It’s five minutes before you’re up, and you can feel the anxiety mounting. Sure, everyone else so far has done just fine, but that only makes your inevitable mistakes all the more blatantly obvious. But chill out, you will be fine. Although it’s not possible to completely get rid of anxiety (it’s what makes us human), there are multiple ways to manage and control your anxiety. Use your anxiety to make your speech even more memorable, with these easy tips, and you’ll be a pro in no time!
Why do we even get anxious? The main causes of anxiety are also known as stage fright. Basically, it’s usually derived from being the center of attention, the fear of looking foolish, simply forgetting your speech, and/or getting a bad grade. And these fears can really hold us back and keep us from reaching our full potentials.
Before we get into ways to handle the elusive anxiety, let’s settle a few myths that have been going around. I know we all seem to have a fascination with picturing people naked or in their underwear, but please don’t try it. If anything, it takes a heck of a lot of concentration in order to picture these people undressed. And even then, that cutie in the back would only be a distraction. Deep breaths are also not a great idea. While you don’t want to forget to breathe (bad idea), taking multiple deep breaths in a row will probably just induce hyperventilating.
Now! How to manage and control the palm sweating, mental panic attacks that seem to come and go so suddenly. Make sure to prepare and practice your speech. If you know your speech and have rehearsed it, complete with all the nuances and alterations in pitch, you’re more than half way there!
If possible, check out the venue and envision where you’ll be standing. Plan out your materials, if you have anything, and make sure it’s all in working order. Practice the speech using your supplies (examples are PowerPoints, poster, or even just your notecards). Speaking with your aids will get you more comfortable with them, which will alleviate at least some of the tension.
Take some time out of your day to plan your attire. If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, it definitely shows. Plus, dressing well makes other people see you as more credible. They are therefore much more likely to believe you/enjoy your speech if you look good.
Sources: Public Speaking 1100, University of Connecticut