[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak|remove link|no_popup[/img]A new client recently told me he has a fear of public speaking.
He was intimidated because he was to address a Mensa group, people who had proven themselves, by rigorous IQ examinations, to be highly intelligent. He needed to ensure that he would deliver an entertaining, stimulating, educational speech.
Concerned he would fail, forget what he was talking about or embarrass himself, he recalled the movie “The King’s Speech. ” My client identified with the stuttering king’s fear of speaking. Most Americans share this fear. Americans are less scared of terrorism than they are of public speaking. It truly is the No. 1-ranked fear.
My new client was not a stutterer but simply scared when he came to make a speech. His hands turned sweaty, he breathed in gasps rather than evenly, leading to dizziness while his heart raced. Was he having a heart attack? .
Such symptoms are not uncommon. They can harm the careers of a lecturer or who gives sales or marketing presentations. One lady came to see me because she was afraid to go through with a speech at her last event.
May I Stay for Dinner?
Advancing toward the lectern, she slipped and fell headlong into the buffet table, upsetting the contents all over herself.
Whatever the reasons for being afraid, there are tools to help you wipe away the dread and even become enthusiastic. I knew a gentleman had who lived in fear of one period each year when he had to go to Las Vegas and address his peers. Until he came to see me, he was extremely anxious.
All people afraid of public speaking have this in common:
Rather than seeing themselves giving a fun talk, they only foresee a failure. The lady who fell in the buffet table only envisioned herself doing that.
Others saw themselves clamming up, having dry mouth, forgetting what they were going to say, simply feeling less than the people they were appearing before.
People afraid of speaking suffer an intensity of emotion that interferes with their ability to speak.
How to be Cured
Hypnotherapy can help anyone with this fear. Using desensitization techniques and positive visualizations, changes a person’s attitude from nervous to confident. Hypnosis alters a person’s attitude toward his or her feelings. The sensation of nervousness changes to excitement at the prospect of speaking to a group people not there to judge you but who want to hear what you have to say. They want to learn from you. Audience members are they by desire not order.
Usually they know less about the topic than you do, which, after all, is why you are there.
Should the opportunity present itself, go to the room where you will be speaking. See what it looks like, understand its layout. Know how much room you have to move in. This also helps remove nervousness.
Finally, it is important to eat protein- rich meals 24 hours before your speech. Stress strains the body’s adrenaline system. This causes the body to rapidly burn its sugar. Unless the sugar is replaced, the brain changes from the higher functioning critical thinking level to the base animal instinct, leading to emotional stress.
Why protein? Carbohydrates are a quick source of sugar to your system. as is sugar. The problem is, it causes your blood sugar levels to rise and fall quickly, spurring wild emotional swings.
Protein breaks down to sugar more slowly and evenly, which stabilizes sugar levels and allows you to think rationally. The brain is dependant upon sugar to survive. If inadequately nourished, it panics, which contributes to a further source of nervousness that you may be experiencing.
If you are nervous about public speaking, contact me and eliminate your fear.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net
