Public speaking is a vital part of many people’s everyday professional lives. It is not uncommon for people to suffer from extreme attacks of the nerves when they have to speak in front of a group, especially if they feel that the group is in some way judging them.
While some people might seem like natural public speakers, most people never fully adapt to the idea of speaking in front of others, they just learn how to manage their anxiety. One of the more common side effects of anxiety is stuttering speech. Nervous stutterers often feel self conscious about their stuttering and, as a result, they are afraid to even attempt public speaking. The good news for nervous stutterers is that there are a number of very simple techniques you can use to manage and reduce your stuttering.
Positive Visualization
Positive visualization is a tried and tested method for reducing stress and helping people to feel more at ease. As the name implies, positive visualization involves picturing a positive scenario or outcome, for example, giving a speech without any incidents of stuttering.
Some people find that simply picturing something positive is enough to improve their mood and their performance. If visualizing internally isn’t helping, then consider placing a photo or similar memento within sight as you talk. In order to feel the benefits of positive visualization, you need to practice. Try these techniques to see if they help you.
Familiarize Yourself with the Venue
The more familiar you are with a place or situation, the less anxiety you will feel when you are there. It is always a good idea to visit the place where you are due to speak in the days or weeks before you are due there. Some people will find one visit enough, others will need multiple trips until they feel comfortable.
Make Sure You Rehearse
This is another absolutely vital tip for ensuring a smooth public speaking experience. The more you rehearse, the more familiar you will be with your material and the less you will be worrying about the pressures of getting your speech right.
Once you are confident that you know exactly what you will be saying you can then focus on exactly how you will say it.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness has found to be a valuable practice for reducing the symptoms of a number of mental illnesses, including anxiety and depression. It has also been found useful in reducing general stress levels. Because of the ability of mindfulness to meaningfully reduce the amount of stress that an individual feels, it can be useful in reducing instances of stuttering.
See a Specialist
If nothing else that you do is working to help you reduce your stress and reduce the amount of stuttering that you do, then it might be time to speak to a speech specialist. If you think that a speech therapist could help you with your stuttering problem, then Stuttering Doctor is a good starting point.
A stutter can impede the ability to speak in public, but it doesn’t have to be the final nail in the coffin. For those who are willing to experiment with some different techniques, there are a number of things that can be done to reduce stuttering when speaking in public.
