Hey remember third grade? You got up and you did show-and-tell and you loved it. ❤
You didn’t feel nervous or anxious. So what changed?
What made you thrilled about public speaking when you were eight… and anxious about it as an adult?
Three things:
One: you’re more inhibited as an adult. You now know you stand the risk of ridicule or humiliation.
Two: you tell yourself the stakes have changed. What you’re doing now is just so much more important than when you were eight!
And three, you stopped practicing. In school, you did book reports oral reports plays and sports… and you did it on the regular.
One, two, & three?
They all add up to one diagnosis: you are living in your head. That is what’s making you anxious about public speaking.
So, get out of your head. Get up. Find opportunities to speak in front of people.
Do it today. When you practice regularly, you’ll feel way less anxious & way more confident.
Laura Bergells writes, coaches, and teaches. Check out her online courses at LinkedIn Learning. You can also find Laura on Twitter and at YouTube.