Conquering Public Speaking Anxiety Today | dan erickson

My new recording setup.

This is the first post in a weekly series about public speaking.? You all know me as a blogger, writer, and musician, but I make my living as a teacher.? I studied communication at Washington State University and I have an M.A. in communication with an emphasis in speech and rhetoric.? I?ve been teaching public speaking courses at the two-year college level for nearly?fifteen?years.

This is my first podcast. ?I tried to keep it simple. ?It?s not perfect and that?s part of my point. ?We don?t need to be perfect to succeed in public speaking. ?In the future, I hope to learn more of the technical aspects of podcasting: things like adding a picture and play button, adding bumper music, and working more closely with audio levels. ?I learned in this first podcast that my banjo needs to be set aside when I speak, because it creates a slight ring and the Yeti microphone picks it up. ?It wasn?t real bad, so I left it in this time, but like everything, I?ll learn and improve in time.

Listen to the Podcast:?Conquering Public Speaking Anxiety Today

Let?s get the hardest topic?out of the way first:?The fear of public speaking. ?A couple of weeks ago I posted a survey to see what some of your fears are when faced with giving a speech.? Your answers are very similar to what I hear in my classes each quarter when we broach this topic. ?The most common concern is making a mistake, followed by being the center of attention. ?I think I might have something that will help.

Years ago, when I first started teaching?public speaking courses, I found an article called How To Conquer Public Speaking Fear?by Morton C. Orman, M.D.? In all my research, and in all the textbooks I?ve used since, I still find Dr. Orman?s article to?be one of the best resources?concerning ways to deal with speech anxiety.? I believe Dr. Orman?s article is very effective, because he looks at the underlying causes of public speaking fear.? Many books and websites only offer simple fixes for relaxation?like breathing and visualization?exercises.? I don?t want to discount those methods, but I believe we need to understand the underlying causes of speech anxiety before we address effects and solutions.

In this post, I?ll include Dr. Orman?s 10 Key Principles, or listen to my podcast for a more in-depth discussion about these key principles.

1. ?Speaking in Public is NOT Inherently Stressful?

2.? You Don?t have to be Brilliant or Perfect to Succedd

3.? All you need is Two or Three Main Points

4.? You also Need a Purpose That is Right for the Task

5.? The?Best Way to Succeed is Not to consider Yourself a Public Speaker!

6.? Humility and Humor Can Go a Long Way

7.? When You Speak in Public, Nothing ?Bad? Can Ever Happen!

8.? You Don?t Have to Control the Behavior of Your Audience

9.? In General, the More You Prepare, the Worse You Will Do

10.? Your Audience Truly Wants You to Succeed

Questions:?Which of these principles rings the most true for you? ?What can you do to overcome your public speaking anxiety?

Source: http://danerickson.net/?p=7556

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