Can You Reduce Anxiety When Public Speaking?

When I say the words “public speaking,” what comes to mind? Most of us do have anxiety when public speaking but it hits us all at different points. As soon as you find out about an upcoming speech or presentation, do you feel sweaty palms and a racing mind? Or do you feel fine right up until you have to give the speech and then your knees start knocking and you feel faint? Or maybe both?

If you count my 20 graduate students, I give presentations to groups weekly. It has gotten easier with time because the material is very consistent. But if you throw me into a new crowd, the nerves come back, like the one time I had to give a speech in front of 400 people! Below are tips I use to help decrease my anxiety when public speaking.

Pre Presentation Jitters

Once those jitters start, it can be difficult to stay calm and carry on. The good news is that after about 60 seconds, those nerves naturally subside. You just need to get through the first 60 seconds!

To help get through the first 60 seconds, I engage the audience right away. It takes the pressure off of me and gives me a little bit of breathing room. I start with a greeting and wait for them to greet me back. You can add in other modalities such as a poll or a reflection question.

Nerves During Presentations

Nerves can pop up at any time, especially if the unexpected happens like a fire alarm or an aggressive question-asker. To help mitigate the anxiety that comes with being caught off guard and having to suddenly get back on track, practice your presentation at different starting points.

When practicing, most people start at the beginning each time. Change it up and start the practice with different slides. That way, if something does come up, you have already rehearsed picking up anywhere. This will also help decrease nerves during the presentation because you are very familiar with each slide.

One more note about practicing- practicing in front of the mirror is actually more distracting than helpful. You will be more focused on your gestures, expressions, and outfit at the moment instead of getting through the content. It’s better to record yourself and then watch the video.

Warmups

It’s a good idea to do warmups before the presentation to get out some of the nervous energy. You can run up the stairs, do jumping jacks, or march in place. There is even some research to show that moving around, instead of sitting still, before a presentation will boost your confidence. So, two birds with one stone- you release nervous energy and boost confidence (and another bonus is you burn a few extra calories).

If you have a chance to warm up in the room before the audience arrives, do a few eye warmups. As you move your eyes around the room, hold your gaze for a few seconds, like you would when holding eye contact with an audience member.

For tips on doing vocal warmups, check out my blog post Resonance of the Voice. For a checklist to help you prepare for a presentation, view my Presentation Skills Checklist.

What tips do you have for easing the anxiety of public speaking? Let us know in the comments below 👇