Stop rehearsing in front of the mirror and focus on the message you wish to deliver to your audience.
There are many tips on the web about how to overcome your fear of speaking in front of a large group of people. Someone recommends training in front of a mirror, visualizing success, and even presenting the public in just underwear. But many of these tips are useless, counterproductive, and have side effects. There is another straightforward and much more efficient approach.
First, you need to realize that the excitement before performing in front of tens, hundreds, or even thousands of people is not the fear of speech itself but public humiliation. You are worried about what people think of you.
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You must understand that presenting your point of view is not the same as presenting yourself.
The success of a presentation is almost independent of what people think of you. It has nothing to do with whether your teeth are white, your shirt is ironed, or how smart and confident you seem. What matters is how successfully you get your message across to the public.
Your audience should understand the main idea of your speech. To do this, you must focus on your ideas, not your words. The more you concentrate on the words, the more likely you are to worry even more.
Also read: How to Deal With Anxiety
Don't think about how you look.
Much of the anxiety disappears as soon as you start focusing not on yourself but on what you want to say to the public. This makes you less shy. By adopting this idea, you become not just a speaker, but a kind of delivery specialist. Your point of view is the premise; your listeners are the recipients.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker
