5 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Guess what? Some of the most intelligent people can stand in front of a crowd and become numb. Finding ways to express yourself  is one of the most important tool to have for life. Many jobs and ministries require public speaking as part of what is expected. Even if you're not the main speaker of an event, you might need to ask questions, give opinions or answer back in some scenarios.

The fear of public speaking is very common.In fact, according to many verifiable studies, the  fear of public speaking is ranked before that of death in majority of the people. Ridiculous, but true.

For you to overcome public speaking fear, there are some things you can do. Putting these steps into practice will help you gain the confidence you need to stand and speak. It is possible to face your fears and conquer them too. Remember that everything you see around you started from the tiniest of pieces. As long as you have the will, there is a way.

Here are 5 super effective ways to can start to practice to overcome your fear talking to a crowd:

1. STUDY UP

Make sure you have researched and gathered enough knowledge on the topic you want to speak about. This will make you be very comfortable and calm your nerves. When you study you subject very well, you will even find that you will run out of time before you conclude everything you prepared for.

2. TEACH SOMETHING

Take available opportunities to volunteer to teach younger ones on weekends or during holidays. This, in turn, will boost your self confidence. As you teach others what you already know, the fear of public speaking will slowly disappear.

3. HAVE Nice HYGIENE

Shaggy hair? Bad breath? Smelly body odour? All these will diminish your confidence and will speed up the fear inside you. Make sure you're speck-and-span!

4. USE YOUR TRUSTED FRIENDS

Bring a small group of your close friends together and practice in front of them. Try to give them a short presentation and assume that you're talking to a large audience and then ask them for their opinions on how well or bad you did. Take notes and make the necessary corrections.

5. Engage the audience

Creating a monologue presentation puts the entire task of informing and entertaining the audience on you. So what should you do? Make your presentation a two-way interaction with questions and participation to reduce boredom and speak out with ease.

The fear of public speaking can be overcome. Try these steps out and repeat them until you gain the confidence you need. Great practice makes perfect. You may even learn to love speaking in public over time. Good luck!