Fighting fears

[Javier]

Speech anxiety sufferers and People Who have Stopped Stuttering (PWSS) share this common goal: reject fears of speaking and learn to love to speak.
What are you doing to achieve this goal? What is helping you the most?

What I do it to try to expand my comfort zones and speak a bit more than I normally would. I also try to avoid texting and making phone calls instead, and celebrate every time I succeed in speaking fluently and passionately.

[Doug Nelson]

After I became a PWSS, I was very nervous to get in a conversation with 3 or more people.However, I realized why should I be afraid. I have the tools now(crutches) to combat my stuttering. Slowly I progressed into conversations until I got comfortable. My suggestions is to read at least an hour out loud everyday. Your mind will hear the fluency coming from you and that will subside most of the dis-fluency memories. Also practice the crutches at home aloud until you know them well. You have the ammunition now so it is no need for fear.

[Javier]

Great advice Doug! You’re absolutely right.

Today I’ve been coaching for 3 hours straight. That means speaking for 3 hours. No stutters, no fears. Two years ago I was a severe stutterer. Who would have guessed that I would be able to speak fluently not for five minutes, not for 3 hours, but for more than a year!!

And what’s even better, I enjoy speaking, no matter to who: friends, strangers, on the phone, groups of people…

How are you guys doing in the war against fears and stutters?

[Anonymous]

Javier, as most people (PWS and non-PWS alike), will agree, public speaking is their greatest fear. Fluent speakers have admitted that they would much rather spend a couple of days in hospital then do public speaking. Couple public speaking with stuttering and we have a recipe for one of the greatest fears I have ever had.

I never thought that I would ever be able to give a speech with confidence. This past weekend I delivered a speech at the Speech Masters Club, and while I was still extremely nervous, I would say that it was 20 to 30 % less nervous than I was when I gave my previous speech. This show me that I did not really need to do anything extra, that the mere fact that I keep forcing myself to continue doing it is enough to make the fears subside. My goal is to decrease the public speaking fears by 10 % each time that I give a speech. This would mean that in more or less 7 more speeches, I will have no absolutely no remaining fears regarding public speaking.

It is amazing what we are capable of doing with discipline, consistency and patience!

[Javier]

We are getting there! We just need patience, practice and determination, just like when we were working on putting an end to stuttering!

[Author]

Posts