Public Speaking Nerves? The Power of Believing You Can Improve

Why Having The Right Mindset is a Game-Changer for Public Speaking Nerves

Do you feel nervous at the thought of speaking in public? You’re not alone. Many women experience public speaking anxiety, and it can feel like it’s never going to go away. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You might wonder why this fear lingers and if you’ll ever be able to overcome it.

But here’s the good news: you CAN conquer your fear of public speaking. And having the right mindset is the key. I know this because I once struggled with public speaking anxiety. Just saying my name in a meeting would leave me bright red. That anxiety dictated my career choices and my happiness. I was ambitious and capable, but at the same time I felt stuck.

Then I decided enough was enough. I found a way to overcome my public speaking nerves. And I want to help you do the same!

Reduce Public Speaking Nerves With a Growth Mindset

From my experience, overcoming the fear of public speaking isn’t about quick fixes or hacks. It’s about doing the sustained mindset work. Sure, there are practical steps you should take — like setting clear goals and taking consistent action towards them. But if you feel like something’s missing, you’re probably right. That’s because the real key to reducing your public speaking nerves is by changing your mindset. Embracing a growth mindset can transform how you approach public speaking and help alleviate your fears. Personally, when I started working on my mindset, it was a game-changer.

What is a Growth Mindset?

Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, has extensively researched and written about the concept of growth mindset. In her TED Talk, “The Power of Believing That You Can Improve,” she explains that a growth mindset is the belief that your abilities can be developed through dedication, hard work, and the right strategies. This contrasts with a fixed mindset, which assumes that talents and abilities are innate and unchangeable.

According to Dweck, people with a growth mindset are more likely to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, see effort as a path to success, learn from criticism, and find inspiration in others’ successes. Her research shows that having a growth mindset can lead to greater achievement and ultimately a more fulfilling life.

Why is Mindset Important in The Context of Public speaking?

When I had a fear of public speaking, I would stand in front of an audience, heart racing, palms sweating, and mind blanking out. Can you imagine that? Actually, I’m sure we’ve all been there. The good news is, adopting a growth mindset can help reduce that fear.

In fact, it’s a game-changer. When you acknowledge that public speaking is not an innate talent but a skill that can be improved, you’re more likely to embrace the challenge and put in the work to improve your public speaking skills. Then with persistence and sustained effort, I know you’ll see results.

Overcoming Public Speaking Nerves Involves Guts and Determination

Anyone who has experienced public speaking anxiety knows that stepping onto that stage, despite the nerves, takes guts and determination. If you don’t believe you can improve, why would you put yourself through it? Maybe you don’t. That would make sense. Avoidance was definitely a tactic of mine for many years. But with a growth mindset, you understand that improvement is possible, even if it’s slow and gradual. You know that you absolutely can learn how to overcome your public speaking nerves.

When you believe this, you’re more likely to push yourself out of your comfort zone and take the regular and sustained action needed to overcome your public speaking nerves. You’ll start to embrace challenges, recognising your efforts rather than just your results, and actively seek out opportunities to speak in public. Adopting this mindset helped me let go of the need for perfection, focusing instead on continuous improvement, no matter how small. In turn, I learned how to reduce the fear response and ultimately improve my public speaking skills.

So, do you have a growth mindset? Understanding this can significantly enhance how you approach challenges and achieve better outcomes in public speaking. Let’s explore how to find out!

You Don’t See Things As They Are, You See Them As You are

How Do I Know If I Have a Growth Mindset?

To assess whether you have a growth mindset, take a moment to reflect on the following:

What are your current public speaking challenges?
What do you want to achieve with your public speaking?

Now, ask yourself:

Do you think it’s possible to improve your public speaking skills and achieve your goals?
Do you embrace opportunities to improve your public speaking?
Do you see feedback as a chance to grow rather than taking it personally?
Do you understand that perfect public speakers simply don’t exist?
Do you believe that failure is part of the process and a way to learn and grow?

If you’ve mostly answered yes, then you likely have a growth mindset!

If you’ve mostly answered no, then you haven’t fully embraced a growth mindset yet and so it might be harder to achieve the results you want. But don’t worry—this insight is valuable for guiding where to focus your efforts.

How to Shift Towards a Growth Mindset

From my own experience, I found that embracing a growth mindset was transformative; it helped me be much more objective about my efforts and ultimately the results. But how do you change your mindset? That’s a great question! Start by shifting how you view learning, effort, and failure. Here are 6 practical steps to help you make the transition from fixed to growth mindset:

1️⃣ Self-Awareness

In my experience, everything starts with self-awareness. The more you bring your thoughts and behaviours into conscious awareness, the more effectively you can change and adapt. Try to recognise when you’re displaying a fixed mindset, which might manifest as thoughts like, “I can’t do this” or “I always fail at public speaking because I’m just not good at it.” A growth mindset, on the other hand, might be reflected in thoughts like, “I often feel nervous during public speaking,” simply acknowledging the facts without criticism or judgement. Pay attention to your inner dialogue; understanding this is the first step to overcoming nerves.

2️⃣ Reframe Negative Thoughts

If you catch yourself engaging in negative self-talk, try replacing those thoughts with positive, growth-oriented ones. For example, change “I can’t do this” to “I can’t do this yet.”

Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset highlights the significance of the word “yet” in shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. She suggests that adding “yet” to statements reinforces the idea that abilities and skills can be developed over time, reflecting the belief that improvement is possible with effort and persistence.

I believe that how we talk to ourselves massively influences our mindset. I know it did for me. Positive statements that align with a growth mindset—such as “I am improving with practice” or “I can develop this skill over time”—reinforce the belief in personal growth and encourage you to persevere. So, why not make it a habit to use kind, growth-oriented affirmations? Here are 10 affirmations to help overcome public speaking nerves. Why not give them a try?

3️⃣ View Challenges Positively

When I had a fear of public speaking, I viewed every presentation as a potential opportunity for failure, judgement, and embarrassment. In contrast, people with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to grow, learn, and develop. My fixed mindset kept me from actively seeking out activities that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I stayed stuck!

Instead of viewing speaking engagements as potential failures, try to see them as chances to practise and improve. Allow yourself to make mistakes—there is no such thing as a perfect speaker, and it’s perfectly normal to feel nervous. This mindset switch alone can significantly reduce public speaking anxiety.

4️⃣ Change How You View Feedback

With a growth mindset, I’ve learned to see feedback as a valuable resource that I can use to help me improve my public speaking. But it’s important to recognise that not all feedback is equally useful. Research shows that women often face more unfair and harsh feedback compared to men. So, I make it a point to seek feedback from people I respect and be selective about which feedback I act on.

I remind myself that feedback isn’t a reflection of my self-worth or abilities; it’s simply information that may or may not be useful. If the feedback is specific, constructive, comes from someone I consider to be an expert, and aligns with my goals, then it’s a valuable way to help me improve. Stay tuned for next week’s blog, because this can be a complex issue for women, and I’ll delve into how to make the most of feedback to enhance your public speaking skills.

5️⃣ Celebrate Effort, Not Just Results

It’s easy to get caught up in focusing solely on the outcome, but shifting your attention to the effort you put in and recognising your hard work can have a profound impact. When I started to concentrate on the effort I put into overcoming my fear of public speaking rather than just the end result, I found the entire process much easier and more rewarding. It became less about delivering a perfect presentation and more about acknowledging the progress I was making along the way. This change in focus can ease the pressure to be flawless and help you appreciate your growth.

Celebrate the small achievements, like stepping up to speak in the first place and not avoiding the chance to deliver a presentation. These small wins accumulate and gradually build your confidence. Every small step forward is progress. So, set goals that emphasise effort and improvement, rather than simply focusing on results.

6️⃣ Cultivate a Love of Learning

I’ve found that staying curious and open to new things, even if they’re outside my current expertise, makes a big difference. Embracing a growth mindset means recognising that you can develop your public speaking skills through learning. When I was dealing with a fear of public speaking, I sought ways to expand my knowledge, like learning how to structure a speech or using new presentation tools. Reading books, watching TED Talks, attending workshops, and learning from experts was incredibly inspiring and informative.

If you’re aiming for ongoing personal and professional growth, staying curious and committed to learning is key. For great insights into a growth mindset, check out “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck. Exploring blog posts and articles on public speaking can also provide practical tips and strategies to enhance your skills.

Embracing a Growth Mindset for Public Speaking Success

I’m convinced that mindset plays a crucial role in overcoming your fear of public speaking. When you believe that you can improve, that perfection isn’t necessary, and that putting in the effort is as valuable as the results you achieve, it helps reduce some of the pressure. This shift in mindset reassures your body that there is nothing to fear, which can, in turn, reduce the physical signs of nerves. So, if you’re fed up with feeling stuck, give it a try and see how a change in mindset can make a difference.

Further Support With Public Speaking

As a public speaking coach, I’ve seen countless individuals transform their fear into confidence. I used to struggle too, but through sustained effort and proven techniques, I conquered my nerves and found my voice. I want that for you too!

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