Prince William Reveals His Myopia Helped Him With Anxiety Over Public Speaking

Prince William is opening up about his own personal anxieties as a way to get others to do so as well, reported CNN.

As part of his campaign to address mental health in men, William participated in a new BBC documentary which is set to air Thursday night in the United Kingdom. The show, entitled Football, Prince William And Our Mental Health, uses the subject of football as an icebreaker and a way to get other men to open up about their mental and emotional state.

The documentary will see the duke speaking to many men throughout the country, discussing his own battles with mental health and his own methods of managing anxieties in an effort to help normalize the conversation. In particular, he talked about how he worked through his public speaking worries.

In a preview of the show, an interviewer asked him if he’d ever had any anxiety, citing the fact that people are looking at him “24/7.” The prince replied that he wasn’t always nervous but that there were specific occasions that would bring out the fear.

“Certain days, especially certain speeches as well, when I was growing up, you definitely get a bit of anxiety about it,” he said, telling the interviewer that there were expectations that he was keenly aware of and that he wanted to “get it right.”

But then he divulged the way he helped manage his fears, which was a bit unorthodox. He said that, as he got older, his eyesight began to worsen, to the point that he needed to wear glasses or contacts to clearly see things in the distance. However, he also told the interviewer that he didn’t use contacts when working, so he really couldn’t see the people he was giving his speeches to.

“So actually when I gave speeches, I couldn’t see anyone’s face,” he said. “And it helps, because it’s just a blur of faces.”

He said he could see the paper in front of him, but when he’d look up, the people in the room were not clear. The duke mentioned how much that helped him manage his fears of public speaking. Now, though, he told the interviewer he wears contacts all the time.

The way he handled his public speaking anxiety is just one of the many facets of his life William will discuss in the new documentary. Another preview clip saw him speaking to footballer Marvin Sordell about the death of his mother, Princess Diana, and how that impacted his life, including how having children of his own reopened old wounds.

The new documentary comes on the heels of Mental Health Awareness Week in the U.K., which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s foundation, Heads Together, helps support.