How to Get Over Shyness to Do ‘Live’ Talks Online?

How to Get Over Shyness to Do ‘Live’ Talks Online?

Shyness is a feeling.  To shift a feeling from one state to another (eg from “being shy” to “not being shy”) is not as easy as providing instructions to your body.

Feelings are developed based on the environment we are in.  The behaviour we exude is very much directly related to the feelings we are having.  Environment shapes behaviour. For example, if we are feeling angry, the actions we portray could be like banging the tables, shouting, cursing or at some instances, causing hurt.  Likewise, if we are feeling happy, we are feeling on ‘Cloud Nine’. We are smiling from ear to ear, singing and just feeling great.  At that moment, we even feel that we can do wonders (which actually can, if we were to really take that action!).

The good news is, you can have the feeling that you want by creating an environment that supports it.  So if you want to get over your shyness so that you can do ‘Live’ talks online, you need to put yourself in a safe, happy and comfortable environment.  This environment will give you that boost you need.

Here are 7 simple ways you can do it:

1. Gather your close friends around you as you do the ‘Live’ talks.  Their presence will create an environment where you will be safe and comfortable.  When you are comfortable, speaking online will be a breeze.

2. Shift your perspective to “you are doing a service” as you give your talks.  The feeling of providing service unto others, is similar to giving donations and doing charity.  Our body enjoys the feeling of giving, and that will create an environment of joyfulness and fulfilment.

3. Overprepare your contents and keep them handy.  With enough information right in fornt of you, subconsciously you know that you have all the necessary information ready when you need them, thus making you at ease.

4. Rehearse on the technicalities of “live streaming”, e.g. which buttons to press, familiarise with the headphones, how to share screen etc.  Once you rehearse on these, you will feel more confident.

5. Don’t present or give talks.  Have conversations instead.  Remember the last time you met up with your best pal over dinner?  And you went “It was such a wonderful time!”  But what you did together was just having conversations.   Having conversations will take the mind out of doing presentations, to just having “chit-chatting”, making your environment comfortable.

6. Do warm-ups prior to the talk.  The dopamine chemical that your body produces will pump up your energy, and put you in a state of feeling good.

7. Keep track of your “Accomplishments”.  Whenever you have achieved something new, note them in your diary.  Have a look at your list regularly and use it as a motivation.  Have in mind that this upcoming ‘live’ talk online that you will be doing, will be added to that list.  Grow the list.

Would love to hear from you which of these methods suit you as you kick off your ‘live’ online.

Stay Safe, Stay Positive, Stay Creative.

Towards your continued success,

Hazriq Idrus
Creative Leadership & Design Thinking Strategist
Author of 10 books, including "The Stage Fright Antidote"

Hazriq Idrus is a stage actor turned professional speaker who is passionate on the topics of Creative Leadership and Communications.  He founded The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd with a mission to help leaders and their teams unlock their creative potentials so they can connect, communicate and co-create effectively.  Subscribe to Hazriq’s Youtube channel for more resources on creativity, creative leadership and communications.  Click here: http://bit.ly/HazriqYoutubeChannel.