Our nervous system Is a complex mechanism that includes many components and even such processes that are not always clear to us, and often are not known at all. Some of them, such as fear, anxiety, anger or apathy, we would happily get rid of. Fortunately, we cannot turn off nature's carefully engineered responses. It is fortunately, not unfortunately, because there is nothing natural and at the same time unnecessary. Each, even the most inappropriate, in our opinion, property has its own rational reasons and practical goals. Even the uncomfortable, unsettling and forgetting excitement is not as destructive as it might seem at first glance.

Believe it or not, it’s actually true: the fear that paralyzes you before public speaking is not sociopathy or parenting flaw. It's just an instinct, hardwired into the most ancient parts of the human brain. It works for all people, just some have learned to hide these emotions, and over time - not to pay to them. much attention... And it doesn't matter at all whether you are going to speak in front of a crowd in the square or take the floor at a close family meeting, how often you have to speak in public and how well prepared you are, glossophobia (this is the term in psychology that means fear public speaking) will definitely remind you of yourself in one way or another.

You can deal with it in different ways, but the fact that your negative emotions are not unique and most people experience the same sensations in similar situations, should at least calm you down a little. Coming to terms with your fear and taking it for granted is the first step towards overcoming it. We will assume that it has just been done, and we suggest you go through all the next steps together, getting rid of the oppressive excitement before the performances with each point of our advice.

How to get rid of the fear of public speaking
You will need all of your determination and sincere desire to get rid of your anxiety. Concentrate on this goal and try not to forget about it even in those moments when panic completely knocks out all coherent thoughts from your head. This is the main insidiousness of emotions: they interfere with thinking logically. But you are already armed with an understanding of what is happening and you can prepare in advance for the test of excitement:

  1. Rehearse your upcoming performance conscientiously, be it a speech, a reporting concert or a poem on children's matinee... You must be absolutely confident in your own preparation. If you are faced with the task of getting rid of the anxiety of the speaker, do not children's party child, do not skimp on praise and instill in him the confidence that he knows the number perfectly. Very often the awe in front of the audience is caused by inner uncertainty and a sense of guilt that they cheated, although they could have prepared better. Don't give fear a single chance to take advantage of this loophole. You can rehearse in front of the mirror, but it is better to ask some of your friends to listen to you and observe your own reaction to the “live” viewer.
  2. By the way, about the audience. Why are you afraid of them? These are exactly the same people as you. Yes, there are many of them, but each individually did nothing wrong to you and the main thing is that he is not going to reproach you or look for flaws in your performance. Perhaps they are also worried about something, most have their own fears and problems. Reach your audience with understanding - and you will feel that it becomes easier to connect with these strangers... Think of them not as a hostile crowd, but as a collection of pleasant, intelligent, and benevolent individuals.
  3. You are lucky if you have the opportunity to visit the place where the performance will take place in advance. Be sure to take this chance: go on stage, walk along the ramp, go down to the hall. In general, how to master this unfamiliar territory, including psychologically. A familiar setting is believed to give more confidence than seeing it for the first time.
  4. Breathing exercises can quickly and effectively restore mood and help you feel more confident. Breathe in as deeply as possible and exhale slowly and fully. Try to participate in breathing abdominal muscles... This ventilation will provide the brain with oxygen and streamline thoughts, even if you had a panic attack in the midst of a performance. Fulfill breathing exercises useful to everyone who regularly solo in front of an audience, so that at the right time it is easy to master their naughty nerves.
  5. Now for a surprise tip: don't strive for excellence. Yes, yes, instead of trying your best to perform as best as possible, immediately admit to yourself that you have the right to make mistakes. Everyone has such a right, and it's great to relax in stressful situations... And there is a hole in the old woman, and if you are not a professional speaker or an artist just beginning a career, then you are allowed to fall short of the masters in some way. Moreover: it is the mistakes that allow you to notice and correct your mistakes as early as possible, so as not to admit them in the future. In other words, your current inexperience is the key to development and improvement. And even celebrities and favorites of the public cannot please all those present without exception.
  6. Play it for success. Look ahead in your mind and imagine yourself having already completed your speech, and having finished with a bang. Feel this satisfaction with your own achievement as if it were already a accomplished business. Often such a simple technique helps to get rid of the surging excitement both before the performance and during it.
How not to get excited before a show
Here are some tips on how not to behave and what should not be done in any case before a performance, so as not to aggravate the stress condition.
  1. Despite the great temptation to relieve tension with medication, give up sedatives. Sedatives do not work the same for everyone, and even if you take a proven drug, the effect may be unexpected. It is one thing to drink sleeping pills at night, and quite another - on the eve of a crucial event. You don't want to think slowly, be sluggish, or fall asleep in the middle of a sentence, do you? This means that you will have to get rid of the excitement by your own body.
  2. Excitement causes many people to behave unnaturally, such as joking at the wrong time and inappropriate. So, when a serious performance is on the nose, it’s just not the right time. In a tense environment, the brain seems to work convulsively, not keeping up with the language. Your tortured jokes are likely to turn out awkward and flat. As a result, you will not relax with humor, but only become more worried. Do not provoke such a state.
  3. Naive school advice like mentally undressing those present, presenting them in comical situations can only distract you from the purpose of your visit to the stage. Few people are capable of having fun in this way, repeating text, and fighting excitement at the same time. So, if you are not aiming in Julia Caesari, it is better to choose a priority direction for thoughts and actions and follow only it.
And finally, simple, straightforward, but effective advice: do not be afraid. During the performance, nothing so terrible will happen to you that it would be worth such throwing. Even if you stutter, stumble, and generally forget the whole script. But none of these events can compare with the truly terrible things, and with each of them, in the end, you can come to terms. And if so, then you should not worry about them.

"How to stop being afraid of public speaking?" - the question is relevant for people of all ages and professions. For the first time, we are faced with the need to speak to a serious audience already at the institute or at work. And if at school speaking to classmates gave you discomfort, and you caught yourself thinking - "I'm afraid to do this," then work assignments where it is necessary to convey certain information to professionals, most likely terrify you.

But all this fear of public speaking is only in our heads, so you can easily get rid of it by first explaining to yourself how it arises and what methods of overcoming there are.

The excitement before a performance on stage can be different, but we feel the same state, which is extremely difficult to overcome: hands and knees shake, dry out in the mouth, the voice sounds as if from the outside, the audience turns into one frightening mass. To understand why fear drives us so much and how we can cope with it, let's find out its causes.

Perhaps the very first and underestimated reason for provoking fear of public speaking begins in childhood. When Small child speaks loudly for the first time in a public place, the parent will silence him. Subsequently, this will be an explanation of why a person has a phobia to express thoughts loudly in front of an audience.

When the voice is choked up, it leads to excitement, and ultimately to fear. Of course, school teachers who belittle their abilities and classmates who can hurt feelings without thinking about the consequences will not forget to add fuel to the fire. These moments are the causes of social phobias, including those provoking fear of public speaking.

The second reason why the fearless public speech bypasses us, refers to the psychological component of fear. Previously, fear was synonymous with danger. I felt cold - I tried to warm up faster, I went to the edge of the abyss - I got scared of heights and walked away. Under the influence of everyday stresses: work, study, economic and political changes in society, the instinct for self-preservation has undergone changes. As a result, we start to worry in unjustified situations, including before performing on stage. The reasons that awaken this fear in us are as follows:

  • Fear of people as such due to low social activity.
  • Fear of saying something stupid or making a slip.
  • Constantly winding yourself up with the idea that the audience is negatively disposed towards you, and will closely evaluate the performance.

Another reason for not having the information necessary for the speech. And the last one is agoraphobia or fear of the crowd. Unlike the fear of people, about which it is written above, this fear is deeper, and people do not even realize that they are afraid of a large crowd of people and suffer from this type of phobia.

Why you shouldn't be afraid to perform on stage

Having figured out the sources of the formation of a phobia for stage performances, you must first of all convince yourself that there is no such fear, that we are in vain starting to worry.

The main point on the way to overcome fear, which needs to be realized and felt - public speaking is an opportunity to prove yourself with better side and evaluate your audience skills. This is important because every day, at work or school, we communicate with people, and when it brings us discomfort, our productivity drops, our mood worsens, etc.

Fearless public speaking is the key to your self-confidence. By training skills by presenting information to other people, you bring actions to automatic execution, and over time you will no longer feel discomfort when communicating with people. Let's summarize the useful aspects that can be gained from performing on stage:

  • An experience of interacting with a large audience that will help develop communication skills.
  • As you prepare, you will deepen your knowledge of the topic of your speech.
  • At work conferences or student summits, your speech will get noticed influential figures that may be of service to you in the future.
  • With proper preparation for the reports, your speech will soon become more literate.

How to overcome stage fright

If you apply the above tips too late - the performance is already on the nose, and the phobia haunts you, and you cannot get rid of it, then use the following techniques:

  • Relax. When the body is tense, one involuntarily wants to shrink and not be the center of attention. Relax your body so as not to reinforce the psychological discomfort with physical stress.
  • Your stance on stage should be confident: both feet are on the ground, your arms are not in a closed position, your back is straight. Place your supporting leg forward for stability. This will allow blood circulation to circulate better, deliver more oxygen to the brain cells, and you will become less anxious.
  • It is important to normalize breathing so that the body is not under stress. To do this, inhale, count to 4, then exhale sharply. Repeat 10 times.
  • If you feel that your voice breaks down with excitement, do verbal exercises in advance. Tell the talk without opening your mouth. Pronounce the letters as clearly and expressively as possible. This exercise will relax the muscles in your face and throat and help you deal with anxiety. Take water with you, otherwise at the wrong moment you will lose your voice and you will have to interrupt your performance.
  • If fearless public speaking is accompanied by a tremor in your knees for no reason, then try to mentally direct attention to them. Or fool your brain and deliberately make your knees tremble. After that, the trembling often stops.
  • Make eye contact with listeners to maintain contact with them. This will show that the presentation is aimed at their interest and impact.
  • If you make a mistake, the right decision is not to focus on it and continue speaking. In addition to the task of presenting information, it is important to be able to focus on the main thing. Therefore, if you succinctly omit the error, none of the listeners will even notice it.

The recommendations in this article will help you overcome fear, and fearless public speaking will become a constant companion of performances on stage. You never say - "I'm afraid to perform on stage, I can't handle it." The first time you feel confident in front of the audience, you will understand that in life you have become much more relaxed, and the phobia that haunts you has receded.

Hello dear readers! The fear of speaking in public is very common today. Presentations are held in schools, institutes, at work. We face this in different areas life. How to perform in front of an audience and not worry? Is it possible to overcome self-doubt and become a skillful public speaker? Can. Let's talk about how to achieve this.

10 minutes before the performance

How does our stage fright manifest? The face turns red or turns pale, the heart begins to beat faster, the arms and legs are shaking, a lump comes up to the throat, the jaw stops obeying, and so on. This is all a manifestation of an adrenaline rush.

A man looks behind the curtains, opens the door of the audience and sees a crowd of people. It can be a hall for a thousand spectators, or maybe a room for ten people. For us it is a crowd, a danger, a threat, and we need to run away from it as soon as possible and further away.

But the performance must take place, we are not running anywhere. Understand one simple thing, your physiological manifestations are not something inadequate and bad. In this way, the body is trying to cope with the release of that very adrenaline, to release excess energy.

Do not think that you lost man and you will never be able to perform in front of a large audience. Each problem can and should be dealt with. And the excitement before the presentation can be overcome.

One friend of mine was so afraid that sometimes she fainted ten minutes before leaving, like clockwork. But after several months of hard work, she went out into the hall to a thousandth audience and successfully gave a presentation.

It is important to understand the reason.

Looking for a reason

For many, the first unsuccessful performance plays a cruel joke. Parents did not praise, the teacher said that you are stupid and incompetent, and so on.

After all, for the first time, going out to the public can take place even in kindergarten and it is very important to give a good rating. Since this affects all subsequent performances. Be vigilant with your child.


Role change. We have no fear of talking with friends, we just chat, discuss interesting topic and have fun. We do not feel tension, nothing excites or touches us. For the most part, this is due to the fact that we understand that at any inconvenient moment, you can end the conversation.

This cannot happen in public. We cannot get up and leave in the middle of a speech if suddenly it becomes uncomfortable or the situation gets out of control. The speaker takes charge of the conversation. And he understands that he needs to keep the audience under control. It presses and causes nervous tension... It's not so easy to stop being afraid, especially when several dozen pairs of eyes are looking at you.

During a conversation with a friend, the focus is on the information that the person conveys. During a public presentation, many people focus on the fear of failure, on failure. It interferes with concentration, causes unpleasant pictures in your head, makes you nervous and distracts from the essence of the speech.

“What if I’m not going to succeed”, “What if they laughed at me”, “and if someone asks a question to which I do not know the answer” - all these phrases focus on the anticipated future failure.

Change the vector to the presentation of information and sharpen your attention here. Don't pull the failure yourself.


Grade. Another reason for the speaker's uncertainty is the fear of evaluation. The audience will gaze at everything: clothing, demeanor, facial expressions and gestures, speech, jokes, presentation slides, handouts, and so on. The speaker is as if under a microscope.

However, many people do not understand that many assessments are based on an inadequate system. Someone may not like your blouse, because she wanted to buy herself the same, but she did not have enough money. Another won't like your joke because they have a sense of humor.

Remember how only you know correctly. Don't listen to negative reviews from people whose opinions you shouldn't care about.

You need to be able to listen to constructive criticism. When you are pointed to possible mistakes in the pronunciation of the word, give useful tips by facial expressions and gestures during the performance. Know how to sift the husks from the chaff.

Don't be afraid of negative reviews. Remember, there are always dissatisfied people. There are such comrades even at the speeches of the most eminent speakers. They find fault with everything. The presentation may be perfect, but they will definitely not like the speaker's tie.

In the article "" you can find for yourself a lot useful information, which will be useful to you not only in your personal life, but also for professional growth.

A few secrets of a successful speaker

What can you do to make your presentation interesting, memorable and useful?

Remember oratory like anyone else, you can learn. Today there is great amount schools, courses, open lectures for those who want to learn how to speak. Don't be afraid to take lessons like this.

What can you do yourself?

Work out the structure of the presentation. It depends only on you how prepared your speech will be. Spend a little more time on this and you can have all the questions that may arise during the presentation, you will understand where you are swimming and where you need more information, what can be painlessly removed from the speech, and what can be added.

Remember audience attention. A person can concentrate on one thing only for twenty minutes, then he switches his attention to something else. Make inserts with real-life examples, bright pictures, jokes or life stories. You control the attention of the audience. Direct it wherever you want.

Talk to your audience. Don't think of them as mindless dolls. Ask for advice, let them tell similar stories from your life, help you draw a picture on the board. Get them involved in the process. A person likes to feel significant and useful. Use this in your presentation.

Study. Eighty percent of your success depends on how you behave during your speech. Your facial expressions and gestures are much more important than the speech itself and the information you are trying to convey.

See how eminent speakers behave, how they behave on stage, what gestures they use, what emotions their face expresses. It's body language that provides you with ways to please your audience, to appear confident, knowledgeable.

Stay upright, speak calmly, do not use protective gestures, do not lower your head.

Stand in the superhero pose for about five minutes before you start. This will give you confidence and positive energy. Don't laugh, just try it, it really works. Tested on myself.

You can find a lot of useful information about speaking in Dale Carnegie's book “ How to Build Confidence and Influence People by Speaking in Public". Learn, work on yourself, practice and success awaits you!

Have you always been afraid to speak in front of an audience? How does it manifest itself on a physiological level? How do you deal with this and what helps you calm down?

Believe in yourself and don't be afraid of anything!

Anyone experiences the excitement of performing in public. Whether it is an exam, competition, stage performance, or meeting for an interview to get necessary work as a future employee of the company or a place in educational institution as a student. Or maybe this is a meeting with the one (or the one) with whom you are very in love ...

The first thing that the reader of these lines needs to understand is that the excitement before the performance is not only absolutely normal, but also ... necessary. Probably, it's better for me not to "pull the rubber", but to shock you from the very beginning ...

How to calm down before performing in public

At the very beginning, you must deeply understand the following:

Do not seek to remove the feeling of excitement, remove the "jitters", get rid of and overcome fear!

I will say even more:

Be afraid of public speaking as much as you can, let you “shake”, your feet will be “wadded”, and your hands will be cold and wet to the touch, and tremble!

And I will be 100% sure for you that you will perform better in public than you could have imagined. Believe me, there will be no “failure”. Because you are completely mobilized, all consciousness spurs and gathers together in you - a feeling of excitement and anxiety.

Why are we worried about public speaking?

The main reasons for anxiety before performing in public can be:

High expectations and overpriced significance assessment this event. Often we give a great importance to an ordinary speech lasting 3 - 5 minutes, and if something goes wrong, then a terrible thing will happen. We compare the very chance to speak to a speech before the president or in court, where our freedom is at stake. It is important to learn to objectively assess the importance of such an event.

Last negative experience public speaking. If in a previous similar situation you were very worried or suffered defeat, then in this situation you will experience the same emotions. Try to forget what happened to you in the past situation and start from scratch.

False belief that the audience in which you will have to speak publicly is initially hostile. This is not true. People are at least neutral about the speaker and initially give the speaker some credit. Of course, there are initially negative-minded listeners, but they criticize everyone, not only us, and you should not judge all listeners by them.

Fear of forgetting prepared speech. In this case, you need to rehearse your speech in advance and draw up a plan so as not to get confused in front of the audience.

Fear of additional questions on this topic. In this case, it is important to understand that it is impossible to know absolutely everything and if you are asked additional question, to which you do not know the answer, you can address this question to the audience itself. It will be sincere and honest on your part. And the main thing in a speech is the speaker's trust in the audience.

Inexperience of the speaker... This can only be remedied by systematically speaking in front of different audiences and on different topics. Practice is the most effective method... To get rid of fear, you need to constantly overcome it.

How to deal with pre-performance anxiety

I will present the facts in order of importance.

First, you already know that worry and fear are normal things that help you stay focused. Do not take any sedatives. medications to suppress fear, because you will not be able to achieve your speaking goals! Then there will be no emotional charge of the required power.

Secondly, you must have a clear purpose of the speech, which you disclose in subparagraphs (tasks). Prepare a speech plan in advance with several points, for example:

  • What is it (what is it about).
  • The reasons for this phenomenon (why it happens).
  • What needs to be done to do better what it is about.

Much here depends on the topic of the issue under consideration.

Thirdly, you need to prepare for the performance in advance, if possible. Do not invent anything artificial, take facts from life! Have a short plan in mind.

The most important thing that I wanted to convey to you - admit that you are afraid of Yourself! Feel the fear, and you will not notice how it disappears.

Tips and Tricks for Preparing and Performing in Public

Become aware of the reasons for your fear. There can be many of them. Try the following exercise: Think back to your previous performance, focus on sounds, details, feel the changes in your body. Think about who and how your excitement is connected: with yourself or with the audience. Next, build the work in those areas that caused you problems.

Understand that for the mistakes you make, you will not be fired from your job or sent to jail, assuming that this is the worst thing.

Plan ahead of time for a presentation that is logical and thoughtful. When compiling it, and this is the basis of your speech, it is necessary to analyze literary sources, choose three or four of them and study them carefully. During the reading, it is necessary to make extracts indicating the pages. Find in literature general provisions and what makes them different, mark it in the plan. It's good if this is a detailed plan.

Imagine one of the listeners, put yourself in his place and think about what he expects from your lecture, what he needs and what he will be interested in. Analyze your plan from his position: what will be incomprehensible, uninteresting, and what may not be enough.

Planning for the needs of your audience will help create a productive interaction.

It is better if the text of the speech will consist of logical flow diagrams. Highlight the main thoughts in color, draw up on small numbered cards.

Do not literally take the phrase “lecture”. Make eye contact while performing. This will help to keep the listeners' attention, to monitor the reaction to your words. Then you will have the opportunity to dwell on something in detail and get feedback.

Before speaking, try to imagine in detail your ideal speech: how you will look, what you will speak, how the audience will behave. The script should be structured in a positive way. Try to feel the joy and satisfaction of a job well done.

Think about what might raise questions and special interest from the audience. If any terminology is used, prepare a dictionary and try to translate complex concepts into a simpler language. One a wise man said that "the talent of a real professional is that he can tell just about the difficult."

Think about how you can decorate your speech intonationally. Use your strengths: erudition, sense of humor, erudition. Choose a manner of speaking that is comfortable for the audience. The “know-it-all” tone can irritate listeners. In the course of the speech, you can ask questions that will activate the attention of the audience, if suddenly they stop listening to you: “Do you agree with me?”, “Do you want to add something?”. Reception of use is very effective interesting examples, jokes.

Take care of your appearance... A disheveled lecturer with circles under his eyes after a sleepless night, in crumpled clothes will cause only pity. Clothes should be comfortable, neat, better in classic style... A woman's makeup should preferably be natural, soft. When choosing jewelry, consider your audience's income level and social status.

If you still feel anxious before the performance, take a walk for 5 minutes, walk with brisk steps.

While performing, stand with your arms straight at your sides, feel the tension “flowing away” to the floor, while moving your hands.

A well-tried technique is deep breathing. After breathing for a few minutes, you will feel how your body is "ventilated" and relaxed.

The ability to logically, beautifully build performances comes with experience. Use any opportunity to participate in various events... And your preparation, friendliness and naturalness will be the key to your successful performances.

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Preparing for important presentations is not easy. You understand that you face a huge risk, and you want to do everything right. This creates anxiety and fear, which can even paralyze you. How can you calm your nerves in this case?

Recognize and reimagine fear.

Shot from the cartoon "Kung Fu Panda"

For starters, it’s natural to be nervous and anxious before an important presentation. In a risky situation, your natural fight-or-flight instinct is triggered. Just catch yourself in this sensation and admit that discomfort is an integral part of the game.

Once you acknowledge your condition, you can rethink it - and then cope with fear.

Here is what Beth Levin, author of a book on leadership lessons in the world of sports, recommends: “Think of an athlete who is about to compete in a world championship for the first time. Of course, he will be worried, but he will not be afraid and take the situation as an obligation. For him, such an event will be a tremendous opportunity that he cannot wait to grasp. A nervous state only reminds him that this match is really important for him ”.

Refer to your body

Image: Giphy

When we are overwhelmed by anxiety, we seem to fall out of reality and get stuck in a series of anxious thoughts: what if I can't succeed? What if something goes wrong? What will they think of me?

Awareness can help in this situation. physical signs anxiety: heart palpitations, rapid breathing, heaviness in the chest, sweating and trembling in the voice. Notice them and take a deep breath to revive yourself. Look at your surroundings. Feel something like a table or a switch. Place your weight on your toes or feet.

Your body can help you calm your nerves by:

    Don't forget the basics. Before your big talk, you should get a good night's sleep, drink enough water, and watch your caffeine levels so that your heart doesn't beat too fast. Be sure to eat a large meal so you don't go hungry.

    Choose a strong pose. Studies have shown that being in a strong posture (for example, arms at the waist, legs apart), a person feels more confident. Some scientists believe that posture even has an effect on hormonal levels (although this theory has been questioned by many). Even if confident postures are just a placebo effect, many people argue that they help you gain determination before an important performance.

    Shift your center of gravity. Straighten up and take a deep breath. Imagine that there is a heavy lead ball inside your belly. Feel its weight and strength. Let the heaviness be there rather than in the head or chest.

    Get used to the place. If possible, come to your speaking room as early as possible and pretend it belongs to you. Walk around it, check the equipment, and inspect the size of the room. Think about how loudly and with what expression you will need to speak, what gestures to make.

Be sure to prepare for the start of your performance

Good preparation can help reduce anxiety. Try to find time to collect your thoughts, choose best direction speech and highlight the main points of the speech. Do not forget that you need to take time not only to prepare the slides, but also to what you will say - most speakers, unfortunately, get too hung up on the first. Practice transitions in speech (but do not overdo it, otherwise the presentation will sound too memorized). Prepare and rehearse the beginning of your presentation first, and then everything will go by itself.

Here is what Levin says about this: “The adrenaline rush dissipates in about two minutes. Start your speech with some positive or unexpected words that will set the tone for your presentation. "

Levin once worked with a top manager who needed to prepare a series of corporate videos for employees. He was very worried. Levin advised him to start his speech with a smile and some positive and natural phrase, like: "I like being in this company and what we do every day." So he was able to relax and record the rest of the video with ease.

If you are speaking to an audience live, take some of your audience's time to cope with their emotions at the beginning of the presentation.

    Try to interview your audience. Ask how many people in the audience have been with the company for over 10 years and ask them to raise their hands. Or ask someone from the audience why they are interested in the issue under consideration.

    If you are making a business presentation, outline the main outline of the talk and say something like, "Today we are going to tell you about x, y, and z - do you think we need to discuss these particular topics, or is there something missing?" ...

    Warm up your vocal cords before speaking, especially if you are an introvert by nature. Chat with the barista at the coffee shop, or ask a colleague how his day is going.

Control your nerves while performing

But how can you calm yourself down if, right during the presentation, you began to feel anxiety and insecurity?

Levin advises the following: “Even if you are mistaken, keep speaking. The audience expects a good and successful presentation from you. After all, you were chosen for this case. Even if you are shaking from the inside, the public does not know it. "

The same goes for unemotional audiences.

“Remember that what you mistake for a sullen face can be a common expression of focus. You cannot read the thoughts of your audience, ”Levin said.

If you are afraid that at the presentation you may be asked a question to which you do not know the answer, it is better to make a list of possible questions in advance. It is best to have several options on hand in case you are asked about something that you are not sure about. Here is some of them:

    "Good question. I cannot answer it yet, but I will definitely inform you if I find out something. "

    “My instincts tell me that x. Let me talk about this with my team within a week and send you a detailed answer. "

    Pass the question on to someone else or speak to the audience: "Let us discuss this with the group - does anyone have any ideas on this?"

In fact, no one can know in advance how the performance will go. Besides accepting your concerns and preparing for your presentation, it is very important to evaluate your presentation afterwards. What did you manage, and what else could you work on? Which hike and preparation methods have helped you best? What are the best techniques to use next time? By analyzing our presentation, we improve communication skills and the perception of ourselves as a speaker and a skillful interlocutor.