Assignment task: Overcoming Stage Fright
Fear, sweaty palms, and labored breathing are some real issues for many people when it comes to public speaking. This fear is manifested in the form of nervous and anxious feelings. However, most of the time, the audience is completely unaware or to a lesser degree of how nervous the speaker is.
Watch the TED-Ed video by Mikael Cho titled The science of stage fright (and how to overcome it):
Read the article "Rebrand Stage Fright to Overcome It" by Tori Rodriguez.
Why do we get stage fright?
What are the symptoms of stage fright? Discuss whether you have experienced it while speaking in public or have you witnessed someone going through a stage fright experience?
What are the suggestions given by Mikael Cho to adapt to stage fright?
Have you had a stage fright moment? How did you handle the situation?
Discuss some fear-reducing strategies that you would like to incorporate from the above mentioned resources as well as from Chapter 1, pages 9-11, on the approaches for squelching nervousness.