Skip to the plan: preparation, breathing, exposure, CBT

Fear of public speaking

Glossophobia (stage fright) is anxiety, a fight-or-flight response: racing heart, shaky voice, blank mind; practice, slow breathing and gradual exposure ease it.

Last reviewed · Sources: Mayo Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, National Social Anxiety Center

The overcoming plan

Three phases. Start where the fear check points you.

  1. Weeks before Phase 1

    1. Preparation

      Know your topic. Have answers ready for up to five questions the audience may ask.

      Takes: up to five questions

    2. Preparation

      Get organized. Put your outline on a small card. If you can, visit the room and check the equipment.

      Takes: one card, one visit

    3. Preparation

      Practice out loud. Run the whole talk 7 to 10 times: in a mirror, on video, or for a friend who gives feedback.

      Takes: 7 to 10 run-throughs

    4. Mindset shifts

      Challenge specific worries. Write each worry down, then what else could happen and the evidence either way.

      Takes: one written list

    5. Support groups

      Speak in a low-pressure group such as Toastmasters International. Repeated exposure builds new beliefs about your ability.

      Takes: ongoing

    6. Professional help

      If practice alone doesn't ease it, options a professional may suggest include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy.

      Takes: a doctor or therapist

  2. Day of Phase 2

    1. Calming techniques

      Move and eat early. Exercise on the day, and eat several hours before the talk, not right before.

      Takes: a workout, an early meal

    2. Calming techniques

      Try 4-7-8 breathing. Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8: slow in, even slower out.

      Inhale 4Hold 7Exhale 8
      4-7-8 breathing: inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8 (Baruch College Counseling Center).

      Takes: 19 counts per breath

    3. Mindset shifts

      Rename the feeling. Tell yourself: "This is excitement, not danger." Then run through public speaking tips for the five minutes before you go on.

      Takes: one sentence

  3. On stage Phase 3

    1. Anxiety right before stepping on stage

      Breathe slowly at the start. Take two or more deep, slow breaths before you begin and during the talk. Anxiety usually peaks early, then settles.

      Takes: the first few minutes

    2. Mindset shifts

      Most of your nerves don't show. People overestimate how much others notice (the spotlight effect). Find one or two friendly faces and talk to them.

      Takes: the whole talk

    3. Calming techniques

      If your mind goes blank, pause, breathe and check your card. It feels endless; it's probably only a few seconds.

      Takes: a few seconds

    4. Mindset shifts

      Afterwards, note what went well before what could improve, and which worries came true.

      Takes: right after the talk

How strong is my fear?

Not a diagnosis: it only suggests where to start.

I avoid or turn down chances to speak
My heart races, or I shake or sweat
I worry about a talk for days ahead
My mind goes blank or fills with thoughts of embarrassment
It gets in the way of work, school or daily life

Answer all five and the phase to start with lights up in the plan.

Take the free 30-second test Free on iPhone and Android

Practice out loud before the real thing

Confidently is a phone app for practicing public speaking. Its free 30-second test gives you two random words and 30 seconds to speak out loud. It rates your voice and your face on a scale of 10, counts your filler words and tells you the one thing to fix first. Then come daily practice games with feedback. It's practice, not therapy.

Take the free 30-second test Free on iPhone and Android
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play
  1. Two random words
  2. 30 seconds out loud
  3. One thing to fix first

What happens in your body

Fear of public speaking is a form of performance anxiety, along with stage fright and test anxiety. It means your body treats a talk as a threat. The signs of fear of public speaking fall into three groups, and you'll also see the condition called glossophobia, the clinical name.

Physical
Fast heartbeat, shaking, sweating, dry mouth, butterflies in the stomach and a squeaky or shaky voice.
Mental
Dread before speaking, fear of being judged, and a blank mind as stress hormones shut down the brain's frontal lobe.
Behavioral
Avoiding the moment: turning down a job, changing majors or skipping important events.

Why it happens

Fear of public speaking is an old survival alarm going off in a modern room. It means the brain's threat area can't tell a crowd from real danger. The cause of fear of public speaking is usually a mix of biology, beliefs and situation.

Evolutionary roots
Our ancestors survived in tribes, where rejection could mean death. An audience makes us feel open to that same rejection.
Fight-or-flight response
A perceived threat triggers fast body changes to protect you: adrenaline, a racing heart, shaking hands. Speaking isn't life threatening, but the brain reacts as if it were.
The situation
Fear runs higher when you're new to speaking, being evaluated, facing people of higher status or sharing ideas for the first time.

Experience is the cause you can change: fewer stage hours, more fear. For speaking hours at home, practice out loud with the free 30-second test.

When to get professional help

Professional help is the step for fear that practice alone doesn't ease. It means talking to a doctor or therapist. The test for professional help is impact: whether the fear disrupts your job, school or daily life.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
A skills-based approach that can ease the fear, by replacing fearful messages with more realistic self-talk.
Exposure therapy
You face the fear gradually in a safe, controlled setting. Virtual reality versions put a simulated audience in front of you.
Medication
A doctor may prescribe a calming medicine to take before speaking; try it once before the real talk to see how it affects you.
Social anxiety disorder
If strong anxiety shows up in other social situations too, a professional may consider social anxiety disorder; CBT, medicines or both can help.

If you want skills and feedback rather than treatment, a public speaking coach is the non-clinical option.

How common it is

Fear of public speaking is one of the most widely reported fears. Estimates differ because studies count either any fear or only anxiety strong enough to cause trouble. The range of estimates runs from 15% to 77%.

How common fear of public speaking is, by source
SourceWho was countedFigure
Heeren et al., 2013General populationAbout 77%
University of Iowa CounselingPeople in generalApproximately 75%
Marinho et al., 20161,135 undergraduate students63.9%
Gallup, 2001, via NSACGeneral populationAbout 40%
Psych CentralPublic speaking anxiety, general population15% to 30%

Reader questions

The questions people ask most, answered plainly.

How do I overcome my fear of public speaking?

Mostly by doing it, in small steps. Know your material, practice out loud until it feels familiar, breathe slowly before you start, and speak as often as you can. If the fear is running your life, talk to a doctor or therapist. Want reps tonight? Take the free 30-second test.

Is there a phobia for public speaking?

Yes, it's called glossophobia. Lots of people get nervous; it counts as a phobia when the fear is out of proportion, makes you avoid speaking or suffer through it, and has lasted at least six months. Only a mental health professional can make that call.

Why do I get so nervous presenting?

Your body is doing its job a little too well. Being watched and judged reads as a threat, so adrenaline kicks in. Being new to it, being graded or facing your boss all turn it up. It usually peaks at the start and settles within a few minutes.

What is the #1 phobia in the world?

Depends who you ask. The University of Iowa's counseling service and the National Social Anxiety Center call fear of public speaking the most common phobia. Psychology Today says it's often, but wrongly, cited as people's biggest fear. Either way, you're in big company.

Sources

  1. Mayo Clinic: Fear of public speaking: How can I overcome it?
  2. University of Pittsburgh, Department of Communication: Speech Anxiety
  3. University of Iowa Counseling Service: 30 Ways to Manage Speaking Anxiety
  4. National Social Anxiety Center: Public Speaking Anxiety
  5. Psych Central: Public Speaking Anxiety
  6. Verywell Mind: Glossophobia
  7. Baruch College Counseling Center: Tips for Managing Public Speaking Anxiety
  8. Psychology Today: Why Are We Scared of Public Speaking?
  9. Heeren et al. (2013), Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
  10. Vogel and Viale (2018), Presenting With Confidence, citing Marinho et al. (2016)
  11. Wikipedia: Spotlight effect

Last reviewed .

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Talk to a doctor or therapist if the fear keeps you from work, school or daily life, comes with panic attacks, or shows up in other social situations too.