Lots of new clients are showing up lately with fear of public speaking as their presenting complaint. That fear can range from mild to maddening to career-killing. But whatever its level, fear of public speaking sucks—and there are two things you should know about it: #1: Fear of Public Speaking? It Makes Perfect Sense When most Read More
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Fear of Public Speaking Is Like Having a Fractured Foot
Back when I was a jazz singer, trumpeter Stan Shafran gave me some priceless advice. He said, “You’ll rarely feel perfect, physically, on a gig. So the trick is to sing your best with the body you’ve got at that moment, not with the perfect body you wish you had.” My Fractured Foot “Made Me” Read More
Breathing is Hard, but Essential: Here’s How to Do It
Since I got the word “breathe” tattooed on my left wrist (yes, really), the idea of breathing has understandably been on my mind. When you’re stressed (let’s say, because you’re about to give a speech!) breathing is a great way to calm yourself down — and it also works well on anger and fear. But most Read More
Are You Allergic to Public Speaking?
If you’re allergic to ragweed pollen (it’s called “hayfever”), you know how bad the symptoms can be: Runny eyes. Frozen lungs. Throbbing sinuses. What causes these unpleasant allergic symptoms? Not the ragweed! Like other allergies, hayfever is the the result of a big miscommunication between your immune system and reality. Your Basic Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Allergic Read More