We've all heard this advice to ease anxiety around public speaking: Picture your audience naked. 

Naked bodies are funny, and it makes sense that this might lighten the mood. It always seems to work on TV and in the movies.

The only problem is that it doesn't work in real life. 

Let's strip the concept down to understand why. 

The naked truth: 'Your goal is to connect with them'

Picturing your audience nude requires a lot of imagination, focus and energy — whether you're talking to a group of friends, your team at work or a sold-out house at Radio City Music Hall.

It will be extremely challenging to keep your mind on the actual task at hand: speaking. How can you remember your message when you're creating the world's largest nudist convention in your head?  

DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to becoming a master communicator and public speaker

This method is counterproductive and misguided in other ways, too. If you're imagining your audience in the buff, you're essentially rendering them powerless. They're no longer threatening, and you have the upper hand. You've created a dynamic where audience members are the enemy.

But your goal is to engage and connect with them, not humiliate and alienate them. 

And if you really think about it, picturing your audience naked is just plain weird. Imagine your coworker comes up to you, compliments your presentation and asks how you managed to do so well and you respond, "I just pictured you and everyone else in the room buck naked!"

Awkward! And creepy. And completely inappropriate. You do not want to be that coworker. 

What to do instead to manage public speaking anxiety

There's a reason we've all heard this bad advice before. Anxiety around public speaking is real and extremely common.

Nearly 30% of Americans report being afraid or very afraid of public speaking, according to the 2023 Chapman University Survey of American Fears — more than said the same about dying, murder, being unemployed, or a devastating earthquake or hurricane. 

As a psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience who specializes in social anxiety and sits on the board of the National Social Anxiety Center, I have come to know a few evidence-based strategies that — unlike picturing your audience naked — actually work.

Here are three of the most effective:

1. Use visualization

Instead of picturing your audience naked, picture yourself being successful. Visualization can be a powerful tool to ease anxiety about communicating well to others. 

For example, you might visualize yourself speaking clearly, saying the things that you want to say, making mistakes here and there and being able to pivot. Or you might simply tap into your version of being successful and imagine what that feels like. 

Over time, visualization helps to create new neural pathways and can train your brain to have healthier thought patterns. 

2. 'Reimagine your anxiety as excitement'

When you're anxious about speaking, people might tell you — or you might tell yourself — to calm down. If you've been there, you might remember how challenging it is to do that in the moment. 

Think about it: You're trying to get yourself from a high-arousal state (anxiety) to a low-arousal state (calm). But what if you use the high arousal to your advantage? I often encourage my clients to do just that. 

Try to reimagine your anxiety as excitement. Anxiety and excitement feel very similar in that they are both anticipatory, future-oriented emotions marked by high arousal. It's much easier to shift from high to high than it is to shift from high to low, and this switch can help you see what's coming as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Simple self-statements like "I'm excited" or "Let's go!" or even just a "Woo!" can pump you up and help you channel all of that energy in a more positive and emotionally boosting way. 

In one study, participants who reappraised their anxiety as excitement with statements like this before giving a speech on camera not only felt more excited than those who aimed for calm, but also spoke longer and were perceived as more persuasive, competent and confident.

3. Befriend your audience

If your goal is to connect with your audience and clearly share your message, think of them as your clothed friends rather than your naked enemies. 

Your friends are human, too. They sometimes make mistakes, stumble on their words and lose their train of thought. Relate to them on that human level, instead of thinking that they're above or beneath you. 

Try, for example, to make eye contact. It helps ease anxiety, reduces the threat and allows you to connect on a deeper level. Instead of focusing on the prospect of being negatively evaluated, you can think about having a conversation.

If you're speaking to a large group, don't stare down one audience member the whole time. Move around and make eye contact with people all around the room for a few seconds each to help the entire audience feel engaged. 

Remember: It's normal to feel nervous!

When you approach your audience with a friendly attitude, you'll find they're more receptive and your message is more likely to resonate.

It's normal to feel nervous when speaking to others. With some practice and the use of these methods, you'll improve your communication skills and feel more confident — but everyone gets to keep their clothes on. Win, win!

Chamin Ajjan, LCSW, A-CBT, CST is the CEO and Clinical Director of Chamin Ajjan Psychotherapy, a regional clinic of the National Social Anxiety Center where she is also a board member. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, and graduate school at Columbia University School of Social Work. She is also the author of "Seeking Soulmate: Ditch The Dating Game and Find Real Connection" and an expert instructor in CNBC Make It's online course Become an Effective Communicator: Master Public Speaking.

Want to be a successful, confident communicator? Take CNBC's new online course Become an Effective Communicator: Master Public Speaking. We'll teach you how to speak clearly and confidently, calm your nerves, what to say and not say, and body language techniques to make a great first impression. Sign up today and use code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off through July 10, 2024.