiences an acoustic startle reflex and starts crying.

Speaking in public however in some instances is something that develops also at a young age. Many of my young clients indicate that standing up in front of a class is a major fear for them.

Is it important to be able to speak in public?

There is no doubt that a fear of public speaking can hold you back both academically and professionally. Virtually everyone will be assigned a speaking task at school, whether it’s in front of a small group or a whole assembly. From a workplace perspective if you aspire to move into some type of leadership or management role then speaking in front of groups of people will be expected.

So what can you do?

There are lots of techniques that claim to work and I would honestly say that the three P’s and one H method is the most foolproof way I have found to conquer those fears.

P No 1 The first P is Purpose, this quite simply is to make sure that the topic you are presenting is of interest to your audience, ie there is a purpose.

P No 2 The second P is Preparation. I cannot stress enough the importance of this, you need to know your stuff. The fear often comes from people who are underprepared and do not know their stuff.

P No 3 The last P of course is Practice. I always use the mirror. Look at pace, body language, posture, and expression. Ask family members to be your audience, and record and listen to your speech or presentation. Practice builds confidence.

H The H stands for Hypnotherapy. One of the advantages of using hypnosis to help lower performance stress is that in a relaxed state we can run you through your own personal performance scenarios as many times as you like in a comfortable and relaxed state. In this state, you begin to experience yourself regaining control in what was a previously stressful situation. From there we can also start to build up consciously and subconsciously the performance that we really would like to give whether it is in a Monday morning business meeting, a lead role in a local play, or sitting that final exam it all works in the same way.

Hypnosis helps you to do this and it works simply because the subconscious mind does not know the difference between real and imagined. Imagine the positive and that’s what you get.

I know that a lot of celebrities use hypnotherapy to manage their fears but I was surprised by just how many of them use it on a regular basis.

Adele (British singer) was booked to perform the Bond theme Skyfall at the Academy Awards. She was so anxious that she suffered sleepless nights and panic attacks for weeks before the performance due to extreme fear about this one performance. Apparently on the advice of a friend she chose to use the services of a Hypnotherapist to help take back control of her emotions and feelings both before and during the big night. The result was a much calmer Adele and outstanding performance on the night.

Samuel L Jackson, Sean Penn, Sean Connery, Martha Stewart, Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Princess Diana also used hypnosis for public speaking and confidence.

In fact, there are so many benefits to using hypnosis to reduce any kind of fear or phobia and the results are often permanent. Hypnosis is not just something that happens in the reclining chair. I teach you self-hypnosis tools and techniques which you can use in your everyday life so that you are always the one in control. So whether it’s performance anxiety regarding a presentation or speech, exam nerves, stage fright, or loss of focus when competing in any kind of activity you will be amazed at how hypnosis can help.

Hypnotherapy can provide both adults and kids with the tools they need to keep their fear in check.

So by using the 3 P’s and the 1 H method you can make sure that are well prepared to perform at your best.

Reach out, give me a call or send me an email and I would be happy to answer all your questions.

For any questions on the Sleep for Kids app or MindOverMatter clinic please contact me at elaine@mindovermattertherapy.com.au or hello@sleepforkids.app.