By: Devin Sweeney
December 4th, 2022
Everyone has at least once been anxious and nervous about presenting/speaking to an audience. It can be very overwhelming with all those eyes on you especially if you are trying to impress the audience. Presenting was always hard for me as an individual, but I’ve found several ways to improve my public speaking.
Here are the ways you can improve your public speaking anxiety:
- Practice makes perfect– Make sure you are always prepared for presentations or public speaking. You should have an outline of the topics you will cover. If you are able to use flashcards to bullet point your main topics take advantage of that! Having flashcards in your hands also gives you something to hold onto so you’re not fiddling with anything else because of anxiety. Prior to your presentation/speech practice out loud what you will say and keep practicing till you feel comfortable with your presentation/speech
- Take deep breaths before you speak– Sometimes are nerves can get the best of us and cause us to make silly mistakes. Taking deep breaths can reduce stress and make us feel more relaxed and less uptight.
- Have a handout or visual– Having something for the audience to look at, interact with, or read will take some of their focus off of you and onto what you gave them. This can distract the audience and make it so not all eyes are on you at once.
- Go to therapy– And not the physical type. I am talking about mental therapy by seeing a psychologist that can help you manage your emotions such as overwhelming anxiety. If you have overwhelming anxiety in general that affects other aspects of your life along with public speaking it is most likely rooted to something deeper. Working with a psychologist can help you discover the root of this problem, and you can work on fixing it with your psychologist. Seeing a health professional for mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and you will be happy you did.
Sources:
Upham, Becky, et al. “Deep Breathing: How It Works, Benefits, and Exercises for Beginners.” EverydayHealth.com, EverydayHealth, 12 Nov. 2021, https://www.everydayhealth.com/wellness/deep-breathing/.
