Hypnosis for Public Speaking Anxiety - Turning Driving Confidence into Speaking Confidence

Welcome to the hidden test. The show that gives you inside access to cutting-edge hypnosis

with real clients facing genuine issues. Brought to you by the hypnotherapist

demanding by celebrities CEOs and even royalty, Adam Cox. These recordings took place

live from Evansville in London's world-famous Harley Street.

Sure, get yourself comfortable and enjoy today's episode of The Hypnotist.

Hi, it's Adam here and you're about to listen to a hypnosis session all about public speaking

confidence and a lot of people feel nervous about speaking front of crowd, speaking front of

a camera like I am now. And that's because there is a fear of being judged, a fear of getting

a wrong, a fear of being mocked and laughter and all of these things which mainly are an overreaction.

It can happen. People can have opinions. People definitely will judge. But so what? In the big scheme

of things, it makes very little difference. Now, the client that I was working with when I asked

the question, was there anything that initially they did that they felt quite anxious but the more

they did it, the more confident they get so that now they don't even worry at all about doing that

thing. And for them, that was driving. They loved driving, loved driving fast, loved driving on

motorways, big open spaces. And now everyone does. I've worked with some clients that that's their

biggest fear. But for this client, they were anxious about public speaking but felt very confident

driving. And I asked one very specific question. I said, how many people do you think die by doing

public speaking? And she thought and she smiled and it dawned on her that she had lots of confidence

driving even though people do crash all the time and it can be devastating and people can die.

And she did feel anxious public speaking even though it's a very safe thing to do because the

brain was acting as if it was a threat when actually it's a very, very safe thing. That's

important because we want to bridge the resources of how she felt driving into the space of public

speaking. So this will work particularly if two things are true for you. If you're a confident,

happy driver, and also you get anxious public speaking, if those two things are correct for you,

you're going to get a lot more value from this session than if they're not. But equally,

if you do want a bespoke session, maybe it's something else for you that you're really confident in,

could be cycling, it could be, could be running, it could be a particular sport, whatever it is.

And you want to have a bespoke session to make you feel as confident as you feel in that area,

in a different area of your life, then check out my website, adamcox.co.uk,

or you can have a look in the description and there's various ways that you can figure out how

to work with me directly. For now though, I'd encourage you to find a quiet place.

Perhaps a sofa, maybe a chair, maybe a bed, something comfortable where you won't be

distracted or disturbed and then relax and enjoy the session.

Take a deep breath in and as you breathe in,

then breathe in that slow, long, relaxing breath and as you exhale,

allow yourself to release any feelings of pressure and the artificial ideas about

your mind. Perfection standards, especially those that whenever you're used to begin with.

And as you breathe in and breathe out, just allow the inward breath to breathe in for longer

and deeper and as you exhale, just to keep on allowing that breath to continue

until your lungs are empty so the next inward breath activates that diaphragm.

Your unconscious already knows that the more you breathe from deep down in the diaphragm,

the more relaxed you feel. Almost like the way you breathe is a switch.

The shallow breathing from the chest makes you more vigilant, cautious and slow,

deep breathing from the diaphragm, makes you feel more confident, calm and relaxed.

The deeper you breathe, the more relaxed you feel,

and the more relaxed you feel, the deeper you breathe.

And I wonder if you can use the power of your imagination to imagine

your vision stepping back in time.

So when you got your driving license, maybe it was moments after passing a test,

maybe it's a memory of a first car or the first time you drove on a motorway or a long journey

with friends. And then what you think about that, the more it dawns on you, your brain already

knows how to feel calm and relaxed without needing to be perfect and without needing to be in

control of everything. Then when you think about driving just for a moment,

not the theory of driving, but the lived experience behind the wheel.

But you can even imagine your hands on the steering wheel, your eyes scanning the road.

On a day of sunshine and open roads, that kind of fun, free driving.

And there are countless variables, cars changing lanes, sometimes traffic lights or pedestrians.

It could be sunny one moment, then cloudy and raining the next.

And yet, none of that creates panic, because something inside you already knows how to respond.

In fact, you don't need to predict everything. You simply respond in the moment.

The car slows down, you slow down. A light changes, you adapt.

Someone behaves unpredictably, you create more distance. And somehow your mind and body

respond quickly and effectively. Driving confidence doesn't come from controlling every possibility.

It comes from trusting your ability to perceive, to respond, or to react.

And good drivers don't try and predict every scenario. They just are aware, they're present,

they're responsive. The road is dynamic. And so the driver becomes dynamic too.

Alert but relaxed, focused but adaptable. And the more you think about it, the more you realize

that presenting and public speaking is surprisingly similar. When someone stands up to speak,

it can feel like taking the steering wheel and driving onto that road.

And there may be different faces in the audience, different reactions, unexpected moments.

But just like driving, you don't need to control everything. You simply respond.

I want you to activate that level of self-trust, the trust you have in driving.

Just allow that to really amplify and supercharge in your trust and your ability to speak.

Because across your lifetime, you've spent more hours talking than you have driving.

It's a skill you already have.

Something happens in a conversation. You know you can adapt to an unexpected question.

You know that you can respond in real time. And if you can do that in a one-to-one conversation,

you can do that in front of a bigger audience.

The same abilities used when driving are available to you when speaking.

You still have awareness, adaptability, quick thinking and confidence in responding.

The only difference is that if speaking to other people was a journey,

you've completed more journeys with your voice than you ever have in a car.

And I wonder how many thousands of journeys you've had.

If speaking is like driving, each one filled with small adjustments that happened automatically.

And you have a deep, ingrained belief that you can handle whatever happens.

It's true in driving and it's true in speaking. Every presentation,

every difficult conversation, whether it's two conference delegates or colleagues,

whether it's a sales presentation or an annual review, just every presentation is simply another

journey. You have a start, you move through the route, and before you know it, you arrive at the

destination. To find yourself back on that open road, the weather is clear, the road stretches ahead,

and there is a sense of movement, flow, freedom. And when you enjoy driving,

you smile without realizing, because at some level, driving on an open road under sunshine,

is a symbol of freedom. There are some places in the world,

certain people, certain genders are not allowed to speak. And what if speaking also represents

empowerment, freedom? I don't want you to feel that sense of freedom when you drive. Imagine feeling

it when you speak. I want you to imagine feeling a sense of fun, liberation, relaxation,

the confidence that comes from knowing that you can just do it, not because everything is perfect,

but because there is a sense, you've done it before, you have the skills and capabilities,

and you can respond if necessary.

And you've had moments when driving, where you've encountered something unfamiliar,

an unusual bridge, a long tunnel, winding roads, high up in mountains, you can feel daunting.

Maybe it's driving at a different country, different rules, different road signs,

but after doing it once, the brain recalibrates, and very quickly what once felt intimidating

feels normal. And isn't it strange when you do difficult driving, all the other driving feels

easier in comparison. This is how confidence expands,

finding those things that stretch your ability to make everything else easier.

And what if public speaking works the same way? What if if you deliberately choose opportunities

that stretch way beyond your comfort zone? What if something powerful happens there?

What if that recalibrates the brain? A conference talk, a new or bigger audience, a live interview,

and once you go beyond the comfort zone, the comfort zone expands, and everything else already in

it becomes easier. It becomes more manageable. And I wonder if you could imagine the very next

speaking event, whether it's a big presentation, or perhaps an internal meeting.

But I want you to imagine seeing it through your own eyes,

feeling the way you would feel if you were driving on open roads, see that version of you.

But I want you to see yourself, see yourself oozing resourcefulness.

I want you to see that version of you smiling, not forcing a smile, a relaxed smile,

your posture comfortable, see yourself projecting your voice well.

From this perspective, the confidence is obvious, the steady voice, the natural flow of ideas,

you see someone capable, engaging resourceful, inspiring, responding moment by moment.

You've got your destination, but you're able to respond in real time if needs be.

And as you watch this version of yourself, notice how naturally things unfold,

people listening, nods of agreement, eye contact, moments of connection.

And when you're absolutely certain, that version of you has the resources to far exceed the

demands, let me know by nodding your head.

That's it. Now rewind it.

And just as it's about to start, step into that future version of you feeling how it would feel,

to become comfortable, confident, a deep-seated belief that this is well within your capabilities.

Imagine you've got your destination, but if you need to respond, you can.

I want you to feel that this seems easier than driving.

Deep down there is a part of you that knows, even if it's rare, occasionally,

there are accidents on the road, there are some dangers to driving, and yet you feel confident.

I want you to make the evaluation that you are more capable, safer, this feels well within your

capabilities. Feel the relaxation, the focus, allow yourself the permission to enjoy,

to feel the freedom of responding naturally.

And then, you can rewind to do it one more time, noticing that it gets easier and easier,

and that what you think and connect, resourceful feelings to the idea of doing the very thing

that has been daunting in the past, you erode the very foundation of anxiety, and instead build a

foundation of capable confidence. Allow your mind to think that this is easier and safer than driving,

and know that it is true. And as you hold that thought, it's time to return, so take a deep breath

in three onos, and out three onos, wiggle your fingers, wiggle your toes, connect and calibrate into

the here and the now. As I now count from one to ten to awaken you, you will return bringing all

of these new thoughts, beliefs, resources with you, and most of all, the very next time you present,

it will feel more fun, free, and within your capabilities, than driving, starting to count,

one, two, three, waking up, four, five, six, more alert, seven, eight, open your eyes, open your

eyes, nine, ten, wide awake, wide awake, wide awake.

Thank you so much for joining me on today's episode of The Hypnotist. If you've enjoyed this

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Thank you again for being a regular listener of The Hypnotist, and I'll see you again soon for more.