Many of us out there do not want to speak up in front of an audience. However, you realise it is also important to sometimes get out of your comfort zone in order to get a better result at your endeavours. So, you try, and as your audience is impatiently waiting for you to voice out your words, you realise you're tongue-tied.

Here's a small guide on how to overcome the fear of public speaking or at least pretend to seem confident while you speak.

Understanding the source of your fear

Fear of public speaking is more common than you think. It may stem from a fear of judgement, embarrassment, rejection, or any combination of these things. Whatever the reason may be, it is important to understand the sources of such overwhelming feelings and eradicate them before the fear takes a turn for the worse.

You might have experienced people sniggering at you during presentations the time you were in school. May even have been a strict teacher looking disinterested. Whatever your reason may be, make sure to brush them off your head, especially before your speech.

Being prepared

I cannot emphasise this enough. This pointer might seem obvious but I've seen my peers not bringing their best-prepared selves, especially during group projects.

Research your content as much as possible, without limits. Have a proper speech ready and revise it as much as you can. Read it out in front of the mirror, and then when you're a little more confident, practice in front of your siblings or parents, while holding as much eye contact as possible. This might rack up your confidence level and help reduce your nervousness.

Finding a familiar face

When you are in a room full of people, find someone you can make eye contact with. This can be someone who seems friendly and or are smiling and especially someone you know. With time, it becomes easier to become comfortable, ease up, and then you can slowly make eye contact with everyone else in the room.

Bonus, if you wear glasses

If you happen to wear glasses, keep them off while you speak. This usually works like magic for me because it gives us the power to temporarily forget the faces of the people in front of us.

For people who have perfect vision, just look indifferent while you speak and avoid the gaze by looking on top of their heads. Now, there's no way you would be constantly conscious of your audience judging or even laughing.

Stand tall, literally and figuratively, to lower down your stress levels. Give yourself a pat on the back every time you speak in front of an audience. The fear itself will soon dissipate.

Ayra Areeba Abid's favourite word is 'serendipity' and she likes to speak against any form of discrimination. Connect with her at areeba.ayra@gmail.com