Fear of presenting

Hi,

Fear of presenting infront of people…..Could I ever overcome that…I know that most of the people tend to be stressed but my case is different…For some reason, which I don’t know, I get terrified. My main issue is that my heart beats go up really high and my voice shows how much am I am stressed. Moreover, I I would get really stressed a couple of days before having a presentation. I have managed in the past to run away from most of my presentations but I am fed up with doing this. I just would like to not, that I am not a loner or a social awkward. I am a bit shy but I am not sure if this is the main problem. I have recently joined the Toastmasters club but I still didn’t do any presentations.

I am ready to do anything to overcome this Fear, truly fear of presenting.

Thank you for you time.

Sincerely,

AH

[remembrancebook]

Ali,

Fear’s a funny thing, and so is your mind.

I know someone who was scared stiff of going into a lift. Whenever they did, their heartbeat increased, they felt flushed, they began to sweat, they felt faint and thought that they were going to die. Even thinking about getting into a lift brought the same symptoms. They’d avoid the lift whenever possible, and if it was unavoidable they’d get out of the lift at the earliest opportunity.

Then a therapist pointed out to them that no harm had ever come to them in a lift, and they didn’t know anyone else that had been harmed either. Yes, his heartbeat had increased, but he’d never had a heart attack. He’d felt faint, but had never actually fainted. He’d felt he was going to curl up and die, but he was actually still alive.

Then the therapist took him to a store that had a lift, and they stayed in it for fifteen minutes, riding up and down with the therapists support and encouragement.

For the first few minutes, my friend had all the familiar symptoms, and an overwhelming desire to get out whenever the lift stopped. But he persevered, and as the minutes passed, so the symptoms deminished.

After ten minutes my friend felt fine, and after fifteen minutes (far from feeling faint) he felt completely bored.

He’s never looked back, and now gets into lifts without giving them a second thought.

By getting out at the first opportunity, the fear was reinforced. By staying in for the fifteen minutes, the fear was removed.

EVERYONE starts off afraid of public speaking (what if this… and what if that…) and sometimes people say embarasing things (think George Bush!) but so what?

Don’t let the fear put you off. Speak long enough so that you speak through the fear and emerge triumphant the other side. Then there’l be no shutting you up…!

Good luck

[kernelgrl]

remembrancebook that was so cute!