How do you calm yourself before public speaking?
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Public speaking is a common fear that can cause anxiety, stress, and nervousness. However, there are ways to calm yourself before you face an audience and deliver your message with confidence and clarity. In this article, you will learn six tips to help you overcome your public speaking jitters and prepare yourself mentally and physically for your presentation.
Know your purpose
Before you start preparing your speech, you need to have a clear idea of why you are speaking and what you want to achieve. What is the main goal of your presentation? Who is your audience and what do they need or expect from you? How will you measure your success? Knowing your purpose will help you focus your content, structure your speech, and tailor your delivery to your specific situation.
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Change your mindset from "I'm nervous about this speaking opportunity" to "I'm so excited that I get to do this". Visualize the audience learning from you - this shifts focus away from your stress and nervousness to how much value you can bring.
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We often get caught up in the words we choose and the messages we aim to convey. While the content of our speech certainly holds significance, it's equally important to consider the emotional resonance it creates. After all, it's not just about the words; it's about the lasting impressions we leave on our audience. Maya Angelou, encapsulates this sentiment beautifully with her timeless quote: "At the end of the day, people won't remember what you said or did; they will remember how you made them feel."
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Practice your speech
One of the best ways to calm yourself before public speaking is to practice your speech as much as possible. This will help you improve your fluency, pronunciation, timing, and gestures. You can practice in front of a mirror, a recorder, a friend, or a coach. You can also rehearse in the actual venue or a similar setting to familiarize yourself with the environment and the equipment. The more you practice, the more confident and comfortable you will feel.
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Practice what you preach. Most people don't practice. Most people don't preach. Be in the minority. Practice your speech. Preach in style. Go for it. You'll be glad. No joke. No lie.
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If you can deliver your speech to nobody and nail it, you can deliver it to anybody. Nothing is more foreboding to the speaker than an empty room or a mirror and the sound of your own voice.
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Visualize your success
Another technique to calm yourself before public speaking is to visualize yourself giving a successful presentation. Imagine yourself speaking with confidence, enthusiasm, and clarity. See yourself engaging with your audience, answering their questions, and receiving their applause. Feel the positive emotions that come with achieving your goal. Visualization can help you reduce your anxiety, boost your self-esteem, and create a positive mindset.
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I have found it most important to have mastered my subject matter and to have thought about what of all that I know that is relevant to my audience. Then I organize my key points and rehearse how I want to deliver them. And rehearse and rehearse and rehearse. By the time I am in front of an audience I am excited about what I have to tell them and I am ready to engage them, making direct eye contact with an audience member on each key point. I think of it as several individual conversations with audience members who are there to hear what I have to say. And my job is to give them useful information in a clear and concise manner so they remain engaged and ready to hear what I am saying.
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Fear and excitement are very similar physiologically. The difference? The story you tell yourself. If you think about why your afraid your brain will provide a list of stories about why. If you tell yourself you're excited, your brain will formulate different conclusions, different stories. Before every speech I think of all the reasons I'm excited! This helps me focus that anxious energy into my speech and connect with the audience.
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Breathe deeply
Breathing deeply is a simple but effective way to calm yourself before public speaking. Deep breathing can lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels, which are associated with stress and anxiety. It can also oxygenate your brain, improve your concentration, and relax your muscles. You can practice deep breathing exercises before your speech or during your speech if you feel nervous. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold for four seconds, and exhale through your mouth for four seconds.
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Diaphramatic breathing is a sure technique to steady those nerves, i agree that you can do it while you presenting and as a bonus it can act as a dramatic pause.
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Breathing is natural.Stopping our breath is unnatural, because it tightens our whole being, cutting us off from humor, inspiration, and connection to everything and everyone else. Breathing is our greatest joy.
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Warm up your voice and body
Warming up your voice and body can also help you calm yourself before public speaking. Warming up your voice can prevent vocal strain, improve your tone, and enhance your articulation. You can warm up your voice by humming, singing, reading aloud, or doing tongue twisters. Warming up your body can release tension, increase your energy, and improve your posture. You can warm up your body by stretching, shaking, or doing some light exercise.
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Every theatre actor I’ve ever worked with warms up before going onstage. It’s not just to sound louder or speak more clearly, but the way it focuses your mind and calms nerves is incredible. Also, the goofier the better! It’s hard to feel nervous when you’re making a bunch of weird noises and faces. Try an exercise I call Big Face Small Face: open up your eyes and mouth as wide as you can, then scrunch your mouth & nose and close your eyes tight, and do that back and forth about 10 times as fast as you can on the mirror. That’ll help you feel loose, as as a bonus you’ll look much more engaged onstage or on camera.
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Friends in the room or friendly faces. I visualize finding friends in the room or friendly faces in different parts of the crowd. They’re always there. I scan the room in my introductory and find them. Left right middle back and front. Then I speak to them directly form my presentation. I work to connect with those few. It works to engender to the entire crowd by allowing me to make it direct and as personal as I can.
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Have a positive attitude
Finally, having a positive attitude can help you calm yourself before public speaking. A positive attitude can help you overcome your fear, cope with challenges, and enjoy the experience. Instead of thinking about what could go wrong, think about what could go right. Instead of worrying about your mistakes, focus on your strengths. Instead of avoiding public speaking, embrace it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and share your ideas.
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Harnessing the power of a positive mindset can be your secret weapon when preparing for public speaking. By channeling optimistic thoughts and visualizing your success on stage, you can transform nervous energy into enthusiasm and confidence. Consider each speaking engagement as a chance to connect, inspire, and make an impact. It's not just about delivering words; it's about sharing a message that can resonate and inspire. Believe in yourself, your content, and the value you bring to the audience. Positivity is contagious...
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What I have always found helpful is to know that I know my subject matter and allow the words to come through me and not from me. Nervousness is, for me, a reminder that keeps me sharp and focused in a humble way at that start. However, when the purpose-filled anointing from the universe drops into my spirit, what needs to be said to my audience flows, and “fear” is not even a consideration - whether the message is for one or one thousand.
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Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
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Good posture, using appropriate gestures, and maintaining eye contact with the interviewer or camera. But most importantly, KYA! Know Your Audience in order to connect with them because what you say won’t stick if you don’t know how to make it stick. Look for opportunities to speak publicly, participate in mock interviews and consider media training workshops. Be aware of your filler words like ums, your tone of voice and your body language, especially if you are presenting live or on TV. If you are on radio or podcasts, voice becomes the important tool.
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Water - Keep hydrated. 60% of our body is water. Dehydration could cause fainting and muscle cramps. Water should be at room temperature. It helps remedy a dry mouth. Bananas - Are an excellent source of potassium that helps normalize our heartbeat and regulate the water balance in our bodies. Apples - Keeps vocal cords clear. Foods rich in High Omega-3 essential fats that help with focus and concentration, good to have for that great presentation! Cashews - Are a good source of L-tryptophan, the amino acid that is necessary for healthy serotonin production, making them a great snack to help you feel calm and in control. Breathing techniques and stretching loosen muscles, increase blood flow and help to stay relaxed and focused.
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