What can you do as an audience member to help reduce the speakers level of anxiety?
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Do you have a fear of public speaking? If so, exposure therapy is one avenue for gradually becoming used to public speaking and overcoming anxiety. Show
Public Speaking Exposure TherapyAlthough exposure therapy is generally conducted by a therapist in the context of treatment such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), you can also practice exposures on your own as part of a self-help program. The premise behind exposure therapy is that you need to be exposed gradually to the situations that you fear in order to desensitize yourself and reduce anxiety. Standing up today in front of a huge auditorium and giving a speech would not be an example of exposure therapy. Instead, you would take small steps and accomplish small goals that give you confidence and build your strength to handle more difficult situations. Avoidance BehaviorsWhen practicing exposures, it is important not to engage in what are known as "partial avoidance strategies." For example, giving a speech but reading directly from your notes and never looking at the audience. Instead, you need to do everything that makes you afraid and nervous; but do it gradually as you become less anxious. One way to practice exposures is to do them in imagined scenarios before tackling the real thing. Doing exposures in real life is called "in vivo," which you can build up to when you are ready. Fear HierarchyBelow is a sample hierarchy list of situations that you could progress through as part of your exposure training. Everyone will fear different types of scenarios so it is important to tailor the list to what makes the most sense for you. Remember that you want to start with the situation that causes the least fear and anxiety, and gradually work up to the most difficult scenario. Sample Hierarchy List
The purpose of the fear hierarchy is to gradually expose you to feared situations. In order for exposure therapy to work, you must stay in the situations long enough that your anxiety decreases and you become desensitized to the triggering scenario. If you find that a situation is still problematic, stay with it until your anxiety is reduced before moving on to the next one. If your social anxiety, in general, is severe and self-help strategies are not sufficient to reduce your fear, consider contacting a mental health professional or your doctor for a referral. There are effective treatments for SAD, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication, that can make a difference in your life. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
 By Arlin
Cuncic Thanks for your feedback! What are some of the ways to reduce speaking anxiety?These steps may help:. Know your topic. ... . Get organized. ... . Practice, and then practice some more. ... . Challenge specific worries. ... . Visualize your success. ... . Do some deep breathing. ... . Focus on your material, not on your audience. ... . Don't fear a moment of silence.. What audience related strategy can speakers use to decrease their anxiety?Thinking of public speaking as a conversation with an audience rather than a performance for an audience can help reduce speaking anxiety.
How can taking a course in public speaking serve to reduce anxiety?Skills training, like systematic desensitization, makes the public speaking process more familiar for a speaker, which lessens uncertainty. In addition, targeting specific areas and then improving on them builds more confidence, which can in turn lead to more improvement.
What is audience anxiety in public speaking?The most common form of Social Phobia is public speaking anxiety. Students experiencing public speaking anxiety say they are concerned they will be embarrassed if they speak. They say they are worried they will make a mistake, look “stupid” to others, or be judged unattractive.
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