Many people don’t speak on stage well because they don’t know about these psychological barriers that keeping them speak badly. And of course, knowing these barriers will help you a lot.

1. Nervous

Nervous has been the greatest barrier of all kind of stage performances. It is a natural kind of emotion that every human has. There are no exact psychological cause of nervous, it is just naturally comes when we’re on stage, when everyone’s eyes are looking right at us.

A bestselling psychology book named “Think Big” told me that even the greatest public speakers and actors on this planet feel nervous few moments before they go on stage. And like all those motivators said, the best way to overcome nervousness is to do the show anyway.

2. Expectations

When you fly too high and you fall, it will hurts more than when you fly low.

Remember that presentation is not the same thing like a life. It must done in a relaxed way--with few low expectations, or no expectation at all. Presentation is something to be done, we don’t need targets; yeah, we need a plan but we don’t need to expect something great from ourselves just for something not very important like this presentation.

“But I want to receive lots of applause..”

Yeah, I know this is maybe one of your thoughts. Just a tip, don’t expect something, just do your best. As long as you plan your presentation well, putting jokes here and there, and also putting curiosity points to make the audience stays interested, you’ll be okay--and maybe you’ll receive that kind of applause you want.

3. Your “negative” side

A psychology book also told me that our mind has two opposing “thoughts factory”. One produces positive thoughts that full of optimism, smile, etc.. While the other produces negative thoughts, expectations, excuses, etc..

This negative thoughts producer is the one you must ignore--in order to speak well on stage. This negative thoughts producer may makes you think that everyone is against you when you speak, that everyone wants you to lose. It can also makes you fear of something, making excuses, etc.. The point is, you must ignore this negative thoughts producer.

4. Excuses

Why are you delaying your work? Why do you become so lazy? You know, there are one exact answer: you make excuse.

You’re delaying something, because you have at least a reason to delay it. You’re delaying your homework because you think that you can do it later, but your favorite TV show can’t wait. Excuse also becomes one of speaking barrier. In my real-life experience, there are lots of people whom rejected big opportunities--one of them is to be a public speaker--just because they have a reason to reject it.

5. You’re doubting yourself

The last barrier is yourself. You’re thinking that you’re not good, you think that you’re low, unskilled, and unneeded. You’re doubting your own abilities, capabilities, and potentialities about something. Okay, you may realize that you’re nothing, just an unskilled person at that time. But, everyone has potential, right? So do you. So why are you doubting something you don’t know yet?

Yeah, those are 5 barriers that somehow, keeping us away from speaking well on stage.
Thanks for reading!

Image header background credit: uclan.co.uk