12 Tips to Overcome Public Speaking Jitters

12 TIPS TO OVERCOME PUBLIC SPEAKING JITTERS Prepare Once you have prepared, you MUST practice early and often.Rumor has it that Churchill Practice practiced for one hour per one minute of speech content he was delivering. 5 minute presentation = 5 hours practice. How long are you practicing? 3. Check out Familiarity breeds comfort. Surprises the day of a presentation are not fun and ratchet up anxiety tenfold. Is there a podium? What technology the Room are you using and does it work While not always an option, when you have Read the the opportunity to meet a few audience members beforehand, take it! Arrive ten minutes early and introduce yourself to a few people. If you are Room presenting mid-day, arrive before a key break to meet a few folks. Ask friends, associates or colleagues čome to your presentation. Talk to the conference Seed the organizers when you arrive. Locate them before you take the stage, if possible. Identify where friendly Audience faces are sitting. The purpose is to have friendly faces to focus on if the anxiety starts to build. A few minutes before taking the stage Waggle (lateral movement) your jaw; bend forward and - Body Movement dangle your arms and let them shake; shake your hands over your head; utilize simple stretches and isometric stretches. All of these movements, when incorporated with proper breathing, warm the body, relax the mind and calm your nerves. The more interactive your presentation, the less pressure you will feel, as the presentation Put the Pressure Elsewhere becomes a true conversation, and most people are much more comfortable in a conversation than delivering a presentation. 8. Work on The first minute of the presentation is usually when your tension will peak having a well prepared, effective, engaging open will lessen anxiety dramatically. your Open Don't laugh,on presentation day the restroom is your ally. Ten or fifteen minutes before presenting, head into the restroom to allow yourself the opportunity The to breathe, listen to a last minute song or inspirational music,close your eyes and get into your zone. If called Restroom upon to do a last minute presentation, you will always be able to steal five minutes in the restroom use it to pull yourself, and your thoughts,together. 1795, 1788, 1781... When the anxiety is building and you are less 10 than five minutes from taking the stage, your heart is starting to pound,heat is building and Anxiety? Interrupted you keep telling yourself to calm down my favorite, technique is to pick a random number 1,795 and start counting backwards by another random number 7s, 9s, 11s, etc. It is not easy and allows for thought interruption, essentially plateauing the buildinganxiety Z, Y, X.. Maybe you are a math wizard, or the number Anxiety? Distracted technique is not effective for you. Start reciting the alphabet backward (mentally). Again, more thought process disruption. Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique (my favorite) All you need for this is your thumb,your pinkie finger, and your nose. To begin, simply cover your left nostril with your left thumb and slowly and deeply inhale for 5 seconds to start (10 is optimal). Then immediately cover your right nostril with your left pinkie finger while keeping your left nostril pressed closed at all times your mouth is closed as well, so at this 12 point you are essentially holding your breathe. Again, hold for 5 seconds (10 is optimal). Then remove your left thumb Breathing Exercise from your left nostril and slowly exhale for a 10 count. Infographic produced by : Princeton Public Speaking © Princeton Public Speaking