Public Speaking Basics

Public speaking is often on the list of people's most feared activities. This is a normal and perfectly understandable fear. Stress and anxiety are perfectly natural human responses to speaking in front of a group of strangers. It would be very unusual for a person to feel nothing when speaking in front of a group. I'd imagine that person to be an extreme rarity or perhaps they might not care very much about the outcome. The need for social acceptance by others is hardwired into us. That's why public speaking affects us all on a deep physiological level... but of course some people are more affected than others. I know from first hand experience some of the feelings associated with intense public speaking anxiety. Admittedly, I never had a fear specifically associated with speech. But I did suffer from severe panic attacks which left me unable to cope with ordinary circumstances and social interactions. I've since gone on to become a public speaking teacher and have...