What can you do to overcome communication anxiety?

In my experience as a teacher, communication anxiety arises from a complex interplay of psychological, emotional, and situational factors. Stuttering and stammering, the fear of judgment, low self-esteem, past negative experiences, perfectionism, lack of skills or knowledge, unfamiliar or high-stakes situations, social comparisons, cultural and language differences, fear of public speaking, introverted personality traits, negative self-talk, and physical symptoms of anxiety all contribute to the development and exacerbation of communication anxiety. Recognizing these causes is the first step toward addressing and managing this common challenge, enabling individuals to cultivate more confident and effective communication skills.

Always prepare well and plan well .. if one is prepared and planned it’s easier to overcome anxiety . It also helps if you know the root cause but if you don’t .. there’s no reason to stress .. you can still wing it if you’ve prepared well ..

Deep breathing exercises: Deep breathing exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing, can help calm your nerves and reduce anxiety. Take deep breaths in through your nose, hold for a few seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat several times before and during communication. Visualization techniques: Use visualization to imagine yourself confidently and successfully communicating. Visualize positive outcomes and picture yourself delivering your message with ease. This technique can help alleviate anxiety by focusing on positive thoughts and outcomes.

Hacks to overcome Communication anxiety: Watch videos related to "How people speak in person or at public" Self-practice by practicing mirror talk. Paraphrasing might help to help understand the point. Understand the proper channel of communication. Identify the SPoCs. Bear no prejudices. Do your homework before any sort of communication.

Most of the anxiety comes from not knowing what to expect. In business it is mostly challenging meetings or presentations. The best advice I ever got and always share with my peers or people I mentor is that there is no shame in not knowing something or not being able to react to a question or to a topic. No one is an expert at everything and that is completely fine. “I will look into it and get back to you..” or “that is an area I did not explore yet, let me find out for you after.. (call/meeting)” whatever suits you best. I still get anxious from time to time and I prepare myself beforehand for the challenge. Important is you do your best and are ready for whatever you going to do which creates anxiety for you.

I would like to add that - To overcome communication anxiety mastering relaxation techniques can provide a pathway to a calmer mind and a more composed demeanor. Grounding Techniques: Anchoring yourself in the present moment, grounding techniques use your senses to reconnect. Describe sights, sounds, textures, and tastes, diverting your focus from anxiety. Circle of excellence and anchoring can be helpful in overcoming fear of public speaking.

One of the methods, I have used to help students is to practice every day talking to yourself in the mirror at least for 10 min. This makes you more confident, decreases self-criticism and can prepare you well. By investing time and effort into preparation and practice, you're actively building your competence and confidence. As your skills improve, your anxiety will naturally decrease, allowing you to approach communication situations with greater ease and effectiveness.

This is the best advice out there that worked for me. If you completely grasp the subject matter and carry out several practice runs, the actual event feels less like an ordeal. Understanding the target audience is also key; it is possible to have multiple ways of communicating the same topic to a wide range of audience. The more you do it, the less anxious you feel.

Additionally, the more you practice out loud, the more comfortable you will become speaking. Be patient. It takes time and practice to overcome communication anxiety. Hence,don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Just keep practicing and you will eventually get there.

You can also use Positive Affirmations. These are statements that you say to yourself to boost your confidence and motivation. They can help you overcome negative self-talk and limiting beliefs that might hinder your communication. For example you can use positive affirmations such as "I am a confident and amazing speaker", "I have valuable ideas to share", or "I can handle any communication challenge". You can repeat these affirmations to yourself in the mirror, write them down, or listen to them as audio recordings.

Intentionally seeking out these experiences and focusing on the positive outcomes, you can gradually reshape your perception of communication. Involves gradually exposing yourself to positive experiences. The key is persistence and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone. I would like to add Visualization, positive self-talk and reflecting on positive outcomes to the list.

One thing that I find useful is to have a positive outlook towards the audience. Don't assume them to be critical or judgemental. Rather think of them as your allies who are willing to hear you talk. In fact, most of them would have faced this anxiety at some point, so it's only human. Consider it just another step in your learning process .

Here are some tips that might be helpful: -See communication challenges as chances to learn and grow. -Embrace feedback as a valuable source of information. -Before a communication task, remind yourself of your strengths and past successes. Shift your focus away from negative thoughts. -See communication as a skill that can always be improved: Engage in courses, workshops, or self-study to enhance your communication techniques. By practicing, seeking feedback, and maintaining a positive attitude consistently you will witness a transformation in your communication skills, allowing you to engage confidently and competently with colleagues, stakeholders, and audiences.

Always strive to do better, to be better. This can only be achieved by opening up to feedback/criticism and learning from previous errors; both our own and others'. Continuously work towards improvements , no step in the right direction is too small.

In my experience -Take a deep breath and tell yourself that you and the other individual are human... Deep breaths. Prior to the conversation, acknowledging the fear or worry associated with what's needing to be communicated. What are you afraid of and what's the worse that can happen if you express what's needed? Understand the impact to your mind and body in holding it in and decide if you'd like to release and change/manage that thing. If you have trusted friend or therapist, discuss your worries and prepare for the conversation/communication ahead of time. Also consider things that bring you comfort and calm your nerves. Reflection of past communication experiences.

By recognising what triggers your communication anxiety, you can develop ways to manage it. But what is crucial is that to remember that everyone experiences anxiety to some degree, and it's a normal part of the human experience.

We normally miss a few causes such as Stuttering and Stammering. Though recognized, these conditions are not given importance by the family or the school. This is seen as a barrier to communicate properly. These can be controlled by coaching.