Making the Speech; Eliminate Anxiety & Low Confidence

What would it be like to simply let go of all that public speaking anxiety you’ve been carrying with you for all those years through all those work and social situations?  Imagine what you would say to yourself if you knew you had all the confidence and self esteem you could need to breeze through any public speaking situation in a calm and controlled way.

When Ella came to see me recently she was anxious (some might say petrified!) about a speech she was going to be carrying out at a wedding. She really, really, really wanted to do the speech but whenever she thought of it that public speaking anxiety and all those thoughts of things going wrong in front of family and friends would make her physically uneasy.

 

Quick Summary

Public speaking anxiety affects people in all kinds of situations, from work presentations to wedding speeches.

In this article you’ll discover:

• why speaking in front of others feels so frightening
• how anxiety affects confidence and performance
• Ella’s experience of overcoming speech anxiety
• why public speaking confidence can improve
• what often helps people feel calmer and more capable

Many people assume they lack confidence. More often, anxiety is getting in the way of confidence they already have.

 

Related Resources

You may also find these helpful:

• Confidence & Self-Esteem Hub
• Confidence & Self-Esteem Hypnotherapy in Ely
• Low Confidence and Anxiety: Why They’re Often Linked
• How To Build Confidence and Self-Esteem
• Social Anxiety vs Low Confidence
• How To Stop Overthinking In Social Situations
• Hypnotherapy Reviews in Ely

 

Why Public Speaking Anxiety Feels So Intense

Many people describe public speaking as one of the most frightening things they may have to do. The anxiety can be so intense that you just avoid it altogether.

The strange thing is that speaking itself is rarely the problem.

Usually people are worrying about:

• forgetting what to say
• looking nervous
• being judged
• making mistakes
• going blank
• embarrassing themselves

The brain begins treating the situation as a threat and triggers the familiar anxiety response.

• Heart racing.
• Dry mouth.
• Shaking.
• Feeling hot.
• Difficulty thinking clearly.

Even just thinking and imagining public speaking may be enough to start the cycle of fear.

The more attention people give to those symptoms, the worse the anxiety often becomes.

 

My Own Experience

When I struggled with social anxiety, speaking in front of people felt far more difficult than it needed to. Usually I would try and find an excuse so I didn’t have to do it. That brought me short term relief but the same anxiety remained.

I spent so much time worrying about how I might come across and what others might think that I wasn’t fully focused on what I wanted to say.

Like many people, I assumed confidence meant never feeling nervous.

What I eventually realised was that confidence isn’t the absence of nerves.

It’s knowing you can cope with them.

That shift made a huge difference.

 

Public Speaking Confidence

She had suffered from low confidence and low self esteem for many years and part of her almost thought that was just the way she was. In important social, work and family situations she would tell herself to not feel anxious – but yet again her throat would tighten, the words wouldn’t come our the way she wanted, she would feel hot, uncomfortable and breathless. Just the thought of speaking in front of others or to senior managers could be enough to start the physical symptoms all over again.

After one hypnotherapy session Ella told me she felt a little more confidence about the speech but still wasn’t sure if she would actually commit to doing it. After session two I had to cross out in my notes where I’d written that she didn’t feel good enough or worthy – because it was no longer true for her. And after hypnotherapy session three she told me she was ready to do as many speeches as they’d let her get up and do!

So consider, if you’ve been living with public speaking anxiety, low confidence and low self esteem for all this time, how good is it to know that there is an effective way to change? If you let go of it all what would it allow you to do? What would that mean to you?

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Public Speaking Anxiety

Why am I so nervous about public speaking?

Many people fear being judged, criticised or embarrassed. The mind starts imagining everything that could go wrong and treats the situation as a threat, even when there is very little actual danger.

Can public speaking anxiety affect work performance?

Absolutely. Many people avoid presentations, meetings, networking opportunities or speaking up because anxiety makes them doubt themselves.

Why do I go blank when speaking?

Anxiety activates the fight-or-flight response. When this happens it can become harder to think clearly and access information you already know. The physical fear takes over.

Can confidence with public speaking improve?

Yes. Confidence often improves as anxiety reduces and people learn they can cope successfully in speaking situations.

Can hypnotherapy help public speaking anxiety?

Many people find hypnotherapy helps reduce anxiety, fear of judgement, self-consciousness and overthinking while increasing confidence and self-belief.

 

Support For Public Speaking Anxiety

If public speaking anxiety, presentation nerves, low confidence or fear of judgement have been affecting your life, support is available. I work with people across Ely, Newmarket and online who want to feel calmer, more confident and more comfortable speaking in front of others.

You can learn more here:

• Confidence & Self-Esteem Hub
• Confidence & Self-Esteem Hypnotherapy in Ely
• Anxiety Support Hub
• Hypnotherapy Reviews in Ely

Or arrange a free initial consultation to discuss what might help.

To your confidence and success,

Dan Regan

Confidence & Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

 

Struggling with anxiety, stress, worry and fear and need some help? Find out how I can help with a Complimentary Hypnotherapy Strategy Session. Learn more here: Appointments

Find out what dozens of other people have said after their hypnotherapy sessions with Dan: Hypnotherapy Testimonials

And check out these powerful hypnosis downloads that can start helping you right away with anxiety, confidence and more: Hypnosis Downloads