To begin with what exactly is public speaking? Well in its simplest form it can be anything from giving a report in front of a few work colleagues through to presenting a marketing lecturer in front of hundreds of attendees at a conference.
The fact remains that for most people a rational fear of getting up in front of a number of people and giving some kind of talk is a daunting prospect to say the least.
You will hear well established stand up comedians and even classical actors who will tell you that just before they are due to go on they are terrified, even if they have carried out the part time after time.
So I think it is fair to state that all of us can say we don't look forward to public engagements, but we get through it, just like the actor or the comedian, once they are over that initial start they are up and running.
However for a significant number of people, public speaking goes beyond this and often results in panic attacks.
These panic attacks do not disappear once the speaker has started but often manifest themselves some time in to the speech or talk.
They suddenly have a massive fear that they are going to forget their lines or dry up and will have to quit the podium in embarrassment.
A Few Tips To Help With Public Speaking And Panic Attacks Firstly, don't try and fight it.
The moment you start trying to rationalise the fear the more you will find yourself concentrating upon it, instead remember that you may feel extreme degrees of anxiety while making a speech and still get through it perfectly well.
Also bear in mind that you may be scared but the audience will not know that, remember that you are not as important as you may think you are - and that's a good thing, as far as they are concerned you are a just another speaker and although they will pay attention they are not, in most cases, going to hang on to every word you say, so they probably will not even notice any little jitters.
Next tip is to learn a few hand movements and facial expressions.
Have you ever watched a politician speaking, they are constantly moving their hands.
Why is this? They do this for two reasons the first is that like a musical conductor it gives them the rhythm of the speech and secondly it helps to relieve anxious energy.
You see when you start a speech or some way through it, and if you suffer from any form of extreme anxiety issues then you will almost certainly get an anxiety buzz.
This is the moment when you feel that you have a hundred butterflies doing a samba in your stomach.
Use your hand gestures to internally move these feelings through your body and release the energy as a form of self expression.
Don't hold that energy in, but instead push it out as expression - it will also instil some emotion into your words which your audience will appreciate.
Rob Sanderson