Using Pavlovian Conditioning to Overcome Public Speaking Fear

If you have public speaking anxiety, you learned this fear from a past traumatic social experience. Fortunately, you can free yourself from this anxiety. Using classical or Pavlovian conditioning, you will "reprogram" yourself to be calm when speaking to groups. This procedure is known as systematic desensitization. In this therapy, you learn to cope with increasing levels of anxiety while gradually being exposed to your source of stress. Before practicing systematic desensitization, you must learn a relaxation breathing technique.

Instructions

Preparation: Relaxation

• 1

  Diaphragmatic breathing cures anxiety.

  Sit or lie down in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Place your hands on your abdomen, right below your rib cage. Inhale slowly for three to five seconds, concentrating on how the abdomen moves outward away from the body. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. Exhale for three to five seconds.

• 2

  Keep your eyes closed. Pick a positive, calming, one-word mantra. Good examples of calming words are "safe" or "relax." Breathe in and say the mantra slowly as you breathe out. Say the mantra slowly as you exhale every few breaths. Focus on the feeling of relaxation in your body.

• 3

  Repeat this exercise often. It takes time to train your body to automatically relax. After practicing many times, your hands on your abdomen and your mantra will cue you to breathe deeply, which will relax you.

Systematic Desensitization

• 4

  Develop a hierarchy of around 10 fear-producing scenarios, labeling them from least amount of fear to greatest amount. Rate them on an anxiety scale of zero to 100, in which zero is calm and 100 is the most fear imaginable. For example, sitting on the couch at home with your spouse could have a zero rating. Making a presentation to your spouse at home could be a 10 rating, while making a presentation to your spouse at your work's presentation hall could have a 20 rating, and so on. Your worst fear of public speaking should have a rating of 100.

• 5

  Sit or lie down. Imagine the scenario on your lowest ranking fear (rated zero), for example, sitting in a living room. Breathe and practice relaxation techniques.

• 6

  Imagine the next scenario. Make the situation as detailed and lifelike as possible. While thinking of this scenario, give your body relaxation cues. Do not move on to the next scenario until your body is relaxed.

• 7

  Move to the next scenario while maintaining relaxation. Progress through the scenarios, one by one, taking time to relax your body as it experiences tension and anxiety. Don't rush this process. When you are able to maintain relaxation through all the scenarios, the process is complete.