Shy and self-conscious? How to talk with ease

Striking a conversation in any kind of occasion can be quite a predicament for some people. There are people who just find it difficult to star conversing with someone, especially a stranger in a social situation. At the very worst circumstances, they would find themselves unable to talk sensibly. They get tongue-tied or they stutter and their minds would even go blank because of the anxiety. Now imagine talking in front of a group of people and you’ll realize that this can become a problem. Here are ways to control your anxiety or fear and learn to talk more effortlessly in these kinds of situation.

One of the best ways to overcome a fear of talking in front of many people is to practice with smaller groups first. You can do this in front of your family or friends. You can even do this spontaneously. If there’s a topic that is being discussed that you’re interested you can ask if you can talk about your views to them. You can then turn this into a presentation if you have a lot of knowledge in the subject. You can also decide to make preparations first by choosing a topic and doing research on it before your presentation. This exercise aims to let you get more accustomed to speaking in front of a group of people. Your familiarity with the topic will give you a much needed boost of confidence as you talk about the topic.

Sometimes, the nervousness that you feel is brought about by your belief that you don’t know nearly enough about the subject. To overcome this, make the necessary preparations before you do your talk. Do research on your topic, making sure that you have the latest information and figures so you’ll be prepared for any eventualities like an audience member grilling you with questions about your topic.

Usually, people try to memorize their presentation thinking that it will make them more confident. This usually backfires because when you forget something, you’ll have an increased chance of getting flustered because you’ll be thinking about what you had memorized instead of thinking about the information that you have assimilated. In order to properly assimilate the information in your talk, take to heart the gist of your presentation. Identify the talking points in your presentation and these are what you use to guide you through the different touch points in your presentation.

If you’re feeling a lot of stress and anxiety about the talk take a deep breath and relax. Use visualization techniques to help you focus on the job at hand and keep the sources of distraction at bay. And be aware of any habits that could brand you as a social moron.

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