Fear of public speaking is normal.
Let’s face it … almost everyone has a story about what they do to cope with the discomfort and fear of public speaking. Tough it out! Visualize! Exercise! Yet in the moment of delivering an important presentation … of having the opportunity to use our voice for maximum impact … automatic reactions hijack our best efforts. Profuse sweating. Flush faces. Quivering voices. Racing heartbeats. We may learn to live with it but we may also still dread it!
Interestingly, you may think your reactions are caused by the people in front of you in the moment. They’re not! We end up freezing memories and beliefs of earlier experiences in our personal space. This mental imagery gets activated each time you experience a similar event, often relating to experiences when you were much younger. Other times, it may be related to a more traumatic, recent event.
Logosynthesis® can offer fast and lasting relief.
Public speaking trainers and coaches are increasingly incorporating Logosynthesis® into their programs. By combining traditional techniques with this innovative approach, individuals can receive a holistic and personalized strategy for overcoming their fear.
Logosynthesis® is an energy-based coaching and psychotherapeutic model that guides you to resolve the memories, beliefs and fantasies that trigger distress and keep you stuck in work and life. The beauty is that you don’t need to understand the depth of the model to benefit from the simple, repeatable technique of the Logosynthesis® Basic Procedure.
Logosynthesis® goes beyond merely managing the fear of public speaking. By shifting the underlying mental imagery, distressing thoughts, emotions and physical sensations fall away for immediate and lasting relief. This approach empowers individuals to not only overcome their fear but also embrace public speaking as an opportunity for growth and self-expression. As Logosynthesis® continues to gain recognition, it offers a promising avenue for those seeking a lasting solution to the age-old fear of public speaking.
The following case example offers what is possible and if you are curious to try it out for yourself, you can use the guided video below or if the issue persists, book a coaching call with me. It can be difficult to get to the triggering mental imagery on your own at times. Like any healthy lifestyle practice, it takes practice, guidance and routinely ‘doing’ to realize the benefits.
An example of Logosynthesis® to overcome fear of public speaking.
The issue
Juliet was asked to deliver a speech at a local business networking event. She had written a personal endorsement of a program and was very confident about the content of what she wanted to deliver. Yet as she thought about the upcoming event, she experienced a familiar and uncomfortable lump in her diaphragm. I asked Juliet if she was curious to explore what was possible with Logosynthesis® and we booked a call on Zoom.
“It’s scary. I know that’s silly.”
Working with Logosynthesis, we don’t judge these automatic reactions – the thoughts, emotions and physical sensations. These reactions offer information about the underlying trigger (mental imagery) in the form of memories, beliefs and fantasies. I ask her how she experiences ‘scary’ by exploring what she feels in her body.
“I have an uncomfortable lump in my diaphragm. It’s there it now. It’s a sense of dread.”
The work
I ask Juliet to rate the level of distress on a scale from 0-10, with 0 being no distress and 10 being maximum distress. She rates it an 8. The next step is to notice any mental imagery … images, sounds or other sensory representations … in her personal space.
“I remember being told to be quiet.” Pause. Chuckle. “It’s now like the Peanuts character: ‘wah-wah-wah'” Pause. “There is a blur around me.”
I offer the sentences of the Logosynthesis® Basic Procedure using the perception of ‘this blur around me’ as the label. I then ask her to notice what happens. The distress has shifted from ‘dread’ to ‘anxiety’. The distress level is now at a 4. It feels ‘heavy’ and starts to shift to more of a ‘tingle’.
“It’s a twinge of anxiety. It’s not a fear of speaking but a lack of confidence. Can I do this?” I ask her to describe the emotions and body sensations. “It’s a mild anxiety in my gut.”
I ask her to note if the level of distress changes but it is still at a 4. Next, I ask her to notice what arises in her personal space – any images, sounds, or other sensory representations.
“I have an image of me singing in the choir.”
Again with Logosynthesis, we don’t judge the mental imagery that arises but simply locate where it is. The image is in front of her. I offer Juliet another round of the sentences of the Logosynthesis® Basic Procedure, allowing time for the words to work between each sentence. I then ask her to describe what she notices and rate the distress.
The results
“There is no distress. It’s a 0. There is some nervous excitement thinking about how it will play out. It is horrible to be scared of it. The lump is gone. The anxiety is gone.”
Pause.
“I feel focused. And all that in 23 minutes.”
We laugh and I offer that the nervous excitement may be another layer to work on down the road if it interferes with her delivery. Conditioning leads us believe that we need this ‘nervous excitement’. While this energy can be energizing, my personal experience using Logosynthesis® is that I can be more impactful when speaking from a position of calm and focus.
The follow up
The next evening, Juliet delivers a very engaging speech – personal and professional. She followed up two days later with this note:
“Thanks so much. Your session really helped. I was still a bit nervous and didn’t really follow my scripted speech but who cares. Everyone I talked to was surprised it was my first time public speaking. No knot in my gut and no sweating. Lol. It’s truly amazing what the human body and mind can do to heal itself when given the right tools.”
Are you ready to let go of the anxiety and discomfort?
Many times a longstanding issue around public speaking can be resolved in a single coaching session with Logosynthesis®. You can book a call with me over Zoom here:
You can also give it a try on your own using this guided video. It can take several cycles of Logosynthesis® to identify and dissolve the underlying trigger. Many people prefer to use Logosynthesis® with the guidance of a trained professional for support in getting to the underlying trigger.