Whenever I have to speak before a large group of people, my heart-rate rapidly increases, my body shakes, and my mind goes blank.
I’ve been taking steps towards resolving this problem and I’ll admit that my public speaking has improved but I still experience the issues outlined above.
What are some steps that you, or someone you know, took in order to remedy a problem like mine?
Try to expose yourself to the situation as much as possible. I never could present well in front of large groups but my history class this year has made me present almost on a weekly basis, and now I can say I am much stronger when it comes to talking in front of people.
I used to have public speaking anxiety too (still do, but it is SO much better than before). Like literally one time I almost passed out because of a presentation… not fun. What it took for me to break past the fear will be different from what it takes you though. For me, I thought of it big picture. No one in that audience really cares. That means that they don’t care if you mess up, and they don’t care if you were flawless. That realization took so much pressure off of me, and I really internalized that fact. After that, it was just a matter of practicing in front of my friends and people I am very comfortable with. Good luck!
Do you have general anxiety? If you think you might, talk to your doctor.
if it is just for speaches, then it is all about 1) Know the topic you are talking about
2) Doing it many times
This is normal. In the military, the definition of “bravery” in combat is reverting to your training. Public speaking is the same way. The more you do it, the better you get. Create some routine that you use to prepare and stick with it until the process becomes more natural.
I have this problem too! I fainted at a spelling bee once oops and i almost collapsed during a debate cause my knees were shaking so hard. I just pick out the person in the audience who knows me the best and speak to them. Nowhere near solves the problem but it definitely helps because if you mess it up, you know you two can laugh it off after
Try to visualize being in front of a group and not being afraid. Eventually it will be self-fulfilling, and you will be able to look back and laugh at how nervous you used to be. Grad school, in particular, has you constantly in front of people, so over time you get used to it.