Public Speaking and Leadership Development [Inglês]

Public speaking, for many, represents a fear worse than the fear of death

The fear of public speaking is worse than the fear of death

Fear of public speaking is the most common phobia, even before death, spiders or fear of heights. The American National Institute of Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, affects about 73% of the population. The next fear is other people's negative judgment or evaluation. Public speaking anxiety is considered a social anxiety disorder.

Join a group. The practice increases confidence in public speaking. Groups like Toastmasters International provide peer support to improve our public speaking skills. Repeated exposure allows us to develop new beliefs about our fear and public speaking ability.

The fear of "going blank," being blank-minded, during a speech is common. Advancing in a job position or completing a college degree can be hampered by not addressing this fear.

John R. Montopoli, LMFT, LPCC

Cofounder, National Social Anxiety Center; Director, NSAC San Francisco

About the fear of public speaking

"Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s how our brains are programmed, so how can we overcome it? Human generosity. The key to calming the amygdala and disarming our panic button is to turn the focus away from ourselves — away from whether we will mess up or whether the audience will like us — and toward helping the audience. Showing kindness and generosity to others has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which has the power to calm the fight-or-flight response. When we are kind to others, we tend to feel calmer and less stressed. The same principle applies in speaking. When we approach speaking with a spirit of generosity, we counteract the sensation of being under attack and we feel less nervous."

Sarah Gershman

Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University