You've probably heard that public speaking is feared more than death itself. It sounds crazy, but that's what people say. Is there any truth to this? Certainly the vast majority of people rank fear of public speaking as number one – 75% according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.
The fear of public speaking is the most common phobia ahead of death, spiders, or heights. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, affects about 40%* of the population. The underlying fear is judgment or negative evaluation by others.
A lack of self-confidence
When speakers are unsure of themselves and their presentation, it's natural to start worrying and push sweat glands into overdrive. The lack of self-confidence can be brought about by a number of factors including poor preparation and inexperience.
Did you know that 73% of the population suffers from glossophobia? That's the fear of public speaking that appears when you are performing or expected to perform an oral presentation or speech in front of other people. The underlying fear is judgement or negative evaluation by others.
Also known as Glossophobia, fear of public speaking is the world's number one phobia, believed to affect about 75% of people across the globe. For some people, this fear might manifest as a slight feeling of nervousness at the thought of speaking publicly, while others experience full-on fear and panic.
According to All About Cats, agoraphobia is Australia and the world's most common phobia, with 61.67 per cent of people identifying it as. Agoraphobia is a social phobia commonly understood as the fear of public spaces and crowds.
If you're one of the 74% of people who suffer from speech anxiety, practising and having a relaxing warm up is essential. Even the most practiced and confident public speakers can feel a bit of stress and self-consciousness surrounding a speech or presentation. Beat nerves before presenting with a warm up routine.
About 10 percent of the population loves public speaking. That group experiences no fear and get a huge buzz being in front of a large crowd. Another 10 percent are genuinely terrified.
According to Forbes Magazine, the number one fear for the average person is that of public speaking. The second fear is death... So maybe you feel more relieved now, knowing that most people would rather die than give a presentation in front of a crowd...
The fear often arises when people overestimate the stakes of communicating their ideas in front of others, viewing the speaking event as a potential threat to their credibility, image, and chance to reach an audience.
Surprisingly, the fear of public speaking ranks in the number one spot of all fears, higher even than death, which takes the second spot on the list of top ten fears.
1. Acrophobia. Acrophobia is the fear of heights and it affects more than 6% of people. People who have acrophobia can have anxiety attacks, which causes them to avoid high places, such as bridges, towers, or tall buildings.
1. Social Phobia: Fear of Social Interactions. Also known as Social Anxiety Disorder, social phobias are by far the most common fear or phobia our Talkspace therapists see in their clients.
Some of the most common symptoms of speech anxiety are: shaking, sweating, butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, and squeaky voice. Although it is often impossible to completely eliminate speech anxiety there are a variety of ways to deal with it and even make it work to your advantage.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a skills-based approach that can be a successful treatment for reducing fear of public speaking. As another option, your doctor may prescribe a calming medication that you take before public speaking.
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If this sounds like you, then you may be suffering from glossophobia, a fear of public speaking. A fear of public speaking can be it's own phobia, or a symptom of a larger disorder know as social anxiety disorder. Symptoms of speech anxiety include; Anxiety at the thought of public speaking.
Here's the bad news: Our brains have transferred that ancient fear of being watched onto public speaking. In other words, public-speaking anxiety is in our DNA. We experience public speaking as an attack. We physiologically register an audience as a threatening predator and mount a comparable response.
Causes of a blackout
There are many reasons why a speaker can lose his focus, such as stage fright, fatigue, distractions by private topics, or by a harsh comment from the audience. It may come from nerves, lack of focus, or even over-preparing.
During stress, the body secretes the fight or flight hormones of adrenaline and noradrenalin and a sudden, over-abundance of these hormones in the bloodstream is responsible for the uncomfortable symptoms we associate with the fear of public speaking: sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, shakiness, “brain freeze, “ and a ...