Views of the art of public speaking. Why do I have a fear of public speaking?

3. You’re worried about appearing nervous

This is related to feeling self-conscious, but often, we get more scared when we’re aware that we’re exhibiting symptoms of anxiety. It can be pretty hard to feel confident if we’re showing signs that we’re not – ‘fake it til you make it’ seems like an impossible feat.

The hard truth is, that the audience will not notice or remember a lot of the things that you’re concerned about. Gary Genard, public speaking expert, suggests that you should place the spotlight on your audience instead, and think about how you can impact them.