Your cart

Public speaking ranks among the most common fears, even above heights or death. For many, just the idea of addressing a crowd can trigger a racing heart, sweaty palms, or even panic. But why is public speaking so terrifying for some, and what exactly happens to people when they step on stage?

The Roots of the Fear

At the heart of this fear (known aa glossophobia) is often a worry about being judged. Speaking in public makes us feel exposed. People worry they’ll be seen as incompetent, unprepared, or awkward.

This fear is especially strong in perfectionists who dread making mistakes. They feel enormous pressure to speak flawlessly and fear the shame of making mistakes.

Introverts may also find it incredibly difficult to be the center of attention. Public speaking can feel emotionally draining and uncomfortable for them.

The Body’s Response: Fight or Flight on Stage

When someone experiences stage fright, their body responds as if they're in danger. This triggers the fight-or-flight response and the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, causing physical symptoms such as:

• Rapid heartbeat

• Shaky hands

• Dry mouth

• Sweating

• Muscle tension

• Nausea or a “knot” in the stomach

• Difficulty thinking clearly

Psychological Triggers

Past experiences can also play a role. A single negative speaking event, like forgetting lines in a school play or getting laughed at during a presentation, can leave a lasting psychological mark. From then on, similar situations trigger anxiety.

Lack of preparation or practice can worsen this. When people don’t feel confident in what they’re saying, their anxiety increases. Conversely, even great speakers can feel nervous before big speeches, especially when the stakes are high or the audience is unfamiliar.

How Can You Gain Confidence to Speak in Public?

As mentioned earlier, you can definitely build confidence in public speaking. In the following sections, we'll present some of the best methods you can try!

1. Prepare Well

Preparation is the single most important factor in building confidence. When you're well-prepared, your brain doesn’t have to work as hard under pressure. Instead of worrying about what to say next, you can focus on how you’re saying it and connect with your audience.

Moreover, when you're unsure about your content, you're forced to focus on both formulating your thoughts and delivering them clearly, which increases anxiety. Therefore, preparation also helps reduce cognitive overload.

Here's how you can make sure you're well-prepared for delivering a speech:

• Research your subject thoroughly so you can speak with authority and ease.

• Create a clear structure: intro (what you’ll say), body (main points with examples), and conclusion (summary and takeaway).

• Rehearse out loud, multiple times. Reading silently doesn’t train your speaking muscles.

• Record yourself to assess clarity, tone, pacing, and body language.

• Practice with a friend or in front of a mirror to simulate the experience of being watched.

• Time your speech so you don’t run long or rush.

2. Get Comfortable with Feeling a Bit Nervous

Nervousness before public speaking is normal. Even the most experienced public speakers get nervous sometimes! In small doses, nervous energy can actually be beneficial. It sharpens your senses and heightens alertness. But when it gets out of hand, it can trigger the body’s stress response. This will make you feel overwhelmed and physically uncomfortable.

Rather than trying to suppress nerves, reframe them. View your symptoms not as signs of failure, but as evidence that your body is preparing you to perform.

Here's how you can overcome this feeling:

• Name it to tame it: Acknowledge your nervousness mentally (e.g., This is my body getting ready to perform, not a sign that something will go wrong).

• Breathe deeply using the 4-7-8 method: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. This calms your nervous system.

• Use physical grounding: press your feet firmly on the floor or grip the sides of the lectern to stay in the present moment.

• Channel nervous energy into enthusiasm. Let your passion for the topic fuel your delivery.

• Smile and pause intentionally; it relaxes your face and slows your pace.

3. Start With Small Groups

Like any skill, public speaking improves with repetition. This is why jumping straight into a large or high-stakes audience can be overwhelming. On the other hand, starting small allows you to gradually develop public speaking skills.

Here are some tips in this regard:

• Join a speaking group, like Toastmasters, where you can practice regularly in front of supportive peers.

• Practice speaking up in meetings, classes, or group discussions to practice voicing your thoughts. All of these are great opportunities to make progress.

• Go out with a group of friends and engage in a conversation with more than one person at the same time.

• Offer to give a short talk at a local club, workshop, or family event.

• Record short videos of yourself explaining a topic, then review them.

4. Build Neural Connections for Confidence

Public speaking isn’t just about communication; it’s also a mental and emotional challenge. That’s where neurofeedback tools like Mendi can help.

Mendi is a brain training device that uses real-time neurofeedback to strengthen focus, emotion regulation, and mental resilience, all crucial for confident speaking.

It tracks activity in your prefrontal cortex (the brain’s center for attention, self-control, and decision-making) and can help you improve its performance over time. Before a speech, this part of your brain needs to stay engaged to keep you focused and calm. But stress often shifts activity to the amygdala, the brain’s fear center, leading to panic or mental blanks. Therefore, Mendi can help re-engage the prefrontal cortex.

How to use Mendi in your preparation:

• Integrate short sessions (5–10 minutes) into your weekly routine. Ideally, train 3–5 times a week leading up to a presentation.

• Pair Mendi training with visualization: after or during sessions, imagine yourself speaking confidently. Your brain will link the calm, focused state with the public speaking scenario.

• Use it on the day of your speech: a brief session before your presentation can help you center yourself and calm your nerves.

• Track your progress: when you see that your training data is improving, your confidence grows.

5. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Switch to the right mindset: a growth mindset! This is all about the belief that skills can be developed through effort, which frees you from the pressure of perfection. It shifts the focus from performing to learning. When you view mistakes as feedback, every speaking opportunity becomes a step forward, not a test. This mindset will help you in everyday life as well, not only in public speaking.

Here's how you can build a growth mindset:

• Reflect after each talk: What went well? What can be improved?

• Don’t label a bad talk as a failure. Treat it as a useful experience.

• Celebrate small wins, like speaking up more clearly or staying calm.

• Keep a progress journal to track growth and lessons learned.

• Be open to receiving constructive feedback from trusted peers or mentors, and use it constructively.

• Be self-compassionate and quiet down your inner critic.

6. Practice Visualization

Visualization is a mental rehearsal technique where you imagine yourself succeeding. When you visualize a confident, clear performance, you train your brain to respond calmly in real-life situations.

This technique helps build emotional familiarity with different scenarios. You reduce the newness of the experience. This, in turn, reduces anxiety and allows you to gradually overcome your fear of speaking.

If you've never practiced visualization, here are some tips that can help you:

• Close your eyes and vividly imagine walking on stage, smiling at the audience, and delivering your speech smoothly.

• Picture yourself handling mistakes calmly.

• Involve all senses: hear the audience clapping, feel your posture, and see the room.

• Repeat daily leading up to the event. The more realistic and detailed, the better the effect.

• Visualize your speech’s impact: imagine your audience nodding, taking notes, or thanking you afterward.

• Incorporate positive affirmations into your visualization practice.

7. Engage with the Audience and Watch for Feedback

A confident speaker is also an attentive one. Your audience gives you feedback as you speak: through words, body language, facial expressions, and energy.

Here's what you can try:

• Research your audience’s interests, background, and expectations beforehand.

• Make regular eye contact, especially with engaged or supportive listeners.

• Ask questions (rhetorical or real) to keep your audience mentally involved.

• Encourage interaction if appropriate: use polls, short Q&As, or shared stories.

• Use small cues from the crowd (nodding, fidgeting, confused looks) to adapt your tone or pacing.

• If you notice disconnection, try a short pause, quick recap, or even humor to bring them back.

• Invite trusted friends or a family member when possible, and use their presence to remind yourself that you're in a supportive environment.

• Don’t dwell on blank stares or distracted listeners. They're rarely a reflection of your performance.

8. Work on Your Body Language

Your body often speaks louder than your words. Confident body language, such as open gestures, good posture, and intentional movement, enhances your message and makes you appear more trustworthy. Conversely, nervous habits, like fidgeting, crossed arms, or avoiding eye contact, can distract from or undermine your message.

Here are some things to consider in this regard:

• Stand tall with your shoulders relaxed and feet hip-width apart.

• Use purposeful gestures to emphasize key points. Avoid fidgeting or excessive movement.

• Maintain eye contact with individuals throughout the room, one person at a time.

• Smile naturally to build warmth and approachability.

• Record yourself speaking to observe your posture and movement.

9. Work on Your Voice

A strong voice is crucial for keeping your audience engaged. Voice modulation can significantly enhance your delivery and includes adjusting your tone, pace, and volume.

Here are some techniques that can help improve your speech include:

• Vocal warm-ups, such as humming, prepare your voice and improve articulation before speaking.

• Deliberate pauses during your speech to take deep breaths. This allows you to calm down and helps your audience digest the information more effectively.

• Speak slowly to enhance clarity.

10. Use Real-Life Examples and Humor

People can get lost if speakers are overly technical. So, use real-life examples or bits of humor here and there in your speech to build rapport. These will wake the audience up just in case people start to get lost in the details.

Here's how you can use real-life examples and humor to your advantage:

• Tie your message to real situations your audience can relate to: daily life, current events, and shared challenges.

• Use analogies or metaphors to simplify complex concepts.

• Include light, appropriate humor. But make sure to test your examples and jokes with friends to ensure clarity and tone.

11. Find Your Hooks to Keep the Audience Interested

A hook is an attention-grabber, something that makes people lean in from the very beginning and stay engaged throughout. Hooks spark curiosity or emotion, and they signal that your talk is worth their attention.

Here's how you can use hooks strategically:

• Start with a surprising statistic, question, or personal story.

• Use the what’s in it for them principle early on: why should they care?

• Change your tone or rhythm periodically to recapture attention.

• Use visual aids, props, or analogies to make abstract ideas tangible.

• End each section with a mini-hook: a provocative thought, question, or challenge.

12. Be Authentic and Celebrate Your Growth

And here's the final thing: confident public speakers are always authentic and consider all their speeches, whether good or bad, small wins!

When you're authentic, your delivery feels more natural and your audience is more likely to trust and relate to you. Equally important is recognizing that confidence comes from progress, not perfection. So, make sure to reward yourself after every speech, even if it was not your most successful presentation!

Here are some tips to consider:

• Use your natural tone and conversational language. Speak as if you're talking to a curious friend.

• Avoid memorizing every word; use structured presentation notes if needed.

• After each speech, reflect on what went well and what improved since the last time.

• Write down small wins (e.g., better eye contact, less rushing) and feel good about them.

• Reward yourself, even for showing up.

13. Seek Professional Help

If your fear of public speaking has worsened and self-help methods do not work, it may be time to seek professional help. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy can be incredibly helpful for people with glossophobia, as it can help them discover the root cause of their fears and provide them with tools to overcome them.

Furthermore, research shows that people suffering from glossophobia may benefit from virtual reality exposure training. This way, they can overcome their fears in a controlled environment.

A therapist can also prescribe anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants if needed.

Learn to Speak Freely in Public with Mendi!

Ready to overcome your fear and speak confidently in any situation? With Mendi, you can train your brain to stay calm, focused, and in control — no matter the size of the audience.

By strengthening your mental resilience and emotion regulation, Mendi can help you manage stress and boost your public speaking performance naturally.

Get your Mendi device today and pave the way toward becoming a successful public speaker!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I lack confidence in public speaking?

Lack of confidence often comes from fear of judgment, past negative experiences, and feeling unprepared. These fears trigger physical stress responses that can make you doubt your abilities and increase anxiety. This is especially common for perfectionists and introverts.

How do I stop being afraid of public speaking?

You can stop being afraid of public speaking by practicing regularly, starting small, adopting a growth mindset, and using techniques like deep breathing, visualization, and neurofeedback.

What is the Triple P method of public speaking?

The Triple P method of public speaking stands for Prepare, Practice, and Present, emphasizing thorough preparation, consistent practice, and confident delivery.

What is glossophobia?

Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. It affects 15-30% of people worldwide.

What should I do if I make a mistake during my speech?

If you make a mistake during your speech, don't panic. Everyone makes mistakes. Just correct it and keep going. Most people won’t even notice. Remember, confidence in handling slip-ups often resonates more than perfection!