Overcoming Verbal Performance Anxiety

Podcasts are everywhere these days. They allow people to get information while being portable. Maybe you run a website that could benefit from podcasts but you feel your voice isn’t up to the challenge or you suffer from vocal anxiety.
We all talk with ease–it’s second nature. But as soon as you see the record light come on, your vocal cords tighten up and you become painfully aware that you don’t always pronounce words correctly. This is common and it’s natural for most people. For others, they just take to it naturally and run with it.
You could hire someone to do your podcasts for you, but that can get expensive. The better solution is to just train your own voice so you sound natural and relaxed and work on techniques to help overcome anxiety.

Dealing with Nervousness
Most of us hate to be put on the spot. We tense up, get butterflies and dread can take over. Learning to accept and work through those nervous jitters is more affective than trying to just get over it. It’s going to happen–especially the first few times you have to speak. Learn to use it to your advantage.
Having nervous energy can actually lead to you being more creative and giving a better performance. The problem arises when you allow the nervousness to take over and cause panic.
How do you control nervousness?
You learn to control the body and mind. Not always an easy task but it can be mastered sufficiently enough to allow you to be a dynamic speaker.
Learn to sustain a calm body with an alert mind
Controlling the breath will help you keep your mind alert while calming the body. The body responds to changes in respiration. If you’re nervous and upset and breathing erratically, the body will respond with sweating and tension. Its part of the body’s defense mechanism in the fight or flight response.
Learning to breathe properly and calming yourself with the breath will help a great deal. There’s a plethora of information on the Internet to learn breathing techniques, meditation, relaxation and self hypnosis. Search for programs that you’re comfortable with and give them a try.
Controlling the mind can be a bit more tricky. We all have fears, especially when it comes to speaking. We’re afraid we may pronounce words wrong, leave out key information, speak with a monotone voice instead of our natural voice–and we’re afraid people will notice these things.
The best way to overcome those fears is to practice speaking. Record yourself so you know exactly what areas you need to work on. Listen to some self hypnosis tapes that are aimed at fear of public speaking.
Vocal training is also a great way to learn how to control the vocal cords and how to relax them. Again, there are many programs available online to choose from.
You may not master these things overnight, but taking steps to overcome your fears and improve your speaking voice can open many doors for you and your website. Give it a try.