Blog posts on Nervousness
How to transform your relationship with nervousness
I still get nervous about public speaking. But I've transformed my relationship with nervousness. It is now a friendly companion, not an evil stalker. There are many aspects to this transformation, and there's just one that I want to talk about in this post. And...
10 tips for overcoming the fear of being bold
I’m working on being bold – whether it’s in a one on one conversation or in a presentation. In the past, I’ve often watered down what I say to avoid upsetting anyone. And I’m not alone. Many of the people that I coach are concerned about being bold. As a result, they...
How a shy country boy overcame his fear of public speaking
Last week I received a moving and inspiring email from a reader about how he overcame his fear of public speaking. Dave has given me permission to share his story and I hope you find it inspiring too. It reinforces the point that you can learn to be a confident public...
How to recover from a presentation disaster
Getting no feedback from your audience is hard. That's what happened to a reader, Emma, this week: I did a 20-minute presentation during a lunch yesterday and I’m feeling pretty terrible about it. I would love to tell you all of the details about what I felt went...
Anxiety and public speaking: What everyone ought to know
I joined Toastmasters to learn how to overcome public speaking anxiety. I found a welcoming and supportive club and gradually got more comfortable about public speaking. I even found that anxiety and public speaking weren't words that automatically went hand in hand....
Anxiety and public speaking: new research
The most effective longterm way to overcome public speaking anxiety is to use a proven method such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. But what if you've just had a bad public speaking experience which has caused your anxiety to rocket upwards? New research suggests that...
What makes a good public speaker
One of the defining qualities of a good public speaker is the willingness to make a fool of yourself. At the New Media Atlanta conference in 2009, Chris Brogan was the last keynote of the day. He’d watched all day as the backchannel drowned in snark. He could have...
The truth about visualization for public speaking success
Many people think that this type of visualization can help you not only speak better but also help reduce your fear of public speaking. It may make you feel good at the time, but the scientific evidence doesn't support the belief that it will help you achieve your...
The three causes of public speaking fear (and what you can do about them)
Fear of public speaking often feels like it hits you out of nowhere. But I'm going to suggest that there are three distinct causes of speech anxiety. These three different causes of speaking anxiety relate to three different areas of the brain - the Old Brain (it's...
How to survive watching yourself on video
Do you hate the idea of watching yourself on video? Most people do. But on our courses it's one of our most powerful tools for helping people to reduce their fear of public speaking. Watching yourself give a presentation can give you a tremendous confidence boost....
