Paige
What tricks are there to calm down and present with confidence?
I get so anxious and nervous when I have to present a project infront of a class. I would really like to find a solution to this problem because as I progress in my major I would love to be able to put my ideas into the classroom and inspire.#presentations #anxiety #public-speaking
12 answers
Fola Fadero
Fola’s Answer
Early in my career my legs would turn to jelly every time I was due to give a presentation! I found some techniques that always helped which I can share with you:
- Breathe: About 5 deep breaths (using your nose to inhale and mouth to exhale) can be very calming.
- Find a friendly face in the audience and use that face as reassurance that you are doing a good job.
- Be present: Look around you (at the walls, floor, doors, ceiling etc) shortly before the presentation. It helps you recognize that the world is still a very normal place and won't collapse if anything goes wrong with your presentation!
Fola recommends the following next steps:
Emani Terry
Emani’s Answer
Different strokes works for different folks.....as they say! Realize that no one is born with limitless confidence and there is no right answer!
The first thing you can do is just breathe. Whenever you are placed in a situation where you feel uncomfortable, nervous or uneasy, just stop, breathe and look at your surroundings. Realize that you've made it to that point already and there's no going back. Tell yourself daily affirmations either written or out loud that only matters by your opinion.
What works for me, is to find laughter or humor in everything. Laughter is truly the best medicine! I always keep a funny joke or video handy to refer back to to relax. If it's a big crowd, I mentally point them out and find something funny about them.
If you know or see someone who is confident, it's only because they took years to build it back up after the challenges of the world, stress and conflicts once lowered it. And you can to!
Emani recommends the following next steps:
Lindsey Manning-Djabbari
Lindsey’s Answer
Paige,
However cliche it might sound, the more you know the subject matter you're talking about, the more confident you'll be speaking publicly about it. Here are a few public speaking tips about how to do that:
1. Practice. Here's how I do it: When I'm alone, be it in the car commuting or in front of the mirror getting ready in the morning, I pretend like I'm in front of a bunch of people and I just talk out loud! It's SOOO helpful, not just to gain more confidence, but to fine tune what it is I want to say. Once you hear something out loud it either makes total sense and sounds great, or you'll think "oh wow I need to change that and say something different". Do this a few times, and take notes on your computer or phone while you're doing it. Once you have an outline on paper it becomes SUPER easy to memorize your talking points, and BOOM- you're ready.
2. Translate your outline into notecards if you can't memorize the content
3. Imagine the audience as the people who you feel MOST comfortable around (friends, family, whoever!). If there is someone in the audience who you know really well, focus your attention on them when you're speaking. Pretend you're the only two people in the room, and like you're just having a casual conversation with that person.
4. Take the pressure off. Remember to BREATHE!! What's the worst that can happen?!
Jasanpreet Kaur Bhatia
Jasanpreet Kaur’s Answer
1. Practice as much as you can. Practice at home and present as if you are in front of the audience. Watch your gestures and words which you are using. Correct them in your next round of practice. "Practice is the key of every solution". The more you practice you will find yourself at ease while speaking in front of the audience.
2. Breathe - Even at the time of practice as well as before going to the stage or in front of the audience. Always do deep breathing exercise for 5 times. Inhale through your nose with a count of 5, hold it for the count of 4 and exhale through your mouth with a count of 5.
3. Practice this posture technique before presenting. You can do this everyday too in order to boost your confidence. For a minute stand in a posture with your legs slightly apart and your hands on your waist.
Good luck!
stress anxiety presentations public-speaking confidence practice students businessstudents
Simeon Snow
Simeon’s Answer
Kanan Patel
Kanan’s Answer
I am actually very nervous when I present to people, but two things have helped me. One I wear glasses so I take those off when and cant see anyone, that way I dont have to see anyone staring back at me. Another, if you can see without lenses, is preparation. If you practice over and over, you will feel more prepared
Karmvir Mann
Karmvir’s Answer
Yasemin G.
Yasemin’s Answer
Good luck!
Junli (June) Zhong
Junli (June)’s Answer
This helped me!
Alexandra Grashkina-Hristov
Alexandra’s Answer
Hi Paige,
Building confidence in public speaking is difficult but you can do it through practice. I would recommend either presenting in front of a mirror and/or in front of a friend so you are comfortable with the idea of saying your thoughts out loud. If you repeat what you have to say several times, it becomes easier to say it with confidence.
Another technique is to record yourself on camera and then watch how you did. This might be painful at first, but it will help you understand when you feel nervous and how you actually act. For example, you might be moving your arms more or speaking faster, or forgetting some of the things you intended to say.
For me personally, the greatest joy of public speaking comes from connecting with your audience. That is why I would recommend to try to understand who you will be speaking with. Maybe try to include an icebreaker or a joke, something to make them smile before you begin presenting. When you feel that they are enjoying your presentation, you yourself will become more confident.
Finally, make sure you speak with your own voice. Don't try to memorize phrases, but be natural and at ease with your message and topic.
Practice make perfect, so try to prepare well in advance.
Sheila Jordan
Sheila’s Answer
Prepare by practicing! I prepare by typing my notes in at least 16 - 18 font size. I wear glasses and sometimes I tend to take them off when presenting in order to focus better. If I'm presenting on a telepresence format I usually sit about a chair away from the screen because sitting too close makes everything blurry for me. I practice my material in advance by going live on the video to see how I come across. I also do a brief quality check with 1 or 2 of my peers to critique me on my presentation (ie, approach, content, delivery, etc.). Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong answer to your question. Each person is different and the experience will likely not be the same. I wish you much success and best of luck to you. You'll be fine!
~ Sheila
Molly Brennan
Molly’s Answer
My favorite thing to do is listen to guided meditations before presenting/throughout the week before presenting. Avoid caffeine, get a good night sleep, stay present and focus one word at a time.