How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking with Hypnosis
Some people seem to be natural public speakers: they appear charming, cool and confident; they stay relaxed and calm throughout the entire experience. For a lot of people, it is exactly the opposite: they fear public speaking more than most other endeavours and they find speaking in public a nerve wrecking experience. So what makes someone feel one way and not the other?
Are you born good at speaking in public or can you overcome your fear and become a confident public speaker? And can you really overcome fear of public speaking with hypnosis?
Before we can answer these questions we need to understand the basics first.
How does the human brain work?
The answer to this question has to do with our brain and its neuroplasticity: that is, the capacity of the brain to change itself. In order to understand how this works, it is useful to know a thing or two about how emotions get processed in our brains and influence the way we behave.
The Amygdala is a very primal part of our brain that is geared for survival. By allowing us to recognise danger and immediately react to it, it makes us more likely to be able to avoid it and thus survive.
There are two parts of the Amygdala: the right side is responsible for registering risk in an immediate, profound and nonverbal way as if it were to say "oh-oh"... pay attention now!
Anything bad that has happened in the past gets registered here and since the amygdala is very alert to changes in the environment when something is seen as dangerous (whether new or related to the past 'bad' event previously registered) it gets activated.
When this happens we become scared and as a result, our sympathetic nervous system gets aroused in what we call the fight/freeze or fight response. We experience this as getting a fast heartbeat, sweating, and a general feeling of being 'on edge'.
After the 'panic' physical response has been triggered the information about the event is sent to the Hyppocampus (the part of the brain that deals with the exact details of the experience) and then it all gets sent to the pre-frontal cortex so that we can analyse what happened.
People with panic and high anxiety levels have a bigger Amygdala than most. Whether this is because they were born with it or whether it developed as a result of trauma is not known but what is important to know is that is why these people might feel easily triggered by changes in the environment perceived as threatening.
The good news is that there is another part of the Amygdala whose role is to help us 'un-learn': the left side.
This side is responsible for comparing information as if it were to ask "Is what's happening now exactly the same as what happened before?' If the answer is no, it tells the right side to knock the fight or flight response off so that we can get back to normal.
The thing is, sometimes the fear that has been triggered is so high that it over-rides everything and the left side cannot get the message across to the other side.
So in order for the right side to register that we are indeed safe, we first need to be able to calm our automatic reaction of 'panic'. How do we do that? Simple: we breathe deeply.
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Why does Diaphragmatic Breathing work?
This works because our autonomic nervous system has two branches: one that causes arousal (sympathetic) and the other that calms us down (parasympathetic). The two cannot be activated simultaneously, so if one is activated the other cannot be. In other words: if we have started the process of calming ourselves down we cannot possibly stay aroused. Conscious deep breathing immediately activates our parasympathetic nervous system. When this happens we gradually become calm enough to allow the left side of the amygdala to 'think us out of the danger zone'.
Identify the Panic Triggers
Identify the initial panic trigger event and compare it with the present. Realise they are not the same. (This can be something as unrelated to public speaking and simple as forgotten experiences of being bullied at school or criticised by a parent. They are often unconscious but as they still affect your present behaviour they need to be identified and reframed first and this can be easily done with hypnotherapy)-Make a decision to consciously breathe deeply for at least one minute (better if five) before the event and if necessary during the presentation
Prepare and Practice
Prepare enough to feel competent (just like musicians or actors you need to warm up and feel prepared before you 'perform' so make sure you know your subject well and are confident with the content of the speech)
Mental Rehearsal
Rehearse physically and mentally (mental rehearsal is very successfully done in hypnosis as the brain does not distinguish between fantasy and reality; when done in a hypnotic trance the rehearsal can be as powerful as having experienced a positive imprinting experience of being a good public speaker)
Focus on Sharing Your Knowledge
Focus on the interest you have in the subject matter you are discussing to the exclusion of everything else. Self-consciousness is all about worrying about how other people are responding to you. You cannot be self-conscious if you are totally concentrated on something else that actually interest you. (The capacity to focus on one thing to the exclusion of everything else can be taught with hypnotherapy and it becomes easier with practice)
Focus on What you Want - Not What you Don't!
Imagine what you want to happen not on what you don't want ! (The subconscious is a goal-striving mechanism that responds to images and it does not understand negatives- if I told you not to think of pink elephants what are you thinking about? - So ask yourself: what is the best most positive outcome you would like from the experience? i.e. being successful, delivering a greatly inspiring speech, feeling elated and excited rather than scared and humiliated )
Believe you can Change - Act as if you've already changed
Above all express perfect confidence in your capacity to change. If you don't believe it, who will? You can change and if you truly want to, you will!
Overcome fear of public speaking Course
So is this all there is to know about fear of speaking in public?Absolutely not! We have just skimmed the surface here!
During ten years of research and after having suffered from this condition myself I have created a blueprint for how to overcome fear of public speaking once and for all using hypnosis and coaching.
This is not something I can deliver to you in one blog post and it does require your commitment. The good news is that hypnosis is really the secret weapon that will allow you to overcome this issue at twice the speed of mainstream therapies.
This is because mainstream approaches don't go beyond the rational mind and this is an emotional problem, not a rational one. Therefore hypnosis is the way to get at the root cause of the issue without needlessly beating around the bush.
Don't know where to start?
Trying to figure out how to overcome your fear of public speaking can be overwhelming and confusing.
You may have all the facts but may be wondering how to work on your issues and whether the hypnotic approach may work for you.
You don't have to solve this on your own. In my Dare to be Seen Online Course you will find the guidance you need.
Get Personalised Guidance
In my book "Dare to Be Seen" you will find all the information you need to overcome your fear of public speaking. However you may not have the time to read my book, or you may want more personalised guidance so that you can go through the process faster and more efficiently.
If that is the case you are in the right place! Just click below to enrol in my Dare to be Seen Online Course where you will be guided step by step to overcome your fear of public speaking with hypnosis!
Are You Ready to Change Your Trajectory today?
Benefits of saying YES
Costs of saying NO
What's it gonna be?
As Einstein famously said, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Is the cost of staying in your comfort zone worth giving up on your dreams? Or are the benefits of saying yes to yourself worth the small discomfort of trying something new? Only you can take responsibility for the direction of your life. The choice is yours.
There is no better time than now to act. The first step is the hardest but once you take it you can use the forward momentum to keep going. When you have a guide and a community to help you on your journey, it is a lot easier to make progress.
You are not alone in wanting to change, and I can guarantee you that change is possible once you take a leap of faith and decide you are worth it. If you do nothing, nothing will ever change. If you take action right now you are beginning the journey of transformation from awkward nervous speaker to someone who is competent and confident in a natural and authentic way.
Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity to really move forward. Get started today!
Feel Confident on Stage
The six fundamental mind hacks for achieving lasting performance success
