Overcoming Stage Fright

858 Words4 Pages
During my career in the military and my time working as a prison investigator I have found myself in a position where I was forced into public speaking. Sometimes it would be addressing a group of people to quickly pass along information or teaching a class on various subjects. Everyone is a little bit different in how they get over the fear. For me, I have found several things that have helped me over the years; become a subject matter expert, practice beforehand, relaxation exercises, and finally just face your fears and do it. These steps have become the process for me to overcome my fear of public speaking and I use it every time. There are several reasons why becoming a subject matter expert on a topic that I will have to present is my first step. For one, it helps me become more familiar with the topic and often times I learn new things that draw me into the topic and creates a sense of excitement making the entire situation more enjoyable. It has also been my experience that when I am excited about a subject it is easier to get others involved as well. Lastly, it helps me gain confidence in what I am doing. The more I know about the subject the more confident I am that I can handle whatever might happen while I am giving my speech. I am confident in my ability to provide the information in a way that will gain the audience’s attention. I am also confident that if I get off track I know enough about the subject to regain my thought process without letting the audience know that I was struggling. For me confidence is key and becoming a subject matter expert helps me gain it. It doesn’t take away the nerves but it does help me settle in faster once I have started. The thing I use to get ready for a public speaking scenario is practice. Practice helps me smooth off the rough edges of my speech. It can help me identify any areas that may cause me to trip up
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