There are several tools you can use to address this form of anxiety. Other people intensively scan their audience for signs of disapproval (e.g., a bored-looking audience member) Some over-prepare in the hope this will protect them from failure People engage in other unhelpful behaviours. Avoidance also blocks valuable learning opportunities to help reduce anxiety (e.g., a public speaking scenario going better than predicted). However, this strategy is not open to people who must perform public speaking duties (often as part of their jobs). Some people can get around public speaking fears by avoiding situations in which speaking is required. These functions are not mutually exclusive in other, words these objectives may be combined (e.g., a speech to inform and entertain). Getting up in front of an audience is done to either inform, influence or entertain them. Public speaking can be categorised by ‘function’. Anxious people typically fear they will do something embarrassing (e.g., stutter over their words), their mind will go blank, not making sense to audience members, or showing visible signs of distress (e.g., shaking, sweating). Glossophobia is basically a form of social anxiety that centres around the fear of negative evaluation by others. This form of anxiety affects a substantial proportion of adults (1), so you are definitely not alone if you experience this problem. The technical term for this phenomenon is 'glossophobia', but it goes by other terms like ‘stagefright’. Public speaking anxiety might be the most common phobia in existence.

Fears of public speaking