Public speaking is a daunting task for many of us. Everyone gets nervous, anxious, and even scared when they need to present in front of a group of people. However, it’s also not uncommon for individuals to experience these strong emotions not only when they’re physical present in front of people, but also when they’re preparing for the task. This is where social emotional goals and skills come into play. Developing these skills can not only make us better public speakers, but they can also make us more confident and comfortable in our own skin.
What are social emotional goals?
Before we dive into how social emotional goals can improve public speaking skills, let’s define what they are. Social emotional goals are essentially life skills that help us manage our emotions and interact with others effectively. These goals include things like empathy, self-awareness, social awareness, self-control, and relationship building. These skills can be applied in various settings, from personal relationships to professional environments.
How can social emotional goals help public speaking skills?
Now, let’s explore how social emotional goals can help us become better public speakers.
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Self-awareness: Having self-awareness means that we have a better understanding of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. When it comes to public speaking, we can use this skill to identify our fears and anxieties. This awareness enables us to develop strategies that help us overcome these feelings, such as deep breathing exercises or positive affirmations.
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Empathy: Empathy helps us understand other people’s thoughts and feelings. When we’re speaking in front of an audience, it’s important to connect with them on a personal level. By empathizing with them, we can tailor our message to better resonant with their needs and wants.
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Social awareness: Social awareness helps us understand the social dynamics at play in public speaking. By being aware of our audience’s social and cultural backgrounds, we can tailor our message accordingly, avoiding offensive or insensitive remarks.
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Self-control: Self-control is the ability to manage our thoughts, feelings, and actions. When speaking publicly, it’s essential that we maintain our composure, even when things don’t go as planned. By practicing self-control, we can remain calm and focused, even in high-pressure situations.
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Relationship building: Public speaking is a form of communication, and communication is all about building relationships. By applying relationship building skills, such as active listening and empathy, we can build a connection with our audience. This connection helps us establish our credibility and entice our audience to listen to our message.
By developing these social emotional skills, we can not only improve our public speaking skills, but we can also become more effective leaders, team players, and communicators in general.
social emotional goals are essential in developing effective public speaking skills. They help us manage our emotions, connect with our audience, and maintain our composure in high-pressure situations. By mastering these skills, we can become better communicators, leaders, and team players. As we continue to face new and challenging environments, it is important that we continue to develop our social emotional goals to improve our public speaking skills and our personal and professional development overall.
I don’t want to forget to recommend you to read about HOW DO SOCIAL EMOTIONAL GOALS RELATE TO MINDFULNESS? .

Data
- • Improved public speaking skills can lead to increased selfconfidence and improved selfesteem.
- • A study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles found that individuals who set social emotional goals for public speaking had significantly higher levels of selfefficacy than those who did not.
- • Another study conducted by the University of Michigan found that individuals who set social emotional goals for public speaking experienced a greater sense of control over their performance and felt more confident in their ability to succeed.
- • A third study conducted by the University of WisconsinMadison found that individuals who set social emotional goals for public speaking experienced greater motivation and engagement in their performance.
- • Finally, a fourth study conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder found that individuals who set social emotional goals for public speaking experienced increased levels of satisfaction with their performance.

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