When I'm making a presentation or giving a workshop I find it hard to believe that people would rather be burned alive or lose a leg than speak in public! Mind you I can remember the time when I used to start worrying a few days ahead of a speaking engagement and then wake on the day feeling ghastly and wondering why I'd got myself into it. Happily I now look forward to it as an opportunity to have fun with people while making a contribution.
I think we probably put public speaking as our number one fear because it comes up in our life so often - both at work and in our community and social life - and taps into the deeper fear that we won't be seen to be good enough. Research has shown that the biggest emotional driver in Western society is our need to belong and speaking to any sort of audience whether it be family, friends, work colleagues or a group of strangers brings the possibility of being rejected.
There seems to be so much opportunity for criticism! I might forget my words and look stupid, they might ask questions I can't answer, they might know more than me, they might think I'm boring, I might make a bad mistake and look like a fool and feel humiliated, they might not agree with what I'm saying, they might not laugh at my jokes, they might notice how nervous I am, my voice might crack. they might not like how I look... So many "mights"!
Our anxieties cause adrenalin to be released which is what causes the physical symptoms that we know so well - "butterflies" in the stomach, pounding heart, tight throat, dry mouth, shaking hands etc.
So what to do about it? First of course it's good to learn some presentation skills and there are lots of individuals and organisations who can help you with that. Second, and I think this is the bottom line, you need to be able to accept yourself as you are. I find the more I uncover the ways in which I don't accept myself and rectify them (they're often pretty subtle), the less concerned I am about criticism.
When we're OK about ourselves we don't have to get anxious about not being OK in other people's eyes. We can confidently show up just as we are and enjoy sharing ourselves with others.