Understanding and Dealing with Public Speaking Fear

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Sweaty palms, fast running heart beat or a blank mind, if this is what you face at the beginning of the presentation, don’t worry, you are just one of those who are having the public speaking fear. This is a very common condition and most of us suffer from this.

Well, it is not easy to get rid of this nervousness totally, but you can surely work on yourself to deal with it.

While you are feeling nervous, there is a hush of energy flowing in your body, all you have to do is use this energy in your favor and speak more enthusiastically and confidently.

Here are some tips that you can follow to control your nervousness and use your energy to focus on the presentation.

Know your presentation content well. Yes, whether you have prepared the content yourself or someone else has prepared it for you. The key is to understand the content to its core. If you have a doubt about the content, the same will be reciprocated to the audience.
Plan and structure your presentation in advance: Many a times it happens that, while presenting you suddenly forget what had you planned to say and then the nervousness overpowers you. To avoid this, plan and structure your presentation and make your notes for the presentation. Prepare cue cards with the list of phrases or examples you want to include in your presentation. This will help you give confidence of remembering what you have planned to speak, and will help control your nervousness.
Practice: Do not try to memorize your presentation, but do try to practice it, may be in front of a mirror. Practicing, will give you confidence as it will not be the first time that you will be presenting the presentation. You can also record your presentation, to analyze yourself and improve upon where you feel a need. If required, you can also present it in front of your family or friends. This will help to deal with the public speaking jitters.
Prepare for the questions that could be asked from the audience. This will avoid the panic attack when the actual questions are asked.
Be calm and composed: Now that you have well prepared for the presentation, be calm and confident. Practice deep breathing to relax yourself. During the presentation take some water breaks to sip some water. And always remember to keep a smile on your face. Whatever may be your situation inside, your smile will cover all your anxiety and project yourself as a confident person in front of your audience.