As you reach the podium on the stage you’ve been dreading to stand upon for weeks, you look up to what seems like endless pairs of eyes scrutinizing your every move. You pray that people can’t notice the rise and fall of your chest and the trembling of your voice as you commence with your speech.
Or your solo recital. Or your class presentation. Or even when you are ordering food at a restaurant.
Public speaking anxiety can impact anyone, and at any given time. A fear of public speaking can stems from evolution, and the passed on fear of being watched. It is important to realize public speaking anxiety is very common, and it is possible to alleviate worries and not let anxiety hinder your potential.
The first way is to take your audience into consideration. Different audiences have different expectations of you, and it can help ease your nerves to be prepared for exactly what they are supposed to see. Noticing the types of people you are presenting to can help enhance your presentation and make you less nervous by knowing their expectations.
If you are in a theater performance and performing to families and friends of the cast, try finding people in the crowd that you know and that you feel safe with. If you are performing in front of a judge, take their expressions into account of what you can work on throughout your performance to improve it. Allow your audience to be a guide, not an obstacle.
If any sort of audience feels like too much to handle, avert your attention elsewhere. Try focusing on your presentation or go through your script or notes multiple times and concentrate your attention on your material when presenting. If you look focused on your thoughts and topic at hand, the audience can interpret it as a focused expression towards them, making you seem more collected and confident. Knowing your subject matter and trusting you can do a great job can instill confidence and can reduce additional anxiety.
The most important thing when nervous is to breathe. Whether just taking sustained deep, sustained breaths, or doing a breathing exercise such as box breathing, taking a few deep breaths will both help you calm down and focus on the task at hand and can help clear your voice in preparation for your presentation.
Remember that you aren’t defined by things that scare you, including public speaking. While seemingly daunting, no one will notice your unstable footing, or the cracks in your voice that you’re terrified of letting escape. If you vocalize yourself confidently, your subject matter will be what speaks volumes.
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