Professional Speakers Celebration Day is coming up on the 14th March. It may not be the most high-profile of awareness days, but it’s a good opportunity to recognise the skills and talents of professional speakers and the contributions they make to society. Whether it’s through teaching, training, or motivational speaking, they can be a source of inspiration.
Public speaking is an important skill in a variety of professions, and many people will have to give a talk, deliver a training session or speak at a conference at some point in their career. However, it’s also a very common phobia that even has its own name: glossophobia.
The condition is characterised by an extreme fear of speaking in front of a group of people, and it is estimated that it affects around 75 per cent of the world’s population. Even people who are professional speakers or who lead large organisations can struggle with public speaking at times.
Glossophobia is classified as an anxiety disorder, and it can be closely related to social anxiety. This is an excessive fear of judgement, embarrassment or rejection in social situations. The reluctant speaker may dislike the sensation that all eyes are on them, and hate to be in the spotlight.
Exposure to the stressful situation can trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response, which can lead to physical symptoms such as shaking, shortness of breath, and facial flushing. These responses unfortunately serve to perpetuate the fear of the situation, because they make speaking even more difficult and uncomfortable, leading to a negative feedback loop.
Some people will avoid public speaking at all costs, even if it impacts negatively on their educational attainment or career. Others may spend an excessive amount of time preparing for a presentation, or resort to the use of self-medication such as alcohol or drugs before an event.
The causes of glossophobia are thought to be a combination of genetic, social and environmental factors. Some people are naturally anxious or shy in social situations; and others may have learnt the behaviour through their social upbringing or a negative past experience. It may be triggered by a stressful life event such as starting a new job.
Most of us are naturally programmed to feel uncomfortable when all eyes are on us, because in the distant past this was a sign that a predator was watching and possibly weighing up the potential to make an attack. Our bodies respond with a burst of adrenaline that was intended to assist with a swift getaway.
Unfortunately, this heightened state of alertness makes us less capable of speaking well or thinking clearly, because our heart rate is increased and our breathing becomes shallow. We may react by retreating even further from the source of ‘danger’, which in this case is the audience, even though they (hopefully) present no physical threat.
The fear of public speaking can lead to worse self-esteem, a lack of confidence at work or stalled career progression, and it may damage relationships and cause a person to feel socially isolated.
It is possible to treat glossophobia and learn techniques to reduce its impact. Some people may find that EMDR therapy may be helpful. This is an intervention therapy that was specifically designed to treat patients who have experienced trauma, and it can also successfully be used to treat phobias, panic attacks, and other anxiety disorders.
The therapy can help patients reprogramme their thinking patterns so that they become desensitised to certain traumatic events or situations. This may help a person to focus on events outside of themselves, rather than remaining stuck in a loop of anxiety and negative feedback inside themselves.
When public speaking, this may involve a person learning to think about the audience and their reasons for being there rather than focus inwards; and to remind themselves that the event is not about them, but the audience and the information they want to learn from it. The speaker is simply a messenger whose job is to clearly communicate the message.
It can help to make eye contact with individual audience members during the talk, because this diffuses the ancient fears and anxieties associated with being looked at. Returning the eye contact helps to build bonds with the audience and they will be more likely to feel relaxed and engaged, and in turn this can make the speaker feel more comfortable.
Over time, the person may learn to overcome glossophobia with a combination of practice, relaxation techniques and therapy.
If you would like to find out more about EMDR therapy in Manchester, please visit our website today.