Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking in 21 Days PDF

Benjamin van Spijck
Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking
workbook
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Contents
1. Foreword..............................................................................................................4
2. Fear under the microscope...................................................................................6
3. Getting to know fear of speaking .......................................................................10
4. Fear of public speaking under the axe ...............................................................15
5. Stop unhealthy reasoning...................................................................................19
6. Think of healthy ways of reasoning....................................................................23
7. Imaginary exposure ...........................................................................................24
8. Coupling relaxation to speaking situations ........................................................27
9. Exercises, the power of repetition ......................................................................29
10. Natural speech-giving with mind mapping .........................................................34
11. Making a mind map ...........................................................................................37
12. Achieving Flow with visualization.......................................................................39
13. Applying visualization ........................................................................................43
14. You’re there! ......................................................................................................45
15. Afterword...........................................................................................................46
16. Glossary .............................................................................................................47
Copyright © vanSpijck e-marketing BV, the Netherlands.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
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ISBN/EAN 978-90-78974-01-7
NUR 770
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1. Foreword
For many of us, the fear of public speaking is an everyday reality. Striking up a
conversation with a stranger often goes quite well, but having to speak during a meeting
is far more difficult. Even the thought of a round of introductions breaks many people
into a sweat, and if they have to give a speech, many of them contemplate driving their
car into a tree.
But this isn’t the fear of only a few. American research (Burnley, Cross and Spanos,
1993) shows that more than eight out of ten people suffer, to a greater or lesser degree,
from the fear of speaking in public. Four out of ten people place fear of public speaking
in the top three of their personal fears; often even above the fear of a terrorist attack or
the fear of death.
What is it with the fear of public speaking? People are by nature sociable beings. They
share their lives with each other. They talk, laugh and cry together. They help each
other, teach each other. They make each other’s lives miserable. It’s all so natural. Until
the moment one person steps out of the group to address the others. That’s when the
tension strikes: the speaker’s mouth goes dry, he breaks out in red blotches and his
hands tremble. And a replacement-tension fills the audience; a tense hope that all will
go well.
What is the speaker afraid of? That his public will devour him? If that were the case his
fear would be justified. But it’s often the case that the public want only the best for the
speaker; so that actually makes the fear ungrounded. Or is the speaker afraid that he
will suddenly forget his story? But that doesn’t happen when he’s talking to friends or
colleagues, does it? If he loses the thread then, he makes a joke of it and gets back to
the essence. The more you think about it, the more you have to come to the conclusion
that fear of speaking in public is unfounded. That’s why psychologists refer to it as an
irrational fear. The bad news is that possibly eighty percent of the human race is afraid
of something they need not be afraid of. The good news is that an irrational fear can
easily be overcome. And that’s what we’re going to do over the next 21 days – overcome
your fear.
I’ll tell you now how I personally overcame my fear of public speaking.
As far back as I can remember, I was tormented by a fear of talking in public. I can
clearly recall my earliest memory, when I was ten years old and had to stand in front of
the class. Through the years my fear of speaking became a constant in my life. I
mastered the avoidance of situations in which the spotlight would be on me. I made sure
I was ill that day, I lied, hid behind others and, more than once, I even considered
causing an accident while on my way to a meeting just so I wouldn’t have to speak in
front of others.
So, at the age of thirty-five, I decided it was time to overcome my fear of speaking in
public. I started by taking a presentation training workshop given by a reputable
communications adviser. She taught me how to build up an effective presentation, but
unfortunately did nothing to reduce my fear of public speaking. I then found a coach
online who had developed a unique method for not only dealing with the fear of public
speaking, but other phobias as well. I first read his book and, enthusiastic about the
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promises made in it, I took part in his training course. But unfortunately, this, too, did
not help me get rid of my fear.
I did, however, become more and more convinced that I absolutely wanted to overcome
my fear of public speaking and that it must be possible to do so.
I started to understand that the fear of public speaking is a lie, an irrational fear. After
all, why be scared of speaking in front of an audience that is made up of fellow human
beings who often only want the best for you? Why be afraid to talk to groups when
talking to individuals is something you do with pleasure day in, day out? Why act as if
talking in front of a group is some kind of major performance? It really is nothing more
and nothing less than a meeting with other people during which information is
exchanged. Why was I allowing that feeling of nervousness to reach panic proportions?
Why shouldn’t I be able to amplify the joy and energy I normally get from talking to
others when talking to a group?
If that were possible, then speaking in public would no longer lead to panic. It could
actually be fun!
With this motivation in mind, I started looking for answers. I studied the scientific
background of the fear of speaking and other (social) phobias. I talked to psychologists
and trainers. I delved into information about Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). I began to understand what the fear of public
speaking is all about and discovered why expensive workshops and books often do little
to overcome it. With all the knowledge I had gained, I developed a training programme
for my own personal use. And it worked. I succeeded in exposing the lie behind my fear
of speaking. And by doing all the exercises I had developed, I completely overcame my
fear. Now I can speak freely, comfortably and with pleasure. And very soon you will also
experience that wonderful feeling of freedom. It is now your turn to say goodbye to your
fear of public speaking. Believe me, in 21 days you will be speaking confidently and
comfortably, just like me.
Enjoy the course!
Benjamin van Spijck.
First some important words of warning. If you suffer greatly from a phobia, or if you
suffer from several phobias, seek advice from your doctor before starting this
programme. If you suffer from, or have suffered from breathing problems,
hyperventilation, a heart condition, muscle problems or psychological symptoms, seek
advice from your doctor before starting this programme. Following this method and
doing these exercises could worsen symptoms or conditions. You follow this
programme at your own risk.
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2. Fear under the microscope
We can’t live without fear. Fear is a fact and a very natural reaction to a threatening
situation. From the beginning, fear, just like pain, has been an alarm signal of great
importance for the survival of the human race.
Ingrained and acquired fears

Fears with which we naturally react to dangerous situations or objects are ingrained in
human beings. Babies display a shock reaction when they hear a loud noise, and we very
quickly realize that it would be foolish to dive into an abyss unprotected. But there are
many fears that we acquire. A well-known experiment that falls within this framework is
that of the psychologist John B. Watson who taught a child of less than a year old to be
afraid of white mice. He did this by allowing the boy, Little Albert, to play with white
mice, and every time the boy played with the mice, Watson made a loud noise behind
him. After doing this only a few times, Little Albert was already afraid of white mice,
even when the noise was no longer being made. Fear of loud noise was already
ingrained in the boy’s survival system; fear of white mice was acquired.
Real and irrational fears

Both ingrained and acquired fears can be real, meaning that you are afraid of something
that presents actual danger. But fear can also be irrational: being afraid of something
that does not present danger. Even a real fear can take on irrational proportions: i.e.
when you react to something quite harmless with the same intensity that you would if
twenty-five hooligans were chasing you down a dead-end alley. The lack of a real threat
therefore differentiates irrational fears from normal feelings of fear. The symptoms are
the same in both cases: palpitation, dry mouth, an oppressed feeling, nervous tension,
irritability, restlessness, increased muscle tension or sleeping and concentration
problems.
Anxiety disorder
Real fear is therefore useful because it keeps us away from dangerous situations. Many
people are able to live quite well even with irrational fears, but problems arise when the
irrational fear takes on such proportions that people are hindered from functioning
normally. In cases like these, psychologists speak of an anxiety disorder or a phobia.
Many people suffer from a social phobia. Actually, this is a severe form of shyness; the
fear of losing face with other people. As well as the fear of speaking in public, fear of
telephoning, fear of eating out and fear of blushing or trembling also fall into the
category of social phobia. Another group of frequently occurring fears is the fear of
situations. People who suffer from this often have a persistent fear of things like water,
heights, enclosed spaces, speed, flying, and the like. A third group of frequently
occurring fears is the fear of animals, and all sorts of other fears such as the fear of
public spaces, and fears of blood, pain and illness.
If someone suffers from one, or a few, of the mentioned phobias, the impact on their life
is often manageable. Instead of seeking help, they often choose to avoid the fearful
situation. However, it is often the case that people suffer from more than one or a few
fears. If they choose not to seek help but avoid all fearful situations, it almost certainly
leads to social isolation.
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This programme has been written in order to offer help to people who wish to overcome
their fear of public speaking. It appears that this method has also proved successful in
overcoming other social phobias. And that’s logical. The same twisted thoughts lie at
the root of the various social phobias, and it is these twisted thoughts that we are going
to unmask in the coming weeks. The exercises in this book are also perfectly suited to
overcoming irrational fears that do not fall into the social phobia category. But, if you
suffer greatly from a phobia, or several phobias, then I seriously advise you to seek
professional help; in the first place from your doctor.
In the following exercises, we put your fears under the microscope. In the first exercise
you gain insight into the fears you have and the extent to which you have them. In the
second exercise you get a picture of the characteristics of your major fears. This insight
into your fears is the first step to overcoming them.
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Day 1 - exercise 1 insight into your fears
This is a list of frequently occurring fears.
Indicate by ticking the boxes to what degree you experience fear.
Enclosed spaces no fear very fearful
Deep water no fear very fearful
Talking to a group no fear very fearful
Illness no fear very fearful
High speed no fear very fearful
Terrorism no fear very fearful
Aggression no fear very fearful
Dogs no fear very fearful
Telephoning no fear very fearful
Lightning no fear very fearful
Fire no fear very fearful
Blood no fear very fearful
Death no fear very fearful
Travel by plane no fear very fearful
Public places no fear very fearful
Heights no fear very fearful
Driving no fear very fearful
Arguments no fear very fearful
Being alone no fear very fearful
Snakes no fear very fearful
Blushing no fear very fearful
Mice no fear very fearful
Crowds no fear very fearful
Having to succeed no fear very fearful
Natural disasters no fear very fearful
Panic attacks no fear very fearful
Bees and wasps no fear very fearful
Death of a loved one no fear very fearful
………………………. no fear very fearful
………………………. no fear very fearful
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Day 1 - exercise 2 personal fears Top 5
Take the list of fears from the previous exercise and determine your personal Top 5.
Write these in the first column below. Begin with your biggest fear at position 1.
Then for each of your Top 5 fears, determine whether or not you think the fear and the
degree of fear you experience are real or irrational. A fear is real for you if it is caused
by something that actually presents a threat or danger. And the degree of fear is real for
you if it is logically proportionate to the degree of danger you are in.
Conversely this means that a fear is irrational if it is caused by something that actually
presents no danger to you. The degree of fear is irrational if you very fearfully react to
something that actually presents relatively little danger.
Personal fears Top 5
Fear .
1. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational
2. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational
3. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational
4. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational
5. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational
Is ‘talking to a group’ in your Top 5? Wherever it is, by using this method you will
overcome your fear of public speaking in 21 days. And if you suffer from other irrational
fears, then it is possible that these will also lessen in intensity during the coming weeks.
One thing is certain, as soon as you speak confidently and comfortably you will be
greatly motivated to work on any remaining irrational fears. You can use the theory and
exercises in this book for those fears, too.
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3. Getting to know fear of speaking
Eight out of ten people suffer, to a greater or lesser degree, from the fear of speaking in
public and this fear can be found in all age groups. Men and women suffer to an equal
extent. The fear of public speaking is a persistent fear of critical judgement from others.
Actually, it is fear of making ourselves look ridiculous.
The fear of public speaking is a social phobia that comes in various kinds and to varying
degrees. Many people have trouble speaking to large groups. Others particularly
experience fear during a one-to-one conversation. And there are still others who find it
difficult to remain calm while talking to superiors. Also, many people are terrified when
they have to speak in situations on which something depends, like interviews and oral
exams.
The fear of public speaking is also referred to as an anticipation fear, which means that
the fearful person anticipates that speaking will lead to something awful like public
failure or a black-out. He then anticipates avoiding the situation. For the fearful person,
this seems to be the best solution. What he doesn’t realise is that by avoiding such
situations, the fear not only remains, it grows.
Opinions differ about the precise cause of public-speaking fear, although there are three
groups of causes that often play a part in the creation and persistence of the fear.
These groups are: lack of knowledge or skills, bad experiences and negative thought.
Lack of knowledge or skills

For people who don’t know how to give a speech, the very prospect of having to do so
can make them fearful. And fear of failure can strike those who have to give a speech on
a subject they know little about. Fear that is based on a lack of knowledge or skills is, in
general, quite easy to resolve. The level of knowledge can be raised by a little study of
the subject, and the necessary presentation skills can be gained by following a
presentation training course. If someone with a lack of knowledge or skills does give a
presentation, it can indeed result in a bad experience.
Bad experiences
Bad experiences lie at the root of many people’s fear of public speaking. That could
have already begun in early childhood. Many small children have bad speaking
experiences because others don’t really listen to what they have to say. Being laughed at
during a talk at school is a bad experience. Repeatedly receiving negative feedback from
colleagues or boss about your presentations is a bad experience. Bad experiences lead
to negative thought: ‘it didn’t go well then, so it won’t go well next time, either’. That is
the thought pattern that hinders good preparation and strengthens the fear of speaking
in public. You can’t undo bad experience, but you can do something about the negative
thoughts bad experiences have produced.
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Negative thought
Negative thoughts are far and away the most important cause of the fear of public
speaking. Negative thoughts are thoughts like: ‘if I have to give a presentation, I’ll
certainly be terrified and everyone will think I’m an idiot’ or ‘they’ll be bound to find my
presentation boring and think I’m stupid’. The source of negative thoughts is not always
clear, although it is accepted that in many cases they spring from bad experiences.
Negative thought leads to an avoidance of situations in which public speaking is
necessary. Overcoming fear of public speaking resulting from negative thought is the
essence of this training programme.
Fear of public speaking is unnatural, as are other social phobias. People are sociable
beings by nature; they depend on each other and most of them enjoy that. So, people
with a social phobia are afraid of something that, by nature, they should enjoy. You
probably know the inner conflict: on the one hand the dream of speaking confidently
and comfortably, and on the other the fear of actually having to speak. The following
exercise will give you insight into how your fear of public speaking relates to your wish
to speak confidently and comfortably in public.
Day 3 - exercise 1 test fear and pleasure in public speaking

Answer the following questions by indicating to what extent you agree with the
statements. Don’t think about it for too long; go with your first thought.
1. I feel pleasantly excited when I give a speech.

(1) totally agree (2) agree (3) don’t know (4) disagree (5) totally disagree
2. When I give a speech, I am afraid I’ll have a panic attack.

3. I say as little as possible when I’m in a group.

4. In general, I feel comfortable taking part in a group conversation.

5. I enjoy taking part in group conversations.

6. When I talk to a group, I’m afraid I’ll make myself look ridiculous.
7. If I say something in a group, I say it as briefly as possible.

8. I believe that it’s possible for me to feel relaxed when giving a speech.
9. When giving a speech, I try to make contact with my audience.

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10. I feel afraid when speaking in a group.
11. I am uncomfortable speaking to strangers.

12. In general, I can say what I want to when speaking in a group.

13. I enjoy speaking in a group.

14. When giving a presentation, I’m afraid I’ll make mistakes.

15. I am extremely uncomfortable speaking in a group.

16. I feel fairly calm when speaking in a group.

17. I can easily express my opinions.

18. I’m afraid and nervous if I have to give a speech.

19. It would be great if I never had to speak in public again.

20. I am confident in my attitude and behaviour in a group.

21. Speaking in a group gives me a sense of satisfaction.

22. When I give a presentation, I’m afraid they can see that I’m nervous.
23. My audience will probably find what I have to tell them boring.
24. I can speak to a group.

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Calculate your own personal scores
Extent of public-speaking pleasure

Start with 24, add to it the values of the answers to questions 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23 –
then deduct the values of answers to questions 1, 5, 9, 13, 17 en 21.
My score is …………
Extent of public-speaking fear

Start with 24, add to it the values of the answers to questions 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 –
then deduct the values of answers to questions 2, 6, 10, 14, 18 en 22.
My score is …………
If your ‘extent of public-speaking fear’ score is 24 or lower, then you often accept this
fear as controllable. But you don’t have to learn to live with it. If you scored higher than
24, then your fear of public speaking probably hinders your daily functioning. See this
as an extra stimulus for overcoming your fear in the coming weeks.
If your ‘extent of public-speaking pleasure’ score is lower than 24, then you don’t enjoy
being in the spot-light. Ask yourself why. Is it because of your fear? If it is, let this be
your motivation for attacking the fear. If it isn’t, then it’s going to be difficult to remain
motivated over the coming weeks. Think of ways to motivate yourself to continue
following the daily programme. You can use the following exercise for that.
If you scored higher than 24, then you actually take pleasure in speaking in a group. But
this pleasure can go hand in hand with the fear of speaking, and when it does, it causes
frustration. If that is the case with you, understand that the wish to speak confidently
and comfortably in groups is the perfect basis for overcoming your fear.
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A promise to yourself
Do you dream of speaking confidently and comfortably in public? Or speaking with
pleasure? Or explaining your standpoint with enthusiasm? Or remaining calm if you are
forced to the front? And if you could speak confidently and comfortably, what would you
do with your new-found freedom? Start going to parties again? Do that voluntary work
you’ve been planning to do for so long? Would you finally have the courage to apply for
that job? Many people with public-speaking fear deny themselves a great deal by
avoiding situations that evoke fear. But that means that there are so many possibilities,
once the fear has been conquered. What will you do with your new freedom?
Day 2 - exercise 2 a promise to myself

Think about what you will do when you have overcome your fear of public speaking at
the end of this programme. Which possibilities will you take advantage of? Which goals
will you set yourself?
Goal 1: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Goal 2: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Goal 3: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Now, with these goals in mind, make yourself a promise to persevere during the coming
weeks and overcome your fear of public speaking. Say, for example, in your own words:
‘I am prepared to do everything necessary to overcome my fear of public speaking’. Or:
‘I will do the exercises every day for three weeks so that I will then be able to speak
confidently and comfortably’. Formulate your promise positively!
A promise to myself: …………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
Just imagine; no more fear of speaking in public. In a few months, confident and
comfortable speaking will be normal for you; as it should be. And yet, if you have
struggled with this fear for a long time, overcoming it will most certainly be worth
celebrating. Don’t let the victory pass uncelebrated. What will you do when you’ve
completed the programme? Go out to dinner with your partner? Throw a party for your
friends? Buy yourself something expensive? Donate a large amount to charity? Whatever
you do, your victory must be celebrated!
On day 21 I will celebrate overcoming my fear by: ………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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4. Fear of public speaking under the axe
You’ve managed to get a good picture of your fear over the last two days. You have also
discovered how your fear relates to the pleasure you have in speaking. And you have
written down everything you are going to do with the freedom living without fear of
public speaking will offer you. It is high time, therefore, to attack your fear.
Hanging on to fear by avoiding situations

First we are going to return to Little Albert and his acquired, irrational fear of white
mice. That fear was acquired because it was coupled to a loud noise. The fear was
irrational because the white mice presented no danger. In that way, it is comparable to
fear of public speaking. You acquired your fear in the past, maybe by not being taken
seriously as a child. Or by being laughed at or teased, or, for one reason or another, you
began to believe that what you had to say wasn’t worth saying. And that is why the fear
symptoms with which you react to public speaking are out of proportion. Speaking in
public is actually just as harmless as playing with white mice.
You could be wondering why irrational fears don’t disappear as quickly as they appear.
Little Albert probably reached an age at which he asked himself why he was afraid of
something as insignificant as a white mouse. He probably saw others allowing small
mice to walk up their arms without any reservations. And he might have sought advice
from experts who would have confirmed that white mice are harmless. You could also
have discovered long ago that speaking in public is harmless, and that it is totally
unwarranted to react with a thumping heart, red blotches and a dry mouth.
But it doesn’t work like that, unfortunately. After the first learning experience which
convinces us that a situation or an object is something to fear, we continue,
subconsciously, to strengthen that fear. We do this by avoiding situations that could
evoke the fear. Little Albert probably avoided being anywhere near white mice (and
maybe he soon began avoiding all rodents). Some people walk up twelve flights of stairs
rather than take the lift. Others avoid parks where dogs are taken for walks. Maybe you
hide behind a colleague if a presentation has to be given. It feels good to avoid a fearful
situation. We actually receive a reward for our avoidance behaviour: less fear. But this
rewarding of negative behaviour preserves the fear and helps it grow. In this
programme, we are going to use a few useful psychotherapy tools to break this vicious
circle: cognitive restructuring and imaginary exposure.
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Cognitive restructuring
Cognitive restructuring is a technique used in cognitive therapy, one of the larger
movements in psychotherapy. Cognitive therapy is a form of therapy that is based on
the idea that psychological symptoms or problems stem from the way in which people
select and process information. Cognitive restructuring is based on the fact that you
don’t so much react to a situation itself with fear, but to the way in which you interpret
that situation. In other words, to a large extent you yourself define whether or not you
see something as a problem, and how intense that problem is for you.
That defining happens in a fraction of a second and is often based on a whole complex
of twisted ideas. With cognitive restructuring, you learn to replace twisted ideas with
realistic, positive thoughts: positive affirmation. You will be doing exercises that will
challenge you to correct irrational thought. Through insight and practise, you will learn
to understand that your fear is not a rational reaction to (the thought of) public
speaking. And just that understanding will give you a great feeling that your fear is
diminishing. And then you’ll ready for the next step.
Imaginary exposure
The next step is imaginary exposure. It is a technique used in behavioural therapy, a
second important movement in psychotherapy. The basic principle of behavioural
therapy is that undesired behaviour is learned and can, therefore, be unlearned. With
imaginary exposure, you will expose yourself to situations that evoke fear, not in reality
but in imagination, in the safety of your own home. You begin with a situation that is the
least fearful and gradually, when you’re ready, build up to situations that terrify you. By
breaking through the avoidance, your fear will gradually decrease and you will become
used to what are for you very difficult situations.
As your fear decreases, the desire to try speaking in public will grow, which is
something that, until now, you have often avoided. You will, therefore, have to become
familiar with a technique that will help you tell a story or give a presentation in a natural
way. Mind mapping is such a technique.
Mind mapping
Mind mapping is a way of organising and recording information that well suits the
human brain. With mind mapping, information is not linearly stored, as we are used to,
but is stored in a logically structured and, as much as possible, visual manner.
Neurologists agree that this is a better way of clearly organising and remembering
information. By making a mind map, the presentation is actually recorded as a film in
your brain. During the giving of a presentation, you will be able to link outlines and
details in a very natural way. You will be able to give a presentation confidently from
memory because you know that the information has been stored in an effective manner.
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Visualization
Visualization is an important part of the psychological training of top-class sportsmen.
They prepare themselves mentally for a match or competition with this technique. Before
the competition, they repeatedly visualize the event, and in that visualization they see
themselves performing well. They mentally practise an explosive start that immediately
puts them in the lead. They imagine the forceful punches they will deliver. They feel the
skilful goals they will score and they enjoy the crowd’s cheering. By doing this they build
healthy, positive tension in their minds. In addition, they mentally work on their skills by
frequent repetition.
By applying this technique to the mental preparation of presentations you will learn to
build positive tension under which you will be able to perform optimally. So, from this
moment onwards, no more crippling stress but measured, positive tension that will
better help you to perform. And, with visualization, you will learn to construct your
routine so that during the presentation you will have time and energy for interaction
with your audience.
Do it!
With the help of the above mentioned techniques, you can overcome your fear of public
speaking in the safety of your own home. You will learn how to speak from memory and
give presentations in a natural way. When you reach this point, then you will be ready to
give your first presentation confidently, free of public-speaking fear. The first
presentation should, preferably, be given to a trusted group of between five and ten
people. After that, grab as many opportunities as possible to speak in public: at work,
with friends, etc. Keep a note of what goes well, ask for feedback and work on your
technique. In this way, your skills will increase and your confidence will grow. The
vicious circle of fear has been broken; it has finally made place for an upward spiral of
peace, pleasure and confidence.
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Day 3 - exercise yoga exercise – full breathing
In this programme you will learn to react in a pleasant way to having to give a speech, or
even the thought of having to do so. At the moment you react with fear symptoms like
blushing and trembling. Soon you will react calmly and in a controlled manner. In a
number of exercises you will learn how to call upon that feeling of relaxation.
Today you will learn full breathing. This breathing technique is the basis of all the yoga
breathing ever described. By breathing fully, body and mind find rest. All cells in the
lungs are supplied with oxygen and therefore the oxygen supply to the muscles and to
the brain is increased. This gives rise to a feeling of peace and calm combined with a
feeling of strength and concentration: the ideal combination for giving a speech.
If you suffer from breathing problems, hyperventilation or a heart condition, consult

your doctor before starting full breathing exercises. Such conscious breathing could
worsen symptoms or conditions.
Full breathing
Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit in an upright, relaxed position with
your back as straight as possible.
Breathe calmly and evenly through your nose:

- allow the collarbone and midriff to drop: this makes the stomach expand and
oxygen automatically flows into the lower lungs. Allow the air to flow out naturally;
- then expand the ribcage and chest in a smooth motion so that space is made there
and oxygen fills the middle of the lungs;
- in the same smooth motion, gently lift the shoulders and collarbone so that oxygen
fills the upper lungs.
Hold your breath and smile.
Then, in one flowing movement, breathe out calmly and evenly through the nose:
- pull in the stomach and gently lift midriff and collarbone;

- pull in ribs and chest and;
- allow the shoulders to drop.
Breathe in this way for five minutes. Try to do it as smoothly as possible. Allow the
breath to flow naturally in and out by creating then reducing space. At the end of the
exercise, rest for a few minutes by lying on your back with your eyes lightly closed and
breathe calmly.
This breathing exercise might be a bit difficult at first; the movements may demand a lot
of concentration and may not yet be smooth and flowing. But after having done this
exercise a few times, you will see that it is actually very natural and automatic. It
becomes second nature and you will always, wherever you are, be able to call upon that
peace and calm that is coupled with strength and concentration.
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5. Stop unhealthy reasoning
Your fear is based on illogical, twisted thoughts. Yes; it’s not that speech that scares you
but the string of negative thoughts that you have allowed yourself to acquire. One of the
originators of this insight was the cognitive psychologist Albert Ellis. He discovered that
people are not so much confused by events themselves but by the manner in which they
interpret the events. In other words, to a large extent people themselves determine how
intense problems are for them. So, if someone wants to change something unpleasant,
he can best begin by changing his own way of thinking.
An example: Imagine I’ve been asked to give a presentation for a new client and it totally
stresses me out: palpitations, panic, thoughts of escape. I assume my fear is caused by
the fact that I have to give the presentation. In reality, my fear is caused by the following
reasoning: ‘I must deliver a perfect presentation for the new client. Oh no! That’s bound
to go completely wrong and my boss will be there and he’ll see that I’m useless. And
that’s true; I am utterly unsuitable for this job. What can I do now? Help!’
You can see that there’s something wrong with this reasoning. Why would the
presentation have to be perfect? And even if a few things didn’t go as well as others,
why would the whole thing be completely wrong? It’s true that I’m not perfect, but the
idea that I’m unsuitable or useless is rubbish. Do you see what’s happening? It is not the
situation that instils fear in me, it’s my own illogical reasoning with which I interpret the
situation. I’m entitled to feel a little stressed if I’m asked to give a presentation, but it is
absurd that that should lead to the conclusion that I’m useless.
Physical and emotional reactions to fear are therefore not a result of the situation itself.
These reactions exist because we see the situation through glasses of rational and
irrational thoughts. That is why it is pointless to avoid situations. Avoiding presentations
or hiding behind an impressive PowerPoint presentation will not rid you of the fear. No,
it is time to clean those glasses so you will be able to reason in a healthy manner.
In the following exercises you will attack your irrational reasoning. That doesn’t mean
that you will learn to drown out or eradicate your negative thoughts, but that you will
bring them back to a realistic level. Of course you are not perfect, but who expects you
to be? And yes, you are a bit stressed about that presentation, but that doesn’t mean
that you’ll clam up or black-out. And of course something could go wrong during the
presentation, but that certainly doesn’t mean you are useless.
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Day 4 - exercise 1 cognitive restructuring 1
You start with an exercise in which you map out which fears and worrying thoughts you
have with regard to speaking in public.
Step 1: think of three situations with regard to speaking in public that you might be
confronted with and that evoke intense feelings of fear. For instance:
• Giving a presentation to the management of a new client in which you have to
explain the advantages of your organisation.
• Giving a speech at your best friend’s wedding.
• A round of introductions at the beginning of a training day in which you and your
colleagues are taking part.
Take your time. Think of personal and work related situations in which you could be
asked on stage.
Situation 1: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Situation 2: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Situation 3: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Step 2: Choose the most fearful of these three and place a cross beside it.
Now concentrate on that situation. Try to put yourself in that situation.
Step 3: If you were able to put yourself in that most fearful situation, make a list of as
many fears and worrying thoughts that you had. For example:
• It will be a disaster if I look nervous. Everyone will think I’m an idiot.
• I have to appear intelligent. Only then will I be taken seriously.
• I’m so afraid that I’ll have a black-out and forget everything.
• They probably think my presentation is boring and that I’m stupid.
• Soon they’ll ask a question to which I won’t know the answer.
• Why am I doing this? If you’re not a good speaker, you shouldn’t give a speech.
• It will probably go really wrong this time and then I’ll never dare speak in public
again. How could I justify that in my job?
• When I feel myself getting nervous, I know for sure that my presentation will be
rubbish.
• I’m afraid I’ll have a panic attack and that I’ll still have to completely finish the
presentation.
• When will I ever overcome this fear of speaking in public?
• I should just be able to do this.
Take your time – be thorough. Write the most fearful and worrying thoughts on the top
line. Keep the second and third lines empty for the time being.
Thought 1: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Thought 2: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Thought 3: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Thought 4: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Thought 5: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Thought 6: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Thought 7: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Thought 8: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Thought 9: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Thought 10: ………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Step 4: You have seen that fear of public speaking is not the result of the situation itself,
so the situation you named in step 2 is not in itself fearful. Many other people would not
react with fear to the same situation. It’s those glasses of illogical and irrational
thoughts through which you view the situation that cause your cold sweats and panic.
Examples of illogical and irrational thoughts that cause fear:
• I have to be perfect and appear intelligent.
• Everyone has to like me.
• To be able to give a good speech, I must be completely relaxed.
• Speaking in public is a top-sport for which you need to be in top condition.
• Everyone observes me closely and judges me when I speak.
• Someone of my status or with my job shouldn’t be afraid of speaking in public.
• Giving a speech is dreadful.
• You should only speak in public if you are good at it.
• A negative reaction to my speech would be a disaster.
• Everyone in the audience has to look interested.
• One small mistake will ruin the whole presentation.
Now take the list of fearful and worrying thoughts that you compiled in step 3 and write
on every second line, per thought, the illogical and irrational elements that lie at the
root of the thought.
Day 4 - exercise 2 yoga exercise – full breathing

Now do the full breathing that you learned yesterday for five minutes.
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6. Think of healthy ways of reasoning
I am curious as to how you experienced yesterday’s exercises. It is often a great eye-

opener when people realize that they have made themselves afraid by their own
irrational reasoning. Today you are going to replace that illogical, fearful reasoning with
rational, positive affirmation.
From a rational point of view, giving a speech is imparting information to a gathering of

people. Most people enjoy meeting other people. People are sociable beings. Total
isolation is reserved for very few, and an ideal for even fewer. The imparting of
information is also something that man does from the beginning. Even small babies
communicate in their own way, and a three-year old child never stops asking questions.
Many people enjoy sharing their opinions with others; opposing views often lead to
one’s own standpoint being more forcefully and enthusiastically put forward. And
approval and compliments affirm the speaker in his own ability. Speaking to people is
natural behaviour that makes you happy. No more and no less.
Day 5 - exercise 1 cognitive restructuring 2

Take your list of fearful and worrying thoughts and replace the irrational thoughts with
positive affirmations. For example:
• It will be a disaster if people see I’m nervous.
My public consists of fellow human beings. They want only the best for me.
• I’m not a good speaker so I shouldn’t speak in public.
Speaking in public is not some sort of blown-up performance; it is a meeting of
people and an imparting of information. I do that every day. I enjoy it and it
energizes me.
• The whole presentation will be effected if I start shaking or have difficulty
swallowing.
Tension is normal; it’s a sign I’m alive. But I don’t have to exaggerate the
nervousness – the pleasure I get from speaking to people is far greater and more
deserving of emphasis.
• When will I ever overcome my fear of public speaking?
Tension is normal and useful. I’m very good at speaking enthusiastically. Some
tension helps with that. I don’t have to be perfect.
• What’s wrong with me? Why am I still seeking approval?
I usually get positive feedback on my ideas, and that’s nice. And I’m always ready to
hear other opinions. I’m not afraid to be vulnerable and I love new ideas.
• I should be able to speak in public.
I can speak in public! I love enthusiastic communication with people! I don’t have to
make the nervousness more important that the pleasure I get from speaking to
people.
Now go back to the list of fears and irrational thoughts that you compiled yesterday and,
on every third line, place the positive affirmation that you will follow from now on.

Now do full breathing for five minutes.
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7. Imaginary exposure
Over the last few days you have discovered how you scare yourself with illogical
reasoning, and you have replaced the illogical reasoning that evokes fear, with real
positive affirmations. Then the question is: What now? The fear is there and won’t
disappear just because you know how it came into being.
Everyone knows about the Pavlov dogs that started drooling the moment they heard a
little bell. If you ring a bell then give a dog something tasty to eat often enough,
eventually he will react to the bell in the same way he would to being offered a bowl of
dog food; namely drooling and wagging his tail. This phenomenon is called conditioned
reflex. Conditioned reflex is a deep-rooted acquired reaction to an event or stimulus.
This conditioned reflex is also in effect in the fear of public speaking. For years you have
been associating speaking in public with all sorts of negative, irrational thoughts. These
thoughts result in cold sweats, a dry mouth, palpitations, the urge to escape, and so on.
You don’t even need the irrational thoughts anymore in order to have the various fear
reactions, Moreover, you now experience fear reactions with anything that makes you
even think about public speaking. Many people have told me that they feel their
stomachs tighten just by hearing the word ‘speech’.
This conditioned reflex creates a vicious circle that the American psychologist Thorndike
called ‘law of effect’. This law, simply stated, says behaviour is strengthened if it is
followed by a pleasant reaction or reward, and, conversely, behaviour weakens if
followed by an unpleasant reaction or punishment. People with public-speaking fear
experience unpleasant emotional and physical reactions when confronted with anything
to do with public speaking. Because of this ‘punishment’, they try to avoid situations in
which they have to give a speech, and situations in which they may be asked to give a
speech. This avoidance is then rewarded with less fear. Every time you reward a feeling
of fear with avoidance, that avoidance becomes more pleasant. But the fear of the
situation will just keep on getting stronger.
This vicious circle also works the other way round, fortunately. The more speaking in
public is rewarded positively, the more pleasant it will feel. Because of this pleasant
rewarding, you will more frequently seek out situations in which to address people. This
stimulates a feeling of victory, and you will probably receive compliments and reactions
praising your performance which will further strengthen your pleasure in speaking in
public.
The exercise for reversing the vicious circle can, luckily, be done in the privacy of your
own home. Psychotherapists have developed a technique called imaginary exposure.
With this technique you imagine all the steps before, during and after a presentation.
These steps are still coupled with feelings of fear, but you are going to break this
coupling and replace it with a pleasant feeling of well-being. Repetition of this exercise
will gradually diminish your fear until it has totally disappeared.
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Day 6 - exercise progressive muscle relaxation
With imaginary exposure you call up a feeling of relaxation that you couple with the
thought of a situation that causes you fear. In a few days you will try that out for the
first time. Today you will learn a technique that you need for that, a technique in which
you consciously reach a state of complete relaxation: Progressive Muscle Relaxation
(PMR). PMR is a much-used technique that was originally developed by Doctor Edmund
Jacobson (1888 - 1983)
If you suffer from serious physical complaints, back or muscle problems, consult your
doctor before starting PMR. The conscious relaxation of the different muscle groups
could worsen symptoms or complaints
The process of Progressive Muscle Relaxation uses a muscle physiology principle. That
principle states that a muscle, after it has been tensed, reaches a relaxation that is
deeper than it had been before the tensing. With PMR you tense isolated muscle groups
in order to then relax them. Make a fist with your right hand and clench it tight. You can
feel the muscle tension increase in your hand and lower arm until it becomes
unpleasant. After about ten seconds, unclench your fist, open your hand and feel the
difference. The muscle tension flows away, and more, the muscle is totally relaxed.
By individually tensing then relaxing all the muscle groups, you will reach a state of
complete relaxation. This is because of a domino-effect of the relaxation of body and
mind. That domino-effect begins with total muscle relaxation. Relaxed muscles need
less oxygen so breathing automatically becomes slower and deeper. The heart has to
supply less oxygen and therefore both heartbeat and blood pressure drop. Blood
pressure in the whole body becomes more even; hands and feet become warmer and
stomach and intestines feel good. This relaxation of the body provides a general feeling
of well-being. You feel calm and alert.
By practising PMR regularly you will learn to recognise the difference between a tensed
muscle and a completely relaxed muscle. And if muscle tension occurs, as a result of
fear for example, you can respond by relaxing the muscle. The domino-effect will then
ensure that this muscle relaxation leads to deep relaxation of body and mind. This
relaxation can be evoked in any situation.
Progressive muscle relaxation

Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit in an upright, relaxed position with
your back as straight as possible. Do full breathing for a few minutes. After the full
breathing you may take a more comfortable position.
Now you are going to tense a number of muscle groups individually, each for the count
of ten. Then you will relax them, again for the count of ten. Concentrate on the
individual muscle groups; be fully conscious of the difference between the sensation of
tensing and that of relaxing. Isolate the muscle groups as well as you can. Try not to
tense any muscles not belonging to the group you are working on. Continue breathing
calmly.
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1. Bend your right hand backwards from the wrist and tense for the count of ten.
Release the tension. Experience the feeling of relaxation for the count of ten. Now
do the same with the left hand. Bend it back from the wrist; tense for the count of
ten, then release.
2. Make a fist of your right hand. Clench it tightly and feel the tensing in the hand and
lower arm. Unclench the fist. Now do the same with the left hand. Be conscious of
the feeling of relaxation in both hands and lower arms.
3. Stretch your biceps by bringing your right lower arm to your upper arm and tensing
the muscles. Hold for the count of ten, then release. Do the same with your left arm.
4. Now concentrate on your face. Tighten your forehead by lifting your eyebrows as far
as possible. Hold for the count of ten, then release.
5. Squeeze your eyes tightly shut. Feel the tension around the eyes. Hold the tension
and breathe calmly. Release. Be conscious of the relaxation in the area around the
eyes.
6. Clench your jaws tightly together. Hold the tension for the count of ten. Release and
feel the relaxation in the jaw for the count of ten.
7. Press your tongue hard against the roof of your mouth. Hold the tension. Release
and feel how loose your tongue seems in your mouth.
8. Bow your head by dropping your chin to your chest. Feel the tension in the neck and
hold for the count of ten. Release. Be conscious of the relaxation in your neck and
feel the relaxation spread to your upper back.
9. Raise your shoulders as far as possible. Continue breathing calmly. Feel the tension,
then release and relax.
10. Breathe in deeply and at the same time push your shoulders back by stretching your
arms behind you. Feel the tension in your chest and surrounding area. Concentrate
on this tension for the count of ten. Release and enjoy the relaxation in the chest for
the count of ten.
11. Pull your stomach in as far as possible. Hold it in. Release and enjoy the relaxation in
your stomach. Take a breath and now tense your stomach muscles as if you are
preparing to be punched in the stomach. Release and relax.
12. Tense the buttock muscles by squeezing them together. Hold for the count of ten
then release. Be conscious of the difference between the tension and the relaxation.
13. Stretch both legs and lift the feet a little from the ground. Feel the tension building.
Release. Feel the relaxation flow through the legs.
14. Bend your toes upwards so they point to the ceiling. Feel the tension in the feet and
ankles. Release and relax.
Remain seated in this relaxed state with your eyes closed for a few minutes.
Continue breathing calmly. Experience complete relaxation.
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8. Coupling relaxation to speaking situations
With imaginary exposure you break through the vicious circle of fear to make place for
an upward spiral of pleasure and well-being. With imaginary exposure you expose
yourself to fear-inducing situations. Not in reality, but in imagination, in the safety of
your own home. And you learn to replace the feeling of fear with one of calm and
relaxation. You begin with a situation that is the least fearful and gradually work up to
situations that terrify you.
Imaginary exposure works by means of a ladder of fear. This is a list of situations

surrounding the giving of a speech that instil fear in you. At the top of your ladder is the
situation that most terrifies you. At the bottom is the situation that causes you the least
fear. The ladder is, therefore, a reflection of the situations that cause you fear listed by
intensity.
Imaginary exposure begins with the creation of a pleasant state of relaxation. To reach
this state you need full breathing and PMR. Once complete relaxation has been reached,
visualize the situations that evoke fear. Visualize the situations one at a time, as they
are on your ladder of fear. In this way you learn in your subconscious to associate these
situations with a pleasant feeling of relaxation. The negative vicious circle gets broken.
You will be amazed at the result.
In the following exercise you will make your own personal ladder of fear. The imaginary
exposure exercise is planned for the day after tomorrow.
Day 7 - exercise 1 the ladder of fear

Do you feel stressed when you are asked to give a speech? Do you feel agitated on your
way to a meeting? Does your heart start pounding faster when you enter a room where
you have to address an audience. Do you break out in a sweat when you’re asked to the
front? If so, the stress must be extreme when you take your place and all eyes turn to
you. Everyone with fear of public speaking knows that there are situations before,
during and after the actual giving of a speech that evoke fear. And it is these situations
that you are now going to place on your ladder of fear.
Get exercise 1 of day 4. You began there by writing down three situations that instil
intense fear. Think about each of these situations separately. When you have, write
down on a separate piece of paper the precise moments or events around the situation
that evoked fear. Try to make a list of ten moments or events, as specific and personal
as possible. If there are less than ten on your list, split them up into moments and
events, or allow the following examples to inspire you.
• Asked to give a presentation.

• Practising the presentation at home in front of a mirror.
• Choosing clothes in the morning that you will wear for the speech.
• Travelling to the presentation.
• Thinking about who will be present and watching you.
• Meeting the other speakers and the team from the organisation beforehand.
• Inspecting the place the speech will take place.
• Being asked forward after having waited for your turn.
• Looking at your audience and giving your opening line.
• Giving the speech with all eyes on you.
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• Closing your presentation while everyone is looking at you.
• Being in the room after the speech, after everyone has heard your speech.
When you have compiled your list of ten, place them on the ladder in order of the
intensity of fear they instil. At ‘moment 1’ on the ladder below, write the item that instils
the least fear and build up to ‘moment 10’, the most fear.
Ladder of fear
Moment 1: …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Moment 2: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Moment 3: …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Moment 4: ………………………………………………………..………………………………………..
Moment 5: …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Moment 6: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Moment 7: …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Moment 8: ………………….……………………………………………………………………………..
Moment 9: …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Moment 10: …………………………..…………………………………………………………………..

Do full breathing for five minutes.
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9. Exercises, the power of repetition
You have completed the first week of the programme – just fourteen days to go. Well
done for getting this far. You have recognised your fears and you now have a better
understanding of them. You have also become acquainted with ways to deal with your
fear of public speaking. I hope that you have come to realise that even you can
overcome your fear. That moment is getting ever closer.
Last week you learned relaxation techniques and you worked on cognitive restructuring
and imaginary exposure. This week you are going to put what you’ve learnt into practice
with daily exercises. I want to impress upon you the importance of doing the exercises
every day. Take time for them because by daily practise your old pattern of thought will
gradually be broken. A new pattern will replace that of tension and fear; one of calm and
pleasure.
If you notice that it’s difficult to keep yourself motivated, look again at what you wrote
for exercise 2 of day 2. Remember the space and opportunities that will arise once you
have overcome your fear of public speaking. Look again at the promise you made
yourself. Look forward to the reward you promised yourself. You have never been this
close to overcoming your fear. Hang on in there!
Day 8 - exercise cognitive restructuring

On day 4 you compiled a list of fearful and worrying thoughts that afflict you at the very
thought of speaking in public. And then, per thought, you unmasked the irrational
twisted thought that lies at the root of each of those fearful and worrying thoughts. On
day 5 you determined how you are going to react to those worrying thoughts in a
rational and positive way, because speaking in public is nothing to be afraid of; it is a
meeting of people and the sharing of information. We communicate from birth and it is
as much a part of us as breathing. Speaking to people is natural behaviour that you
enjoy.
During the following exercise you will learn how to have your positive affirmations
always at the ready.
Begin by doing five minutes full breathing. Breathe calmly and deeply through your
nose. Hold the breath and smile; then breathe out through your nose. Try to breathe as
smoothly as possible and allow the air to flow naturally in and out. Take your time.
Experience that pleasant feeling of peace and calm. At the same time, notice how
strength and concentration increase. Rest for five minutes at the end of the exercise; lie
on your back breathing calmly.
Now take the list from day 4, exercise 1. Steadily read through the worrying thoughts
and the positive affirmations. Think about how it will feel from now onwards to react
rationally and positively whenever those worrying thoughts appear. Concentrate today
on the first four worrying thoughts and the accompanying positive affirmations. Learn
the first four worrying thoughts and the accompanying positive affirmations by heart. In
this way you will ensure that you always have your positive affirmations ready when
worrying thoughts appear.
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Day 9 - exercise imaginary exposure
Take your ladder of fear and go to your quiet place. First you are going to relax with full
breathing and with PMR, the technique you learned on day 6. Once you have reached
complete relaxation, you will then mentally couple that pleasant feeling to situations on
your ladder of fear.
Begin with full breathing for a few minutes. After the full breathing you may take a more
comfortable position. Now do the PMR exercise. Tense the muscle groups one at a time;
ensure that you don’t tense muscles not in the muscle group in which you are working.
Continue breathing calmly. Hold the tension for a count of ten and concentrate on the
feeling of tension. After the count of ten, abruptly release and allow the muscle to relax.
Notice that it can do nothing but relax. Continue experiencing that wonderful relaxation.
Be conscious of the difference between the sensation of tension and the sensation of
relaxation.
Remain sitting calmly after the PMR exercise. Keep your eyes lightly closed and breathe
calmly. Be conscious of that wonderful relaxation. Remember this feeling.
Now think of the first item on your ladder of fear. Try to envisage the situation really
happening. Form an image of the situation in your mind and keep that image for thirty
seconds. Breathe calmly and remain completely relaxed. If tension appears anywhere,
allow the image to gently disappear. Concentrate calmly on the place you feel tension.
Tense the relevant muscle, hold the tension for the count of ten then release. Feel the
relaxation. When you are completely relaxed again, allow the image of the situation to
slowly return. Envisage it really happening and hold the image for thirty seconds.
Only when you succeed in attaching the feeling of complete relaxation to the image may
you continue with the next item on the ladder of fear. Do not visualize more than the
first four items this first time.
When you have finished your visualization, remain sitting calmly and relaxed. Then do
five minutes full breathing. Rest for a few minutes afterwards by lying on your back,
breathing calmly with your eyes gently closed.
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Today you are going to concentrate on learning a few more positive affirmations. Take
your list of worrying thoughts and positive affirmations from day 4, exercise 1.
Begin with five minutes full breathing. Be sure not to omit this. It is important – take the
time for it. Now test yourself. What do you remember from the positive affirmations
accompanying the first four worrying thoughts? Practise these four again and enjoy the
positive thoughts you are teaching yourself. Then concentrate on numbers five and six
on the list and try to learn them by heart.
Day 11- exercise imaginary exposure

Today you are going further with the imaginary exposure exercise. Take your ladder of
fear and go to your quiet place. Begin by relaxing. Once you have reached complete
relaxation, you will then mentally couple that pleasant feeling to situations on your
ladder of fear.
First do full breathing for a few minutes; then do the PMR exercise. Remain sitting
relaxed with your eyes closed for a few minutes. Continue to breathe calmly. Be
conscious of complete relaxation. Notice that you are finding the exercises easier to do
and that the feeling of relaxation is getting deeper.
Now go mentally to the first item on your ladder of fear. Hold that image for thirty
seconds. Breathe calmly and remain relaxed. Go to the next items on your list and hold
them for thirty seconds. Continue breathing calmly. If tension appears anywhere, allow
the image to gently disappear. Concentrate calmly on the place you feel tension. Tense
the relevant muscle, hold the tension for the count of ten then release. Feel the
relaxation. When you are completely relaxed again, allow the image of the situation to
slowly return. Envisage it really happening and hold the image for thirty seconds.
You may only visualize the first eight items on your ladder of fear today. But go slowly;
only move on to the next item when you have been able to visualize the previous one in
a state of complete relaxation.
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Take the list of worrying thoughts and positive affirmations from day 4, exercise 1.
Do full breathing for five minutes. Is this breathing becoming more automatic? If so, you
can apply it to calm yourself and help you concentrate wherever you are. Try it out, at
work, during a meeting, etc.
Test yourself. Read the first six worrying thoughts and try to remember the
accompanying positive affirmation for each one. Practise them a few more times. Then
concentrate on numbers seven and eight of the list and learn them by heart.
Day 13 - exercise imaginary exposure

Today you are going further with the imaginary exposure exercise. Take your ladder of
fear and relax with full breathing and the PMR exercise.
Recall the items on your ladder mentally, one at a time. Hold the image of each for thirty
seconds. Relax if you feel tension and only continue when you are able to visualize that
item for thirty seconds feeling completely relaxed. If you are able to keep complete
relaxation while holding the image of every item on the ladder for thirty seconds, then
you may visualize the remaining items on the ladder.

Take your list of worrying thoughts and positive affirmations. Relax by doing five
minutes full breathing.
Practise the first eight positive affirmations on your list. Read the worrying thoughts and
try to mention each one’s accompanying positive affirmation from memory. Afterwards,
concentrate on the last two and learn them by heart.
If you have succeeding in learning all the positive affirmations by heart, then from now
on you will always have them ready the moment a worrying thought appears. But don’t
worry if you are not yet able to call them all up spontaneously. Keep the list with you for
a while and practise regularly.
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The power of repetition
You now have one week of practise behind you. You have repeated a great deal and that
repetition is extremely important. The old thought patterns have had years to nestle in
your brain; fortunately, breaking them will go much faster as you now know that they
are irrational. But still, practise is essential for your brain to learn the new positive
associations.
If you have been doing the exercises regularly, you are now well on your way to
overcoming your fear of public speaking. Take a moment. What is going better for you
now than it was two weeks ago? Can you think about a speech without fear? Can you
evoke relaxation with full breathing and PMR? Have you got up to speak more often?
Speak your progress out loud and be proud of yourself.
Many people, at this point, don’t yet dare to admit to themselves that things are getting
better. On the contrary, irrational thoughts can still appear and some people say: ‘See,
I’ll never succeed.’ Or: ‘I’ll never be able to give a speech without this fear of public
speaking.’ Don’t allow such thoughts to make you despondent. Recognise them for what
they are, determine why they are irrational and decide which positive affirmations you
will use to combat them in future. Of course I can give a speech without fear! Giving a
speech is nothing more than the meeting of people and the exchanging of information.
You do that every day; it is natural and pleasant. You don’t have to be perfect.
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10. Natural speech-giving with mind mapping
If you pay attention, you’ll see that many speeches actually come across as very
unnatural. The speaker stands bolt upright on the rostrum, his nose in his notes. Or he
hides behind a row of impressive PowerPoint sheets. In no way does it look like a
pleasant meeting between people. Both the speaker and the public subconsciously
realise that something isn’t right. The message misses warmth and energy. The content
doesn’t come across and the essence is lost.
How different it is when someone tells a story from his heart: a father who expressively
tells his child about the adventures he had when he was a small boy; a young woman
who tells her friends about the first date with her new boyfriend or who transports them
with words into the wonderful world of her new job. That’s how speeches should be.
Personal, committed; warm and compelling.
The difficulty is that the story you want to share with your public during your speech is
often less personal than that of a new partner or job. The first evening with your new
love is clear and vivid. You can replay every detail of it like a film in your brain. And
that’s why you can impart those images to your public who hang on your every word.
And you have every detail of the event at the ready, so if you realise that your public
wants to hear more, you can oblige by providing more details. But you jump effortlessly
back to the outline if their attention wanes.
That’s what speeches and presentations should be like, just as compelling as the
personal stories you share with family and friends. And they can be. There’s a simple
technique you can learn that will help you visualize stories and speeches. One by which
you can create a film in your brain about any subject so that when you have to speak
about that subject you will be able to do so expressively and capture your public. That
technique is mind mapping.
Mind mapping
Mind mapping is a way of organising and recording information that well suits the
human brain. With mind mapping, information is not linearly stored, as we are used to,
but is stored in a logically structured and, as much as possible, visual manner.
Neurologists agree that this is a better way of clearly organising and remembering
information. If you record your presentation in a mind map, you can begin your
presentation in complete confidence. You know that the information has been stored
effectively in your memory.
British psychologist Tony Buzan (1942), claims to be the inventor of the mind map. He
certainly did a great deal to stimulate the use of this technique, but the invention of it
cannot be attributed to him. Writers and philosophers have been using mind maps for
centuries.
Dr. Allan Collins examined the human learning process and improved the mind map
technique in 1960. The positive effect of mind mapping was proven by students in
extensive scientific research in 2002: The efficacy of the mind map study technique –
Farrand, Hussain and Hennessy.
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How mind mapping works
Maybe you are used to writing out an important presentation or speech beforehand. You
practise by repeatedly reading it out loud and try to commit chunks of it to memory. You
take your script with you to fall back on during the speech. If you have done that, you
know how frustrating it is. The text won’t commit to memory; the sentences you speak
sound unnatural and, after you’ve lost the thread a few times, you decide to simply read
your story from the script.
You thoroughly prepare your presentation with mind mapping, too. Not by linearly
writing it all down but by logically structuring and connecting the various elements of
your story, and by visualizing the elements and connections where possible.
Below is a mind map of the training programme Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking. By
making this simple mind map, I have logically structured all the information I want to
communicate to you. And by making the mind map, I have the construction of it like a
film in my head. Every time I give a speech or course about public-speaking fear, I follow
this mind map for the logical structure of my story. And one thing is certain; at the end
of my presentation everyone in my audience knows how he can overcome his fear of
public speaking in 21 days.
Mind mapping combines writing and drawing. By using various colours, pictures and
connections, you construct strong associations. And that fits well with your memory,
which also works through associations. Mind mapping stimulates both sides of your
brain; the left side for rational and logical thought, the right side for creative thought.
Mind mapping stimulates the recording, processing and retrieving of information in
images – visual thinking.
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A mind map begins with a central word or concept in the middle of a piece of paper.
From that central word, lines are drawn and on those lines the most important concepts
are noted. And from those concepts, more lines are drawn, and in this way you can
make the mind map as detailed as you wish.
By the making of a mind map for a presentation, you begin by noting the essence of the
presentation in the centre of a piece of paper. The essence is the part of the message
that your presentation is all about; the part that you want those hearing your
presentation to remember, even if they forget everything else. Pay a lot of attention to
the visualization of the essence. Use various colours for this.
Now think of the most import subjects that you want to share with your audience. Place
them around the drawing of the essence. Connect the essence and the subjects with
lines. It’s best if you also visually represent the main subjects. If you write them, be sure
to use colours and alternate large and small letters. Underline the important parts, or
make the letters bold. Construct the mind map clockwise – place the subject you want to
talk about first at 1 o’clock and your closing subject at 11 o’clock.
Now fill in the main subjects. Think of what information you want to impart per subject.
Which experiences do you want to share? Which examples do you want to mention?
Place this information in catchwords or small drawings around the main subjects.
Connect the main subjects with the relevant sub-subjects. Emphasize the examples that
you particularly want to impart. Use different supporting colours.
Day 15 - exercise visualizing your speech

Soon you will be giving your first speech free of fear. You will enthusiastically share your
story with others calmly and relaxed. Think today about which opportunity you are
going to seize for your first speech. Choose a situation with between five and ten people
present, preferably in a safe environment: family, friends or close colleagues. Think of a
subject that you feel comfortable with and plan a talk of about ten minutes.
Take your time until tomorrow calmly familiarizing yourself with all aspects of giving
your speech. Try to visualize the essence and think about which subjects you want to
communicate to your public. Tomorrow you will make a mind map.
The essence of my first speech free of fear is: ……………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Those present will be: ………………………………………………………………………………......
………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………..
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11. Making a mind map
How does it feel being mentally busy with your first speech free of fear? Enjoy the
pleasant thoughts that appear: the relaxed manner in which you speak; the interest of
your public; the compliments you receive afterwards. Concentrate on these positive
thoughts and don’t worry if any worrying thoughts appear. Unmask them and think
about how you will deal with them in a rational and positive manner. Relax; do full
breathing and the PMR exercise.
Today you are going to mind map for your first speech. In so doing, you will organize
the information you want to communicate. You will establish the essence, the core of
your story. You will determine the main subjects and separate them from the details.
And by visualizing, underlining and making connections, your story will form like a film
in your brain. Don’t be afraid to make a rough copy in the beginning, or of making
mistakes. The making of a mind map is itself a very useful process.
Allow the creativity to flow; that’s what making a mind map is. Combine text and
drawings. Use colours, images and connections. Use both sides of the brain. Think in
words and pictures. The more you immerse yourself in making the mind map, the better
the presentation will lodge in your memory.
Day 16 - exercise mind map of your first speech without fear

1. Take a fresh sheet of paper or use the following page. Write or draw the essence of
your speech in the middle of the page. Visualize the essence using at least three
colours, and write the essence in capital letters.
2. Draw a line from the essence to the side. Place three to five main points around the
essence. Begin at 1 o’clock with the subject your want to kick off your speech with,
and place the subject you want to round off your speech with at 11 o’clock. Keep
enough space free between the main subjects. Try to visualize the main subjects. If
you use text, use only short sentences, catchwords or abbreviations. Use colours and
notes that are logical for you.
3. Then fill in the main subjects. Draw a line from each main subject outwards and
place the subjects and examples you want to talk about on them. Think about how
you are going to divide the available ten minutes. What information and examples
are you definitely going to communicate? What will you keep back? How are you
going to make that clear by use of colour or other accent?
4. When the basis of your mind map is ready, concentrate on the details. Make
connections between subjects clear. Accentuate. Use supporting colours. Remember,
no-one has to understand the mind map but you.
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Mind map of my first speech without fear
38/49
12. Achieving Flow with visualization
It is well known that top-class sportsmen train long and hard. The pressure under which
they have to achieve is enormous. The high level in many sports is almost inhuman. The
difference between the competition is wafer-thin. Everything depends on winning.
Television records every millisecond with great precision, and that moment of winning
or losing covers the front pages of the newspapers the following morning. No wonder
then that, as well as the intense physical training, psychological training plays a very
important part in top-class sportsmen’s lives. A much-used technique for the
psychological training of top-class sportsmen is visualization. Sport coaches worldwide
include visualization in the training of their athletes.
The Flow concept

By using visualization, sportsmen strive to deliver their performances in a situation of
Flow. Flow is best described as a concentrated relaxation in which everything seems to
happen automatically. Flow is found between maximal tension and maximal control. You
feel strong and alert and you have control over the situation. Maybe you know that
feeling. Maybe you’ve felt as if you were flying during a sports performance; or maybe in
a pleasant way you’ve been totally absorbed in your work. The American-Hungarian
psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi carried out pioneering research into this
phenomenon in the 1970s. During the research, one of the participants spoke of a
feeling like a current that carried him along. That metaphor led to the use of the word
Flow.
Flow isn’t just something for top-class sportsmen to strive for; Flow is also a wonderful
state of mind for the giving of speeches and presentations. A speaker who is in Flow
performs to the very best of his ability. He is concentrated, inspired and enthusiastic.
And he is calm and pleasantly tense at the same time.
Flow exists in the area between

high
challenge and skill. If an upcoming

performance is a huge challenge and
fear you barely have the necessary skills for
stress
it, then you experience fear and stress.
flow
Imagine someone having to pilot a
Boeing 747 after having only had one
flying lesson; the challenge is huge but
challenge
the skill is negligible.
routine On the other hand, if the challenge is

minor and the skill is great, the result is
apathy and boredom. You’ll know that
feeling if you have ever had to do boring
and routine work for any length of time.
boredom
You achieve Flow when the challenge
low
and the skill are in balance with each

low skill high
other.
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Achieving Flow with visualization
Flow is a concentrated tension; everything happens automatically; you have energy and
strength; everything succeeds without effort, pain or fear. To achieve Flow during a
competition, sportsmen visualize the event beforehand, over and over again. They
visualize themselves performing well. The mentally practise an explosive start that
immediately puts them in the lead. They imagine the forceful punches they will deliver.
They feel the skilful goals they will score and they enjoy the crowd’s cheering. By doing
this they build healthy, positive tension in their minds. In addition, they mentally work
on their skills by frequent repetition.
Visualization works best if it is begun the evening before an event and repeated in the
morning and again shortly before the event. Notice how athletes close their eyes and
sway gently from side to side before a competition. They are visualizing the event,
enjoying their times and seeing themselves being the first over the finish line. They are
ready for their performance in ultimate Flow.
Visualization as preparation for a speech

When you make use of visualization in the preparation of a speech, it is important to be
calm and quiet. Use full breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation for this the
evening and the morning before the speech. Full breathing will be sufficient for the final
visualization shortly before the speech.
Taking it slowly, in chronological order, go through all the aspects of your speech, and
declare everything positive. Allow your positive affirmations to inspire you. Think of
speakers who have made an impression on you because of their style. Remember some
of your past successes.
By preparing a presentation in this way you are building positive tension under which
you will best perform. From now onwards, you will use tension in a positive way instead
of allowing it to paralyse you. And you are building routine. Because you have
thoroughly gone through your presentation a few times beforehand, you are prepared
for anything. And during the presentation itself you will have time and energy for
interaction with your public.
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Day 17 - exercise 1 plan of your first speech without fear
In four days you will be giving your first confident speech. You have already decided
what the essence is and who your public will be. And you have made a mind map so that
you can play your speech like a film in your brain.
Now you are going to make a plan which you can use, in combination with the mind
map, for visualization training.
The time I need to arrive: ………………….………………………………………………………….
The props I need to have ready: …………………..………………………………………….…….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
My public: ………………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The essence of my speech is: ……………………….….………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
My opening sentence is: …………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
My closing sentence is: ……………….………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Day 17 - exercise 2 checklist for your first speech free of fear
To be able to look forward to your speech in a relaxed way, you have to make sure that
everything has been well prepared. Give yourself enough time for this. A short speech
can be prepared one or two days beforehand; the preparation for a more extensive
presentation with a large public at an external location needs to begin weeks or even
months in advance.
Indicate what you have already arranged and what still needs to be done for next week’s
presentation.
Checklist
Location arranged n/a yes no ………………………………………………

Location inspected n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Participants invited n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Route description n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Parking spaces n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Clothing prepared n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Mind map prepared n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Laptop and projector n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Laptop and projector tested n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Flip-chart and felt-tips n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Sheets en hand-outs n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Back-up memory stick n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Notebook and pens n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Name badges n/a yes no ………………………………………………
Catering n/a yes no ………………………………………………
…………………………….. n/a yes no ………………………………………………
…………………………….. n/a yes no ………………………………………………
…………………………….. n/a yes no ………………………………………………
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13. Applying visualization
You are slowly approaching your first speech free of fear. You are almost ready. The
connection in your mind between public speaking and fear has been broken. You have
determined the essence of your speech. By making the mind map, the content of your
speech is stored in your brain like a film. You have a powerful opening sentence and
your closing line is one the public won’t soon forget. All the practical things have been
taken care of; time, therefore, for building healthy, positive tension under which you will
be able to perform comfortably. And time to build up your routine so that you will have
time and energy for a real meeting with your public during your speech.
Days 18, 19 and 20 - exercise visualization

Begin by taking another look at your plan and the mind map of your speech. Ensure that
form and content are clear in your mind. Now relax.
Find a quiet spot and do full breathing for a few minutes. Then do the PMR exercise.
Remain seated in a relaxed state for a few minutes afterwards with your eyes closed.
Breathe calmly. Experience full relaxation.
Now visualize all aspects of your speech in chronological order. Declare everything
positive. Remember your positive affirmations. Remember the times you’ve
enthusiastically told a story. Think about speakers who have impressed you with their
style.
Visualize those who will be present in your audience. Think about how interested they
are going to be in your story. See yourself talking to them before the speech. You feel
like a fish in water; they are such sympathetic, warm people.
You walk forward to begin your speech. You wait for a moment, smiling at the late-
comer. You take two deep, calm breaths.
Hear yourself deliver that first powerful sentence. Feel the curiosity of your audience
increase as you allow a moment of silence to fill the room. Notice how physically strong
you feel and how wonderfully relaxed you are. Those PMR exercises really work!
You look for a moment at the mind map that you have in front of you, but you realise
that it’s in your head like a film. You won’t need it today. You explain the essence of
your story and introduce the audience to the main subjects. You can see from their faces
that they understand the logical construction of your story.
You hear yourself talking about all the main points. You notice how calmly and with
exactly the right timing you support your story with gestures. You go through the
individual parts of your mind map. Your story is taking care of itself. You are actually
speaking as naturally as you do with family and friends.
43/49
The speech is coming to an end. With the mind map in your thoughts, you mention the
essence once more and summarize your story. Your closing sentence is a powerful
statement that your audience won’t soon forget. Your public applauds enthusiastically,
and you see people who are important to you looking at you in admiration. You return
to your seat and accept the compliments. Speaking in public is such a wonderful
experience! You are already looking forward to the next time.
Remain seated calmly for a while. Do full breathing for a couple of minutes.
Do this whole exercise on three consecutive days: 18, 19 and 20. Go through the full
presentation each time. Don’t be afraid to vary the content, but follow the lay-out of the
mind map.
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14. You’re there!
You’re there. You’re ready. Today is the day you give your first speech free of fear.
Make today a special day. You have prepared well, so relax, take it easy.
If you have to go somewhere to give a speech, ensure that you are completely ready to
go an hour before you have to leave. Take time for the last mental preparation. If your
public is coming to you, begin your mental preparation an hour and a half before they
are expected.
Take your list of situations and positive affirmations from day 4. Take your mind map
and your plan for the speech you are going to give today.
Go and sit in your quiet place. Do full breathing for five minutes. Calmly read through
your positive affirmations again. Speak them to yourself, powerfully and convincingly.
Remain sitting relaxed for a while, breathing calmly with your eyes closed.
Go once more through your mind map and plan mentally. By now you know that film in
your brain like the back of your hand. Do the PMR exercise for complete relaxation.
Now do the visualization. Visualize all the aspects of the speech. Feel totally confident
and relaxed. Everything you see is positive. Enjoy the feeling. You’re ready.
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15. Afterword
Congratulations! You have completed the training programme Overcoming Fear of Public
Speaking. You have put your fear under the microscope, learnt to recognise your twisted
thoughts, and you have attacked them. You have given your first speech free of fear.
You are speaking confidently and comfortably. Do you remember how much you wanted
this? Don’t let it slip away. Enjoy your new-found freedom! What did you promise
yourself on day 2? Don’t forget to celebrate this victory.
Keep practising. Search out opportunities to speak in public. Continue improving.

Prepare by making mind maps. Immerse yourself in visualization. And if you do happen
to notice a feeling of fear creeping in, don’t worry; grab the exercise for day 4. Realise
which twisted thoughts cause the feeling of fear, and get to work on them with the axe –
positive affirmation!
I get great pleasure when people learn to speak confidently and comfortably by using
my method. You can do me no greater favour, therefore, than mailing me your story.
Have fun and enjoy your freedom,
Benjamin van Spijck

benjamin@vanspijck.com
46/49
16. Glossary
A list of names and terms from the training programme Overcoming Fear of Public
Speaking and the accompanying website www.overcoming-fear-of-public-speaking.com.
Albert Ellis
(1913) Cognitive psychologist from New York: one of the most influential
psychotherapists in history. Architect of Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), Ellis discovered
that people are not so much confused by events themselves but by the manner in which
they interpret these events.
Anxiety disorder
Psychological problem characterised by recurring periods of fear without any real
underlying threat or physical cause.
Behavioural therapy
An important movement in psychotherapy. The basic principle of behavioural therapy is
that undesired behaviour is learned and can, therefore, be unlearned.
Cognitive restructuring
Technique used in cognitive therapy, based on the fact that fear and depression are
often caused by irrational thought. Cognitive restructuring replaces irrational negative
thought with realistic positive thought.
Cognitive therapy
An important movement in psychotherapy. Cognitive therapy is a form of therapy that is
based on the idea that psychological symptoms or problems stem from the way in which
people select and process information.
Edmund Jacobson
Doctor from Chicago (1888 - 1983), founder of Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR).
Jacobson studied the relationship between muscle tension and various disorders of body
and psyche over a period of 50 years.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

A controversial psychotherapy tool developed by Gary Craig in the 1990s. The theory
behind EFT is that negative emotions are caused by disturbances in the body’s energy
field. EFT treatment aims to restore the balance of the body’s energy field by tapping on
meridian points while thinking of a negative emotion.
Fear
A sense of threat or danger: a useful and natural reaction to a threatening situation. The
symptoms of fear are palpitations, dry mouth, an oppressed feeling, nervous tension,
irritability, restlessness, increased muscle tension or sleeping and concentration
problems.
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Fear of speaking
Severe irrational fear or phobia of speaking. The main manifestation of this phobia is the
fear of speaking in public; but one can also be afraid of talking to superiors or
experience fear during one-to-one conversations.
Flow
Phenomenon researched and promoted by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is the state of
concentrated relaxation; the state between maximal tension and maximal control. Flow
exists in the area between challenge and skill and can be achieved when the challenge of
a certain task is in perfect balance with the necessary skills to fulfil that task.
Imaginary exposure
Technique used in behavioural therapy in which the patient, in his imagination, is
exposed to situations that evoke fear. The goal of imaginary exposure is to break the
conditioned connection of fear to a certain situation and replace it with a pleasant
feeling of well-being.
Irrational fear
A sense of threat or danger that is not caused by something that presents actual danger;
or the intensity of fear to a threat that is not in reasonable balance with the measure of
that threat.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov

(1849 - 1936), Russian physiologist and doctor: awarded with the Nobel Prize. Widely
known for the phenomenon of the learned reflex which he stumbled upon during his
study of the digestive system of dogs.
John B. Watson
American psychologist (1878 - 1958); established the psychological school of
behaviorism: the school that studies the conditioned relationship between situations and
the human response to it. He also conducted the white mice experiment with "Little
Albert".
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
American-Hungarian psychologist (1934). Professor at Claremont University, California.
He is noted for his work in positive psychology; is one of the most widely cited
psychologists today, and architect and promoter of Flow.
Mind mapping
A visual method of organising and recording information that better suits the human
brain than the traditional linear way. Used for centuries but popularized by the work of
British psychologist Tony Buzan.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
A system for personal development developed in the early 1970s by Richard Bandler,
John Grinder and Gregory Bateson. It uses a variety of techniques from linguistics,
hypnotherapy and psychotherapy. The core idea behind NLP is that an individual's
thoughts, gestures and words interact to create one's perception of the world. By
emphasizing the positive thoughts, gestures and words, and diminishing the negative
ones, the individual’s perception of the world will be positively influenced.
48/49
Neurology
A branch of medicine dealing with the working of the brain and the nervous system.
Phobia
Severe irrational fear.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

A technique used for the reduction of psychological tension by means of deep relaxation
of all the muscle groups. Developed in the early 1920s by Edmund Jacobson and still
widely used by physical therapists and psychotherapists.
Psychotherapy
Intervention to treat mental problems like anxiety, phobias, depression and addiction.
There are various schools of psychotherapy, including cognitive therapy and behavioural
therapy.
Real fear
A sense of threat or danger that is caused by something that presents actual danger and
from which the intensity is in reasonable balance with the measure of threat.
Social phobia
Severe irrational fear of losing face in front of other people. Examples of social phobia
are the fear of speaking, fear of telephoning, fear of eating out and fear of blushing or
trembling.
Tony Buzan
Tony Buzan (1942), British psychologist and author: widely known for his studies of the
human brain and its functions, especially with regard to memory skills, speed reading,
mind mapping and creativity.
Visualization
Part of the psychological training of top-class sportsmen for the mental preparation of
their performances. Through visualization and positive associations, healthy, positive
tension and routine is built up.
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Benjamin van Spijck

Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

2. Fear under the microscope...................................................................................6

3. Getting to know fear of speaking .......................................................................10

4. Fear of public speaking under the axe ...............................................................15

5. Stop unhealthy reasoning...................................................................................19

6. Think of healthy ways of reasoning....................................................................23

7. Imaginary exposure ...........................................................................................24

8. Coupling relaxation to speaking situations ........................................................27

9. Exercises, the power of repetition ......................................................................29

10. Natural speech-giving with mind mapping .........................................................34

11. Making a mind map ...........................................................................................37

12. Achieving Flow with visualization.......................................................................39

13. Applying visualization ........................................................................................43

14. You’re there! ......................................................................................................45

16. Glossary .............................................................................................................47

Copyright © vanSpijck e-marketing BV, the Netherlands.

Enjoy the course!

Benjamin van Spijck.

Ingrained and acquired fears

Real and irrational fears

Enclosed spaces no fear very fearful

Deep water no fear very fearful

Talking to a group no fear very fearful

Illness no fear very fearful

High speed no fear very fearful

Terrorism no fear very fearful

Aggression no fear very fearful

Dogs no fear very fearful

Telephoning no fear very fearful

Lightning no fear very fearful

Fire no fear very fearful

Blood no fear very fearful

Death no fear very fearful

Travel by plane no fear very fearful

Public places no fear very fearful

Heights no fear very fearful

Driving no fear very fearful

Arguments no fear very fearful

Being alone no fear very fearful

Snakes no fear very fearful

Blushing no fear very fearful

Mice no fear very fearful

Crowds no fear very fearful

Having to succeed no fear very fearful

Natural disasters no fear very fearful

Panic attacks no fear very fearful

Bees and wasps no fear very fearful

Death of a loved one no fear very fearful

………………………. no fear very fearful

………………………. no fear very fearful

Personal fears Top 5

1. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational

2. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational

3. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational

4. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational

5. ………………………..……………………….. real irrational

Lack of knowledge or skills

Day 3 - exercise 1 test fear and pleasure in public speaking

1. I feel pleasantly excited when I give a speech.

2. When I give a speech, I am afraid I’ll have a panic attack.

3. I say as little as possible when I’m in a group.

4. In general, I feel comfortable taking part in a group conversation.