The second I stand up in front of a classroom with a full audience, I realize that my anxiety tends to kick in and make me weak in the knees. The only thing holding me back from having a great performance is my anxiety. How did I overcome this? Well, I am glad you asked, lets dive in.
First things first… BREATHE. I have found that having proper posture while taking a breath can create confidence. Deep breathing before a speech of any sort can help you feel more confident and strong. This breathing can decrease the tension and will help you to focus intellectually. Focused breathing will help you deliver better speeches and presentations.
Next up, I recommend to speak slowly. Rushing with your words is a sign of high anxiety, and your audience will catch into that quickly. What they won’t understand is what you are saying though by speaking fast. When speaking, take small 1-2 second pauses between sentences. Catch your breathe, breathe for a moment.. then you can begin the next sentence. Without speaking slower and taking a break between sentences, your presentation can seem scrambled or too fast. This will not be pleasant for your audience.
Speak confidently. If you seem confident while speaking, then your audience is more likely to believe what you are saying. Before presenting, have a chat with yourself. Tell yourself that everything will be fine, and that everything is in your control. You could call this technique, “faking it til you make it.” This will literally help you trick your brain into thinking whatever you want. I can guarantee that many artists and performers speak to themselves in the mirror minutes before performing. With a positive mindset comes a positive outcome.
I am positive that if you take my tricks into consideration, your public speaking skills will improve greatly. Remember, being anxious before a presentation is normal, but you cannot let it control you. If you want to succeed, you need to grab your anxiety by the horns.
