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0How can I overcome my fear of speaking in public?
According to a study conducted by the statistic brain research institute in 2016, 74% of the global population feels uncomfortable speaking in front of an audience, that might be an oral exam at school, a presentation at work, or even making a toast at a birthday party, for example.
The symptoms are often the same, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, and a racing heart. You may feel like you're frozen on the spot. The level of anxiety can range from light nervousness to total panic, and it's not always easy to shift this kind of stage fright.
Is there a specific name for this fear?
Indeed, the term for a strong fear of public speaking is glossophobia, from the ancient Greek words glossar, meaning tongue, and phobos, meaning fear. Experts say it's one of the main signs of social anxiety, and it stems from the feeling of being watched and judged.
It's considered a phobia because the anxiety part is irrational. It's when we fear the worst, even when there's no reason for the worst to happen. So if you're stressing out about speaking in public simply because you're unprepared, that doesn't really count as glossophobia.
How can I overcome glossophobia then?
First, get accustomed to speaking in less anxiety-inducing situations. For example, share anecdotes at dinner with friends, even if you usually don't participate so actively in conversation, the more you train your brain to think in the presence of others and express yourself at the same time, the easier it will become.
When the big day comes around, you can try using visualization techniques to get yourself thinking positively. Imagine yourself entering the room, smiling at the audience, giving your presentation confidently and successfully. This should help relieve anxiety and reduce negative thoughts.
Stomach breathing exercises can also help reduce anxiety by around 40% and slow down that racing heart rate. Start a few minutes before your speech, and don't hesitate to take a short pause in between sentences to catch your breath. If you stumble over your words, it's not a big deal. Just take a breath and continue calmly. You can even make fun of the fact that you're feeling a bit nervous in order to lighten the mood.
If making eye contact with others makes you nervous, focus on the back of the room just above your audience's heads to maintain visual contact without really looking at them.
With time and by following these tips, your future public speaking engagements will be a stroll in the park. There you have it.
词汇表
make a toast [təʊst] 祝酒，举杯致辞
sweaty palms [ˈsweti pɑːmz] 手心冒汗，手心出汗
racing heart 心跳加速，心悸
frozen on the spot （因害怕等）僵在原地，当场愣住
stage fright 怯场，舞台恐惧症
glossophobia [ˌɡlɒsəʊˈfəʊbiə] n. 言语恐惧症，公开演讲恐惧症
glossar [ˈɡlɒsə] n. 舌头（古希腊语词根）
phobos [ˈfəʊbɒs] n. 恐惧（古希腊语词根）
stem from [stem] 源于，来自
phobia [ˈfəʊbiə] n. 恐惧症，恐怖症
irrational [ɪˈræʃənl] adj. 非理性的，不合理的
anxiety-inducing adj. 引发焦虑的
anecdote [ˈænɪkdəʊt] n. 趣闻，轶事，小故事
visualization [ˌvɪʒuəlaɪˈzeɪʃn] n. 可视化，形象化（心理预演）
stumble over your words [ˈstʌmbl] 说话磕巴，结巴
lighten the mood 缓和气氛，放松心情
visual contact 视觉接触，目光交流
a stroll in the park [strəʊl] 轻松自如的事，小菜一碟
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