Public speaking, what does it mean? We all had to speak in front of a group whether it was at school or at work. Maybe you remember when you had to give a speech at school? Let’s be honest, for most of us it was not our favorite day. I do not know how it was for you but for me between the fear of others’ judgments, the fear of forgetting my speech, and the fear of getting yelled at by the teacher because I can’t speak, for sure those days were not my favorites. Of course most of us no longer have to give speeches at school but at work we often end up having to talk in front of an audience whether it is in front of a client, a manager, and coworkers… For many people, public speaking is a very stressful task. Maybe you are afraid you will not be up to the task; maybe you are afraid to forget everything you have to say. Sometimes you are even passionate about your topic but you don’t know how to express it in a professional manner. What if I told you that all these fears are absolutely normal? Yes, it is completely normal to be afraid to talk in front of an audience! Yes you have the right to be mad at every teacher who didn’t believe you when you told them you were petrified. And I am not the only one who says it is normal. Indeed, various scholars found out that the fear of public speaking was not only normal but they showed that 75% of the population has glossophobia. It is the term they give to this fear. Some people would rather die than give a speech. It is important to acknowledge our fears but it is also important to learn how to overcome them. It is possible that in an ideal world you would like to be able to overcome your stress and improve your credibility and therefore have a better impact when you talk in front of an audience.
Being afraid of talking in public is not only normal but it is also very common
