Public
speaking
?
Overcoming
fear
Imagine
you
are
at
your
desk
,
and
then
suddenly
your
boss
comes
to
you
and
says
:
"
There's
an
emergency
and
I
need
to
leave
,
but
I
have
to
give
a
presentation
to
several
of
our
top
clients
.
I
need
you
to
fill
in
for
me
.
"
How
would
you
feel
?
Of
course
,
you
want
to
be
helpful
to
your
boss
,
especially
if
there
is
an
emergency
.
But
,
isn't
it
true
that
the
idea
of
speaking
in
front
of
a
group
of
people
can
be
terrifying
?
If
you
feel
that
way
,
don't
worry
!
You're
not
alone
.
Most
people
have
a
terrible
fear
of
public
speaking
.
But
,
as
this
situation
illustrates
,
sometimes
we
don't
have
a
choice
and
are
required
by
our
employer
,
peers
,
friends
,
or
relatives
to
speak
in
front
of
a
large
group
of
people
.
Is
there
anything
that
can
help
you
to
overcome
your
fear
?
Yes
,
there
are
several
things
that
can
help
you
feel
far
more
comfortable
and
even
begin
to
enjoy
public
speaking
.
First
,
before
you
start
speaking
during
a
presentation
,
take
a
few
seconds
to
take
a
deep
breath
.
Nervousness
can
cause
a
shortness
of
breath
which
could
result
in
feeling
even
more
tension
and
pressure
.
A
few
seconds
to
relax
will
allow
you
to
control
your
breathing
and
get
yourself
settled
?
doing
so
can
also
be
a
huge
help
in
stress
and
fear
.
Do
your
best
to
fill
your
lungs
completely
and
exhale
slowly
.
Of
course
,
it
is
wise
to
do
this
,
since
you
don't
want
your
audience
to
think
you
are
at
them
.
That
being
said
,
don't
worry
that
your
audience
will
find
it
strange
that
you
aren't
jumping
in
to
your
presentation
.
No
doubt
they
are
still
getting
themselves
organized
and
are
thankful
for
a
couple
of
seconds
to
focus
.
A
brief
pause
can
also
build
anticipation
in
your
audience
as
they
await
your
first
few
sentences
.
Second
,
choose
your
opening
comments
wisely
.
During
a
presentation
or
speech
,
the
most
fearful
moments
for
the
presenter
are
at
the
very
beginning
,
perhaps
the
first
30
seconds
.
If
you
choose
a
subject
that
you
know
very
well
or
an
illustration
that
you
can
easily
relate
to
from
memory
,
it
will
allow
you
to
get
past
that
initial
period
of
nervousness
and
settle
in
to
your
delivery
.
Those
30
seconds
will
for
the
entire
speech
or
presentation
.
Third
,
be
yourself
.
There
are
always
public
speakers
that
seem
so
natural
and
confident
and
it
is
good
to
try
to
them
and
follow
their
example
.
However
,
if
you
try
to
copy
their
,
expressions
,
or
gestures
,
you
will
quickly
find
that
your
delivery
is
unnatural
.
This
can
cause
you
to
become
self
-
conscious
,
which
will
only
increase
your
nervousness
.
But
if
you
express
yourself
in
a
natural
way
,
it
will
help
you
to
win
the
confidence
of
your
audience
and
help
you
to
feel
much
more
comfortable
.
If
you
act
and
speak
as
you
do
every
day
,
the
whole
presentation
will
sound
better
,
you
will
be
more
comfortable
,
and
your
listeners
will
be
more
focused
on
what
you
are
saying
than
on
how
you
are
saying
it
.
Fourth
,
if
possible
,
get
to
know
the
material
you
are
presenting
or
the
subject
you
have
been
asked
to
discuss
as
much
as
possible
in
advance
.
The
more
familiar
you
are
with
the
subject
,
the
more
comfortable
you
will
be
with
it
.
This
will
allow
you
to
speak
freely
as
opposed
to
being
tied
to
your
notes
.
It
will
also
increase
your
confidence
,
which
,
in
turn
,
will
reduce
your
fear
and
nervousness
.
Unfortunately
,
when
it
comes
to
public
speaking
,
fear
and
nervousness
never
truly
disappear
.
However
,
if
you
are
able
to
apply
these
four
simple
steps
,
your
fear
and
nervousness
will
be
greatly
reduced
and
your
public
speaking
skills
will
increase
.
Let's
check
what
you
remember
!
Se debera completar la palabra,colocando las letras que faltan.
