I was filming a talk for a weekly Catholic prayer gathering when suddenly I went totally blank. I forgot what I was gonna say. I experienced a mental block. Thankfully, I recovered and I just edited the part where I stared blankly into space. So it’s easier! But I remember a time when I had to give talks on stage in front of thousands of people and just going completely blank. The shame and fear in those situations could have killed me over a thousand times but over time I learned how to survive going blank. So let’s talk about it HOW TO OVERCOME MENTAL BLOCKS.
So what is a MENTAL BLOCK? Simply put mental block is an inability to recall some specific thing or perform some mental action. It is usually triggered by anxiety. Perhaps you’re anxious about the people you’re speaking to or you’re self-conscious about how you’re doing during a speech or performance. Suddenly, you forget something you’re about to say or do. You go blank! In my journey of public speaking, I learned three really nifty ways to overcomes mental blocks.
The Central Ideas
The first one is MASTER THE PRINCIPAL POINTS. Most talks have around three main points. These are the big messages of the talk that all other points and details will connect to. Those are the points that you have to memorize by heart. So if you ever get lost in your presentation just go back to the main points and you’ll be right on track.
A few years ago, a preacher could not make it time to preach so I had to fill in for him. I didn’t know what he was going to talk about so I just checked his notes, identified the key points, and I was all set. I was able to preach on his behalf.
Follow The Ancients
The second way is to RETREAT TO YOUR MEMORY PALACE. A memory palace is a memory technique used for thousands of years. Picture a palace in your mind. It has everything. Bedrooms, kitchen, sala, a pool, and library. You store all the memories in your palace. Let’s say your talk is specifically stored in the library, on the first shelf.
When you give a talk, then you encounter a mental block, here’s what you do. You take a deep breath. Look at the distance. Scratch your chin. It helps if you have a beard. But mentally you’re retreating to your memory palace. You rush to your library, to the first shelf, and then recall your talk. This all happens within seconds. When you finally remember, you look at your audience then continue as if nothing happened. This technique has saved me so many times. Use it. Use your memory palace.
An Essential Step
The final way is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, AND MORE PRACTICE. Friend, there is no substitute to practice. The more you practice, the more spontaneous you will look when you give your talk. Years ago, when I just started, I would practice a 2-minute exhortation 100 times. The result? I never forgot my exhortations. Practice is challenging. It’s hard work but eventually, you’ll get used to it. You’ll build the muscle for it. Nowadays, I practice 20-minute talks 2 to 3 times, which is far less than the 100 times I did before. Friend, I’m not talented at all. I just put in the effort. If I could do it, so could you!
So these are the 3 ways to overcome mental blocks. You can also share your own ideas in the comments section below. Do check out my YouTube video on this particular topic too.
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