Anxiety about Public Speaking, Giving Presentations and Job Interviews
If you are reading this it may be because you are experiencing anxiety in the workplace around public speaking, giving presentations, performance reviews or job interviews (both in-house ones asking for a promotion or ones where you are seeking a new opportunity). Or you may have one of these events coming up and realise your anxiety levels are creeping up and impacting your ability to prepare to perform at your best.
What is Glossophobia?
Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking and giving presentations, in fact, it is the experience of intense anxiety and fear when faced with any situations where we have to speak in front of an audience, regardless of the context including
- formal presentations
- job interviews
- performance reviews
- meetings
- classroom situations (in work trainings, school and university settings)
- social gatherings
- even casual conversations in group settings
It is incredibly common and in fact it's often cited as the most common phobia, even ranking higher than fear of heights or death! So, you are certainly not alone but not dealing with it can significantly impact your daily life and professional career.
What are so many of us so anxious about public speaking?
- fear of judgment
- a sense of being scrutinised - feeling like you are ‘in the spotlight’ or the centre of attention
- fear of forgetting our words
- suffering from Imposter Syndrome which is a psychological phenomenon where you doubt your achievements and talents, despite external evidence of your success. You fear being exposed as a fraud and believe you don't deserve your accomplishments. It's common, affecting many high-achieving individuals across various fields and experiences
- experiencing physical symptoms like sweating, heart racing, insomnia and dry mouth or feeling like your tongue has grown!
- feeling a pressure to perform as delivering a successful presentation often involves meeting specific expectations and achieving desired outcomes
- a sense of unfamiliarity and lack of control as presentations often involve unfamiliar environments and require improvisation, increasing feelings of vulnerability and loss of control
- suffering from anticipatory anxiety (the anxiety that develops in anticipation of an event, essentially dreading something that hasn't happened yet)
If you are experiencing anxiety around public speaking of any type or job interviews, in sessions, I will guide you through the process of how to resolve it so you can move from coping to thriving and be equipped to present the best version of yourself even in stressful and challenging situations.
Toastmasters International: This non-profit organization provides a supportive environment to practice public speaking skills.
Client Success Stories
‘Paula’s down to earth style is great. I learned tools and skills to be able to participate in interviews feeling calm and confident, presenting the best version of myself.’ Charles (Fife)
‘I walked into Paula's rooms in the hope she might help me overcome my fear of an up and coming public speech. But she helped me with so much more than that in a very short time. We progressed through a series of very natural and comfortable processes that not only helped me understand more about myself and my actions, but which gave me the confidence to believe that change was a very real possibility. With Paula's help, I sailed through my speech with the confidence I had always aspired toward and now have the tools to extend and maintain that confidence in other aspects of my life. I thank Paula from the bottom of my heart.’ Alicia
'I am a middle aged woman, I initially consulted Paula for anxiety symptoms during public speaking; my overall goal was to feel more serene and less anxious about the “small things” in my life. My journey of self discovery and understanding why I emotionally reacted to certain situations was enlightening. Paula gave me the ability to better understand myself and the confidence not to take things personally and the tools to cope with public speaking. I feel very blessed that I had the opportunity to share my journey with Paula.' Clare (Dundee)