Have you ever gone through any situation where you were out of control of yourself due to the fear of speaking in front of an audience? It does not matter whether the size is small or large. Did you feel certain physical and psychological changes, including your voice shaking, you are sweating, and your heart is beating fast? If yes, then you are also affected by ‘Glossophobia’.
Let us explore this concept through today’s blog.
Many of us have faced this situation at least once in our lives. It is very common in people. Especially when we are going to give a presentation at our university, we face this issue the most. Due to ‘glossophobia,’ many of us cannot perform well. As a result, we end up with a bad evaluation. It is not only a problem in the academic sectors but also in your personal and professional life as well. Due to that, it is improving to learn about this issue so that we can take action to overcome this problem.
What is Glossophobia?
This word has come from the Greek word, which is the combination of ‘glossa’ meaning tongue, and ‘Phobos’ meaning phobia. Simply, ‘glossophobia’ means fear of speaking. This fear or anxiety of speaking in front of people is a mental problem, which causes many physical issues as well.
What Causes Glossophobia?
Glossophobia is often caused by the judgments of the people. It is because the speaker overthinks about the evaluation of its audience. As a result, delivering a speech becomes intimidating on a speaker’s part. It is also a part of social anxiety, where people are afraid of being judged due to their behavior. However, it can also be related to any bitter experience that the speaker had faced. Sometimes people cannot overcome the trauma of humiliation if she has been judged negatively.
Symptoms of Glossophobia:
Dried Mouth:
One might feel that he or she has a dried mouth as a symptom of ‘Glossophobia’ or fear of public speaking, which is one of the very common signs among people.
Trembling Voice:
Our voice can turn into a trembling one while speaking in front of an audience. Due to the shakiness of your voice, the whole pace of your speech might get shattered. Moreover, due to your trembling voice, it may sound odd to your audience as well.
Nausea:
Some people may feel nausea as a characteristic of ‘Glossophobia’. As it is a physiological trait, it is hard to deal with.
Faster Heartbeat:
Another very common trait of ‘Glossophobia’ is having an altered heart rate. As our nervous system gets affected by the fear of speaking, heart rates increase due to that fear.
Nervousness:
Nervousness is a mental condition that has a great impact on our behavior. Due to nervousness, we go through some physical and psychologically challenging conditions that become obstacles for overcoming ‘Glossophobia’.
Trying to skip the Speech:
It is a behavioral trait of ‘Glossophobia’ where people want to somehow skip the speech so that they do not have to face the deadly symptoms of public speaking.
Forgetting the Speech:
Due to anxiety and fear, it usually happens that one cannot recall the speech exactly. As a result, the organization of the speech gets puzzled, and it creates confusion and nervousness inside the speaker. Sometimes, the speaker takes long pauses as a result of it.
Though the traits of ‘Glossophobia’ are very common in people, speakers can easily overcome them if they follow effective strategies.
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Writer
Erina Chowdhury Prome
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE