I have a HUMONGOUS fear of public speaking. Just the thought of talking in front of
a crowd makes me cringe. The
second I begin to speak, I clam up, my voice shakes and my face turns bright
red. Hours before a presentation, a
pit forms in my stomach and my palms start to sweat. Ironically, I have no problem participating in class, meetings or small group conversation—it is purely the act of standing up and delivering
a message to crowd that drive me all sorts of crazy!
Fortunately, I know that I am not the only person who
suffers from severe public speaking anxiety. As an intern, it is usually expected that you speak up in
meetings and make presentations to your peers and supervisors. Through my experiences in both the
classroom and the workplace, I have put together a short list of ideas to help
subside your nerves!
1. Breathing Exercises—Before you get up
and speak, spend some time working on your breathing patterns. If you only have a couple of minutes
before the presentation, close your eyes and take long, deep breaths. In doing
this, you will bring down your heart rate and your nerves will fade away. Sometimes, tensing up your muscles for a
few seconds at a time and then releasing the tension slowly will also help you
relax. If possible, practice these
techniques to music that calms you down or inspires you to give your best
performance.
2. Visualization—Mentally preparing for a
speech is difficult, but not impossible.
After perfecting your presentation and understanding the message you are
going to convey to your audience, take some time to imagine the presentation in
your head. What are you going to
wear? Who is going to be
there? Where are you going to
stand? When will you make hand
motions and/or gestures? How is
the audience receiving your message—are they confused? Intrigued? Ultimately, if you visualize your version of the “perfect”
presentation, chances are that your mental practice will prepare you to ace the
actual speech.
3. Note cards—Although you may not want to
use note cards or “cheat sheets” in a presentation, it is helpful to run
through your speech—particularly after you outline your key talking points—with
an index card or two reminding you of the information. If you cannot use your notes or would
prefer not to hold the cards during your presentation, lay them down next to a
water bottle on a nearby table or podium.
If you make a mistake or forget a fact, statistic or important piece of
information, you can go for a sip of water and glance over your notes. If you do this subtlety, no one will
even notice!
4. Body gestures—When you are speaking, be
aware of your body movements. While
some hand motions and pacing back and forth may be appropriate at times, you do
not want to distract your audience from the message you are attempting to
portray through your words. This
is particularly important when making a presentation with other group members—you
do not want to overshadow the others by not being able to keep still! Use your judgment to determine if and
when a gesture is fitting to your speech. The movements should look clean and accentuate the
point you are making, not distract from it.
5. PRACTICE—This should not come as a
surprise! As we all have been told
from a young age, practice makes perfect.
While you should avoid “over-studying” your speech, it is important to review
your notes for at least a few days before your presentation. Practicing can be especially effective
if you are able to rehearse in the setting where you will be making your
presentation. This way, you can
become comfortable performing the speech in the same environment in which the
presentation will be given.
No comments:
Post a Comment