It’s the night before your big speech. Your roommate is already asleep. You have run out of coffee. And you have already practiced your speech to yourself, to friends who simply nod their heads in response, or to the wall in an empty room. What more can you possibly do at this point to prepare!?! Put the speech away, and follow these eight simple solutions to building your confidence for the actual delivery of your speech.
1.Get Some Sleep
Picture from www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_tips.htm
We need our beauty sleep, ladies. According to the Health Center at the University of Georgia, college students on average only sleep about 6-6.9 hours a night. Since we have become accustomed to this short amount of sleep, you’ll need to make a conscious effort to be sure that you are at least getting six hours before the day of your speech. Not only will your body feel rejuvenated, but your mind will feel refreshed, and you will be able to think more clearly while delivering your speech.
2.Wake Up 15 Minutes Earlier than Usual
From personal experience, I have realized that waking up 15 minutes earlier than usual helps me to avoid feeling rushed while getting ready for classes in the morning. It’s extremely helpful to look over your speech one last time in this extra 15 minutes, so that it’s still in your short-term memory when it comes time to deliver your speech.
3.Eat Breakfast
We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is true because it revs up your metabolism. Breakfast tells your body that it is time to start working in order to digest the calories. If you don’t eat breakfast, your body still thinks that it needs to store energy. This will make you feel tired while delivering your speech—your body might even get angry with you for trying to exert energy. We don’t want anyone yawning at the podium!
4.Wear Red
Picture from taylorswift.com
The color red has so many powerful meanings. Think about how Taylor Swift described her relationship as “red.” It’s just a color, so why do we understand what she means by this? Red has become associated with power, energy, and passion—three things that are extremely important for us to have in a speech. So dig through your closet, and find that shiny red blouse of yours. If you can’t find any red, try dark purple—another bold and daring color to help build your confidence level.
5.Wear Heels/Wedges
For those of us who are of a shorter stature, it can be intimidating to be around people who are twice our height. This can be especially daunting when you’re standing in the middle of the room with all eyes on you. Why does height matter so much? Tall people get larger salaries, higher status and more respect. Yep, that’s right. The idea of receiving more respect from your audience is enough to build confidence.
6.Power Pose
Picture from library.ucsc.edu/reg-hist/dangzalan
For my public speaking class, we watched a must-watch TED Talk by Amy Cuddy on how your body language has the ability to shape who you are. She talks about how two minutes of power posing can actually increase a person’s confidence level. Power posing includes placing your feet on the table, putting your hands up behind your head, flexing those bicep muscles, etc. With that being said, a few minutes before your speech, put yourself in one of those powerful positions. People might think you’re a little crazy, but that’s okay! After they watch your speech and see how confident you are, the whole room will be posing as well!
7.Breathe
Did you know that public speaking is feared more than death itself? Breathing seems like a simple task, but in a public-speaking setting, it can be incredibly difficult. When humans are put in a frightening situation, we react with a fight-or-flight response—a basic survival mechanism. That is why your adrenaline goes through the roof, and your breathing sometimes becomes uncontrollable just at the thought of speaking publicly. Just remember to breathe in slowly through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Do this for at least a few minutes before it’s your turn at the podium.
8.Smile
Enough said. Smile, beautiful! Show that audience what you’re made of!