If anyone knows me, then they know that I am very shy when I first meet someone, but afterwards I can be very outspoken and never shut up. I will walk by strangers and tell them hello. I’m not afraid to go up to a stranger and ask a question or start a conversation with my fellow students. But when it comes to standing in front of an audience, I freeze. My heart starts pounding intensively and I can feel my throat drop into my stomach. My breathing becomes uneasy and my blood begins to boil. My hands and legs feel weak and shaky, also. But how do I overcome this fear? What can I do to help myself get through this? How can it be so easy to speak to others but when it comes to a bigger audience, I get so frightened?
After almost four years of college and taking public speaking almost once a year, you’d think I’d be a professional by now. Nope. I still have to talk myself into the speech I’m about to give and that everything is going to be OK. In my first public speaking class in my freshman year of college, my professor had told us to imagine everyone in the audience in just their underwear. This, however, was no help whatsoever. What helped me to get through that class is the realization that I wasn’t the only one with public speaking jitters. I didn’t twirl my hair, mess with my notes, or anything like that. Instead, I stood in my relaxed state and spoke to my audience like they were my group of friends. Not only was it like 10 other students and my grade was docked for my stance, but it helped me. And of course that was something I needed so badly to work on.
Here are some of my personal tips to get over the fear of public speaking.
1. Organize.
This is a big one for me, because I work better when everything is in order. This also helps your mind relax, which can essentially reduce your anxiety and better focus on the topic at hand giving you an amazing speech.
2. Practice Makes Perfect.
Prepare some notes and go over these notes until everything is instilled in your mind. But don’t read the notes word for word. Never practice notes word for word or you’ll definitely look like your reading a script. Instead, practice until it sounds like a conversation you’d be having with a friend. Make sure you become comfortable with any questions that may arise as well. You can even practice in front of a mirror. Watch your facial expressions, hand gestures, body posture, and how you look presentably. Sounds silly but it really helps. I usually do this when nobody else is home.
3. Pre-Present to Someone Else.
I usually sit down with someone such as a roommate, friend, or family member and recite my speech just to see what they think. If I’m missing anything or doing some fidgeting, then they should be able to let me know.
4. Relax.
OK, so it’s time to get up and present your speech. I know this nervous feeling all too well. Am I going to stutter again? Is someone going to laugh at me? Just take a few deep breaths, have a glass of room-temperature water (this helps lubricate the throat), focus on your material, avoid talking too fast or too slow, and turn your nervous energy into positive energy (make a joke or something). This all may seem so hard when all you’re doing is thinking about how silly you may look but trust me, believe in yourself.
I still get the jitters, but after my process above, my jitters seem less and less hard on me. I still get nervous when getting up to speak, but after telling myself that I’ve got this, then all becomes well. That feeling after the speech is one of the best. But wait. Your grade. This is nerve-racking for me also. What is my grade going to say about this speech that I just gave? I have a habit of thinking I did horribly and then my grade comes back and says otherwise. So just keep thinking positive and it will all work out in the end.
