By Jane Ann Covington

Welcome to the first in a series of short articles about different patterns of worrying, anxiety or fears, and what to do about them.  This month’s topic:  the fear of public speaking.

Fear of public speaking is one of the top fears facing a large number of people.  Many sufferers report experiencing being at a loss for words, anxiety, nausea, gut-wrenching pain, and even hyperventilation when faced with having to speak in public (typically to a group – small or large, or to someone that is over them in position, power or evaluating them).

Circumstances like giving an important presentation can be stressful; you’re not alone.  It’s not just the average person that experiences this type of anxiety; CEOs, college presidents, or a church committee member reporting on a particular subject; literally anyone can be fearful regardless of socioeconomic level or station in life.

The good news is, there’s more than just hope…there’s a solution, regardless of whether you’ve had this debilitating fear for most of your life, or if it just started last week.

This past week, I finished working with “Joe,” a well-respected and high-ranking officer in a large corporation.  Joe is very capable, but he was internally having a near panic attack, having dry mouth, and more at the thought of having to give a presentation to his peers, much less his stockholders.  Joe’s anxiety had been going on for years, getting progressively worse since middle school.  Unfounded fear had been holding him back from feeling like his powerful true self and even greater success.  Even though everyone saw him as the successful businessman he is, he still didn’t feel safe inside.

After the initial interview, we discovered there was more going on than just a fear of public speaking.  As is common, “Joe” is much more complex and intricate than that one symptom.  Joe had anticipatory anxiety, and feared criticism, judgment, making mistakes…he’s also a perfectionist.  After working with me over a number of focused, on purpose sessions, he can now easily speak in front of any audience.  I am happy to report that “Joe” is amazed, relieved, and happy with the results.

Not everyone has the dramatic physical experiences associated with fear of public speaking that some clients have, but chances are you’re good enough at scaring yourself to the point where you feel uncomfortable which creates the likelihood that you will make mistakes when delivering your message to an important group.  Most people are.

Here are a few tips that may help, the next time you find yourself stressing about public speaking:

1. Breathe!  When you hold your breath, you affect how well your brain works.
2. Join Toastmasters.  It’s nearly free, and it’s a great opportunity to develop your speaking skills in a safe environment.
3. Know that all speakers make a mistake from time to time; just keep going…it’s normal, and your audience probably didn’t notice anyway.
4. Don’t ever “give a speech” again.  Instead, teach others what you want to share with them.

It seems strange to people that their conscious mind knows their “stuff” when asked to do public speaking or give a report, but their subconscious has negative feedback going on.  Some people might need help getting rid of the unconscious patterns that do not serve them.  They might need help rewiring the brain for more successful behavior.  If you are one of those people who find themselves unable to move past the fear, call for a free consultation to see how you can get the confidential help you need to stop old unconscious patterns from holding you back…for good!

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by Jane Ann Covington

(c) 2012

The truth is we start learning in the womb, long before we’re born.  Long before we’re able to mimic the adults around us.

Everything a mom-to-be does is shared with her unborn child biochemically, building specific neuronal connections and preferences.  What she eats, drinks, thinks, believes, feels, perceives, fears, imagines…all of those things plus her unconscious hormonal responses to those things all affect the baby.

Brain research has proven that an unborn baby can hear what’s going on outside of the womb beginning at the third or fourth month.  Those sounds may be muffled, but they are audible.  Tone of voice can be detected, too.  This is nature’s way of preparing for us as newborns to come into the world and be ready to fit in with our family and culture.

Try this experiment…take a moment and place your hands over your ears.  Now, listen to the world around you.  If others are talking, you can probably hear clearly enough to discern words and tones of voice.  A child in the womb has a similar experience long before birth.

Some parents take the opportunity to play music, sing to, talk to, or read to their unborn child while he or she is still in the womb.

In my practice, I’ve noticed that those early influences can have a big impact on us throughout life.  That impact can be positive or negative.  In the case of a negative impact, it is important to address and intentionally correct any information learned from those early influences that creates self-sabotage.

Remember that no matter what you learned unconsciously early on, you are capable of learning new perspectives and behaviors.  You can learn how to act according to current conditions instead of reacting to past experiences and perceptions.  You may need help to access the subconscious and rewire it to your current needs and wishes, and hypnosis and hypnotherapy performed by a trained professional can be powerful tools for doing that quickly.

Your mind is a tool that you can use in any way you wish.  How will you behave today?  Your mind is the key – consciously and unconsciously.

Next Month:  The Effects of Environment on Our Ability to Learn

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Jane Ann was invited to write a chapter, along with 31 more amazing professionals titled:

Step into Your Vision – Top Business Leaders Share Their Goal Setting Secrets

Watch for details on the official release date next month, or contact us to pre-order your copy today!

Here is what one of Jane Ann’s clients had to say about the Chapter and his work with her:

I am an Atlanta entrepreneur and multiple business owner.  In my initial consultation Jane Ann Covington explained the process of hypnotism in terms that negated any feelings of hokum I might have had and replaced those with science.  She went on to rid me of my smoking habit in one session and in a series of three sessions rid me of lifelong issues that had grown to overwhelming proportions and were endangering my well-being.  Jane Ann and her technique helped change my outlook and life.  Hypnotherapy, education, and coaching are the least demanding form of self-improvement I can imagine, yet incredibly effective.

~Charles K., Atlanta GA

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by Jane Ann Covington
(c) 2012

Assumption:  Most people think they are the only person who procrastinates like they do.

Truth:  Almost everyone procrastinates on one thing or many or most!  So you’re not alone.

Problem:  Procrastination!  When we procrastinate several negative things happen:

1. we feel ineffective and just plain bad about our self,  often wasting what could be a magnificent life;
2. we procrastinate even more and don’t accomplish our goals or dreams;
3. we take our lack of action as a sign that we can’t and we give up!  Boooooooooooooooo!
4. we start back at 1. above!

Short Answer:  Stop procrastinating and get motivated to act!

Real Answer:  Make a plan and work your plan!!

1. Decide a realistic goal that will give you the satisfaction and perhaps income you want.
2. Make a plan.  Without a plan you can’t stay focused.  Don’t worry about perfect; learn and move on.
3. How do you make a plan?  Write out a list of 10 things, that if you did those 10 things it would virtually guarantee your success.
4. You may need to tweak each of the 10 things by writing out 10 things under each one of the 10 things to really get each one accomplished.
5. Don’t give up.  Be PERSISTENT!  Revisit and revise your plan when necessary to get you where you want to go in Life!  As you learn more, you’ll know more what to do.  Start learning and making your plan.
6. Follow Steps 1-5 and ask for help when you need it.  Also ask for help to get out of your own way when you feel or are being stuck!

The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.
~Author Unknown

Successful people ask for help.  ~Jane Ann Covington

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by Jane Ann Covington
(c) 2012

Recently I had a client ask me, “When Do Adults Stop Learning?“.

The good news is that for most of us the answer is NEVER!  Learning may require a bit more exposure, concentration and practice as we age, but we can and will continue to learn throughout our lifetime.  Listen, be interested, ask questions when you don’t understand, locate where you can find the information you want to know, and decide to learn!

The rest of the good news as we age is that we can use our history (or personal data bank) to draw upon, and our ingenuity to find or locate information, and by merely asking for help from those in the know who are good at sharing information in a way that is understandable to you.

If you find that you do not understand something, then you probably just need to back up and learn more fundamental information before you can go to the more complex.  An example:  You have to learn your multiplication tables before you can learn a more complex skill, like division in math.

And, more good news is that no matter what we learned or didn’t learn, or came to believe in the past, consciously or subconsciously, we can always learn something else to replace it, if it’s no longer helpful to us, and if we need to have greater understanding of something.  You may need an expert to help you navigate through this, however, and that’s normal.

Science has revealed that our environment plays a far greater role in our ability to access our unique brilliance and continued learning than genetics does.  Genetics only accounts for about 8% of who we are, including our mental capacity.

Another critical factor for our ability to learn is who is teaching us?  Looking back on it, most of us didn’t have the greatest teachers in the world for our particular style of learning.  Hopefully, you experienced a few teachers along the way that could teach in a way that helped your understanding grow.  So having a good teacher that works for you is most helpful!

In any given moment we are exposed to and are unconsciously taking in around 400,000 bits of information.  Our conscious mind can only be aware of about 2000 bits in any given moment.  Most of what we know, we learned unconsciously.  In fact, more than 99% of what we know we learned unconsciously, but we can do better and learn more at any age.

How do we learn?  Besides unconsciously, we learn by studying, being taught, experience, our environment, and repeated exposure to new ideas, experiences, challenges and information.  In order to really come to “know” something, however, it must be reinforced.  I’ve said this many times, “Repetition is the mother of learning.”

In the end:  Listen, be interested, ask questions when you don’t understand, study up on a subject (you don’t need to know everything and you never will…so give that up), and decide to learn!  Start with the basics if that’s the level you find yourself.  Take a course in something you are interested in.  For instance, when my mother was in an Assisted Care Living situation, I went through the entire certification training to run a facility just like that.  I never took the state test to be certified because that wasn’t my purpose, but I learned things that I would have never known to ask or expect!  Go where the information is to the degree that you wish to learn it.

Stay tuned for next month’s topic:  When Do We Begin Learning?

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