Imagine your boss has asked you to give a presentation at a major conference. Just you, on a stage, in front of 500 of your industry’s most influential players. It’s a chance to impress them and your boss. If it goes well, who knows what this could mean for your career?
What’s your immediate reaction? Are you thinking YES! Finally, a chance to show everyone what I can do! Or are you breathing into a paper bag as you imagine tripping on stage, fluffing your lines, and never being able to show your face at work again? If it’s the latter, you’re far from alone!
The very thought of getting up in front of an audience is enough to bring most people out in a cold sweat. If you’re terrified of public speaking, you mind find yourself stuttering or stammering, shaking, and forgetting your lines. You might have an upset stomach, migraines, or heart palpitations. Some people even have full-blown anxiety attacks.
In fact, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, fear of public speaking is the number one reported phobia. It beats the fear of insects, flying, heights, financial loss, sickness, and even death. That’s right — when it comes to standing on a stage, many of us would rather take our chances with the Grim Reaper instead!
But why?
What’s so terrifying about public speaking?
Stage fright often stems from our deep-rooted fear of rejection. I’ve talked before about how rejection is one of the most intensely painful emotional experiences we can go through. It’s so profound that we feel rejection physically as well as mentally, and our brain develops a powerful aversion to anything that might expose us to risk.
The fear of rejection by a romantic interest, a friend, or a peer group is enough to make many of us anxious, especially if we’ve experienced painful rejection in the past. When we’re speaking in front of a large crowd, this anxiety is magnified immensely. If being rejected by one person feels like sticking your hand in a fire, then being rejected by an entire crowd feels like jumping into the sun!
The curse of perfectionism
To cope with this fear, we often develop protective strategies like perfectionism. If everything is perfect, then we won’t be judged and found lacking by others. There’s no chance we’ll mess up or humiliate ourselves. As long as we’re perfect, we’ll be accepted and respected and loved.
There’s nothing wrong with high standards, of course, but nobody is perfect. You’ll never feel good enough by those impossible standards, and so you’ll never feel fully equipped or prepared to face your fears. The thought of being ‘exposed’ or falling short will ultimately leave you overwhelmed by anxiety.
What happens if we just…avoid it altogether?
Avoidance is another protective mechanism that does more harm than good. Sure, you’ll never experience the humiliation or rejection you’re afraid of. But you’ll also miss out on many of the wonderful things life has to offer.
Let’s take our earlier scenario, for example. You’re too scared to get up on stage, so you say no to your boss. Your colleague goes in your place. He wows the crowd, makes some great contacts, and opens many doors for his career. Meanwhile, you miss out, and your boss thinks twice before offering you any opportunities in future.
Stage fright can also affect your personal life. Despite the name, this fear usually extends to social interactions, too. You might not be comfortable in larger groups, which can lead to isolation or exclusion. And as we know, these things are just a short step away from low self-esteem, low confidence, and even depression.
What can you do about it?
The good news is that stage fright can be overcome. I suffered from a particularly intense case during my teenage years and early twenties. In fact, I even quit business school because I couldn’t bring myself to give a presentation to a group of 100 people. I overcame my fear using visualization and hypnosis, and if I can do it, I know you can too!
Here’s how it works…
It’s scientifically proven that your brain doesn’t distinguish between real or imagined stimulus. That’s why you start to get anxious even at the thought of public speaking. Your brain is automatically following an established neural pathway, which is public speaking = risk = fear = anxiety response. And the more this happens, the stronger those pathways — and your fears — become.
On the other hand, these pathways are also what make visualization and hypnosis such powerful tools. I use them in my Overcoming Stage Fright recording to guide you through a public speaking visualization where you’re calm, relaxed, and confident. Your audience is engaged and receptive, absorbing your every word. You’re in total control, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
We’re effectively replacing your fear pathway with this new, positive pathway.
With each and every practice, this pathway will become stronger and stronger. When you think of speaking in public, your brain will ‘play’ your positive scenario, instead of defaulting to panic and anxiety. And when it comes time to speak, you’ll feel cool, calm, and prepared to take on the world!
Is it really that easy?!
In short, yes! That’s the beauty of visualization and hypnosis — it doesn’t take long to start seeing real, positive, and lasting change.
The program lasts for 30 days, but many of my clients start seeing results in the first few sessions. Why? Because the skills and tools are already right there in your mind. You simply need the right guidance to make them work for you.
That’s where I come in!
I know what it’s like to live with a debilitating fear like stage fright — and I know how great it feels to be free of it!
In my Overcoming Stage Fright program, I’ll guide you through powerful visualizations that will free you of your fear once and for all. It’s helped thousands of people to live more rewarding, fulfilling lives, and I’m 100% confident it will do the same for you!
30 days is all it takes to free yourself from stage fright
Just imagine — one month from now, this debilitating phobia can be gone from your life forever. What can you accomplish without it?
Sign up for your Inner Circle Membership now to find out.
