What causes people to have stage fright?
Fear of performing is a natural human reaction. However, if anxiety states with characteristic symptoms regularly appear, then we can talk about the appearance of a mental illness. In the work of psychiatrists and psychologists, the above condition is called glossophobia or fear of public speaking.
Signs, symptoms of phobia.
When this fear appears, it is imperative to perform certain actions, and in order to overcome the fear of speaking, you should visit a psychologist. Otherwise, it will be more difficult for a person with a phobic condition to cope with various tasks in life.
Glory to fear: how to overcome the fear of public speaking
Performance anxiety is a brilliant invention of mankind! If there were a rating of the most profitable and profitable fears, it would be the fear of public speaking that would take first place. Just think about what prospects the combination of just one fear—speaking in public—and one need—shows—opens up for us! Yes, the entire show business of the world, journalists, actors and singers with average abilities, but great ambitions, are simply obliged to erect a monument of gratitude to him - the fear of public speaking.
If all gifted people were able to open up fully to the audience, easily come out and demonstrate their talents without pressure, television would turn into an ordinary news feed, show business would remain in its infancy and only true geniuses and masters of their craft would be able to truly flourish . Loud mediocrity has only one trump card in front of its public - the fear of this public to go out and try.
In a society of fearless people, where anyone could be an actor, singer or amateur speaker, there would simply be no place left for amateurs on the stage. Is this why the most daring peoples, who know no fear of people, such as the Italians, for example, to this day easily throw tomatoes at false opera singers and it is their audience that is the most demanding? Italians are ready to perform themselves always and everywhere and therefore will not sit in the hall and patiently look at the loud mediocrity on stage.
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Fear, coach and cellulite
When you are overcome by existential dissonance between your internal abilities and the inability to demonstrate them externally, you go to coaches and psychologists. And we approach your problem, wrapped and entangled in the clothes of contradictions, like vile Pharisees: on the one hand, we see and recognize your talents. We put you in a state of temporary tone - under the influence of praise and endorphins, you temporarily turn into a fearless warrior and give out what you don’t expect from yourself. After training sessions and master classes, you leave us happy and satisfied that, yes, you know and can, yes, “well done and an A.”
In real life, after some time, you are faced with a time bomb: just as you couldn’t outwardly show your talents, you still can’t. Because fear is like fat and cellulite. You have to work with it yourself, every day and constantly look for new approaches. The mind, like the muscles, gets used to monotonous exercise and no longer reacts or loses this fat. You remember this amazing state of euphoria and go to the coaches again, never suspecting that you didn’t even try to solve the problem - you just became another victim of competent manipulation of the chemical reactions of your brain to external influences.
Your first step towards reality
First you need to understand and come to terms with the idea that perhaps all this time you have not seen yourself as you really are. Think for yourself: over the years of your life, you have formed not only the image of yourself, but also the image that you think you broadcast to the world. At the same time, every person around you is doing the same. And everyone is internally well aware of this contradiction between the image that he transmits and who he really considers himself to be. From century to century, society plays the usual game: I pretend that I believe your broadcast, and you pretend that you believe mine. And everyone is happy until this game begins to harm the expression of your talents.
There is an interesting exercise called “360 degrees”. In French companies they like to use it for top management when a manager moves to a higher position. Its essence is as follows: everyone who interacts with this boss is interviewed on condition of anonymity. Literally - everyone. At the same time, invited consultants (that is, outsiders) also conduct conversations with the boss himself, finding out how, in his opinion, his colleagues perceive him. As you understand, the pictures do not match. And there has never been a boss who decided to continue to stick to his line and not listen to those around him.
This exercise has proven to be very useful for group classes on public speaking. The members of the group, who studied together for several days, after the end of the training, answer the question regarding each participant: what would you wish for this participant to improve his oratory skills, and what would you wish for yourself. The shock that participants experience when they receive wishes almost always becomes the “trigger” that forces them to start really working on themselves.
Bad and good news
So, first of all, it’s worth recognizing that there are, as in that saying, two news. Let's start with the bad: everyone can see your fear. Even people who know each other nothing at all not only notice each other’s fears, but also describe them in great detail and even interpret the reasons. Conclusion: there is no use in hiding, fear is always visible.
But there is good news: from the outside, fear is perceived as a natural phenomenon inherent in humans. Nobody is surprised: “Oh, look, he’s afraid.” Anyone has the right to worry, moreover, it can even become a kind of sweet trump card. After all, slight vulnerability is a standard technique for speakers. The main thing is that anxiety does not interfere with understanding what you are talking about. Only in this case can your fear really irritate the audience, and not on its own, but as an obstacle to your information. Therefore, I do not suggest that you fight fear. I suggest you work with him, observing certain rules and safety precautions in this work.
Stop Generalizing Your Fear
“I’m afraid” and “my palms are sweaty and my knees are shaking” are not the same thing. It has been proven that people who were most clearly able to describe and, most importantly, understand the bodily manifestations of their fear, coped with anxiety much better. Our brains are cunning but predictable: when we put a specific problem into words and say “my heart rate is racing,” our breathing pattern automatically changes. And if at this moment you just concentrate on breathing and don’t think about anything else, your heartbeat immediately returns to normal.
Don't be ashamed
You may experience fear, excitement, horror in front of these people in the hall, in front of the camera, before your voice changes in the microphone - all this can be worked with. But if you feel shame, you turn into a helpless kitten. The fact is that, according to research, a person experiencing shame is completely incapable of learning (you can read more about this topic from the American professor Shauna Shapiro). This means that if you are in a state of “Oh God, I’m an idiot, why did I act so stupid in front of these smart people,” then you will never be able to find the right phrase on stage. First of all, you need to get out of the feeling of shame. Among other things, a person in this state is not able to defend himself, and if at this moment you are attacked, shamed, scolded, then you will only go deeper into your shame and allow yourself to be smeared further. Be afraid, but don't feel ashamed.
Think about your idea, not what you look like. You have an idea, a thought, a vision, a passion that you want to share with others. This is the reason you are here. You want to convince the audience of your idea, not that you are pretty and confident. But very often, when you find yourself in front of an audience, you suddenly forget about it. However, there is a big difference between showing the audience confidence in yourself as a speaker and showing confidence in your position.
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You to me - I to you
We are afraid because we fear disapproval. Think about it: you go on stage in front of strangers and expect, hope, to receive their approval. Have you ever tried to take their place? Why, please tell me, should people approve of you? Why shouldn't you first demonstrate your attitude towards them, to your listeners? Why on earth should I like you if you don’t like me, or, worse, if you don’t think about me as a viewer, but are only worried about forgetting your text?
Your viewer also wants to be loved and desired, wants to feel in the center of attention. So put it at the center of your attention! You already have a microphone: you, like that Petka from 2 “A”, got a role in a school play and perform, but he, your spectator, does not. He sits and listens. So show that you also think about him, and his grateful approval will not be long in coming.
About the name of the phobia
Glossophobia is characterized by panic about having to speak in front of people. There is a clear line separating a phobia and ordinary fear of performing. The natural fear of speaking at various events appears before important events; it is short-lived.
In the presence of a phobia, a person develops a very strong fear of speaking, regardless of how important the intended event is. Sometimes problems arise when voicing information even in front of several interlocutors or listeners.
About the manifestations of fear characteristic of those who speak in public, glossophobia has specific symptoms. The specified state, which causes fear of speaking, will appear without taking into account the duration of the speech and the number of people gathered in the audience.
The cause of nervous shock due to the fear of public speaking is anxiety. She appears much earlier than the event itself. This anxiety is visible when contacting the audience.
A variety of factors can cause anxiety. People's ridicule, criticism of one's shortcomings, condemnation of professional skills - all these fears are characteristic of glossophobes.
How to get rid of the fear of public speaking
So, the first step you can take towards successful public speaking is to share your thoughts about your insecurities with your loved ones or work colleagues. These should be people who sincerely support your endeavors. Remember that a friendly hug or handshake before a performance will help raise morale just as much as special exercises and other preliminary preparation.
Already going on stage, find your relative, good acquaintance or friend among the audience. If there are none, you will definitely find someone among the people with a friendly expression on their face. This simple technique will also help you overcome uncertainty and fear.
Shortly before your speech, say a couple of encouraging phrases to yourself, for example:
- “the listeners are good to me, and I am good to them too”;
- “everyone is interested in what I want to tell or show”;
- “I will definitely be able to arouse people’s interest.”
About the features of glossophobia
Fear of speaking appears no matter how well a person knows the audience. Fear of such speeches is typical for giving a report to familiar and unfamiliar listeners.
A person not only experiences psychological discomfort. The fear of public speaking causes him to behave feverishly, disturbances associated with the functioning of the digestion and cardiovascular system occur, and tremors of the limbs may appear.
What causes people to have stage fright?
The presence of a genetic predisposition for glossophobia should not be ruled out. Sometimes this characteristic detail can characterize the appearance of a phobia.
If parents experience fear of performing, then the child can receive this information at the genetic level. This may also be due to the behavior of adults themselves.
For example, if a child sees that a parent has a strong fear of speaking, the child may develop glossophobia.
About the causes of glossophobia
We list the factors that can lead to the appearance of glossophobia:
- children's fears (there may be a fear of performances, which formed in childhood - for example, the laughter of children when singing songs or reciting poems);
- the appearance of neurotic diseases (glossophobia can also develop as a result of the inability to control one’s own emotions experienced in a certain situation);
- complexes caused by speech or appearance (a person who experiences fear of speaking believes that his speech or appearance will certainly become the subject of ridicule or severe criticism from listeners);
- The characteristics of upbringing also influence (the child may experience discomfort before taking photographs, speaking in front of the public, or performing other similar public actions, if the parents paid great attention to prohibiting the child from being public).
Fear of public speaking: reasons
The main fear that a person experiences when going out in public for the first time is the fear that society will judge him. There are several deeper reasons:
- collective existence of primitive society. In ancient times, if a member of a primitive community committed a crime against it, he was expelled. In the harsh conditions of the absence of modern civilization, the exile was doomed to die without the support of his fellow tribesmen. This fear persists in everyone on a subconscious level and plays a significant role in the fear of speaking in public;
- prohibitions and the word “impossible”, which we often heard in childhood. In the process of upbringing, a child is faced with many prohibitions or taboos, which is why psychological barriers or blocks appear in adulthood. A person remembers the first failures of public speaking at school and the ridicule of peers and he may feel very uncomfortable;
- lack of speaking experience. Performing for the first time is always difficult, but the main thing is to go through this experience, and preparing subsequent performances will become much easier.
So, the main task is to understand the causes of our fears and start working with them. Understanding that the goal is not easy, but achievable, a person can turn work on himself into a useful and exciting process that carries an exclusively positive emotional connotation.
In some cases, when fear of the public is accompanied by obvious phobia and panic, consultation with a psychotherapist is necessary. Fortunately, such disorders are much less common than natural fears. A person can easily cope with natural fears on his own.
