So, you’re serious about overcoming your fear of public speaking. You’re determined not to let public speaking anxiety hold you back anymore. You’ve set a clear public speaking goal and committed to taking regular, consistent action. Well done!
Facing Public Speaking Anxiety Head-On
You know that the best way to overcome your nerves and become a more impactful communicator is through practice. So, you’ve been seeking out opportunities to speak in public and now you have a presentation looming. Eek. On one hand, you know it’s a great opportunity to showcase that project you’ve been leading or to talk about a topic you’re passionate about. You also know that people who put themselves out there and gain visibility are more likely to get ahead. This is the first step to overcoming your fear and achieving the career you want and deserve. But, understandably you’re still feeling some public speaking nerves.
Acknowledge Your Progress Towards Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking
Firstly, give yourself credit for actually stepping up to do that presentation or attending that interview. Many people don’t even take that first step, so you’re already moving in the right direction. No matter what the outcome is, I believe this is something to be celebrated. Acknowledging your accomplishments and success can have a profound impact on your journey towards overcoming your fear of public speaking – it was definitely a game-changer for me!
Ensuring Your Content is Engaging
Next, there are some practical things you can do to prepare for a big presentation, meeting or interview. These include ensuring that your content is on point, knowing what you want to achieve, and considering how you will keep your audience engaged. Check out how to prepare for a big presentation for 5 practical steps on how to do this.
Nerves Are Normal: Embrace Public Speaking Anxiety
Your content is now sorted. Great. But you still feel nervous? That’s okay. Nerves are completely normal when you are doing something new, important, or pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t put yourself under any unrealistic pressure to completely eradicate your nerves. The majority of people – including many brilliant and capable women – feel some nerves when public speaking.
Soothing Your Nervous System to Reduce Your Fear of Public Speaking
The first step to banishing nerves when talking in public is to reassure your body that there is nothing to fear. Overcoming the habit of avoidance is a great place to start – and we already know you’re doing that! Fantastic! From my experience, overcoming the fear of public speaking is less about hacks to overcome nerves and more about sustained mindset work to reassure yourself that you are not in any danger (then the fear response gradually reduces over time).
It takes sustained effort to soothe your nervous system. It’s like doing a few sit-ups and expecting to have a six-pack. But like a muscle, it’s something that you can build up. The more regular and sustained action you take to soothe your nervous system, the better the result. In addition, calming your nervous system has many benefits beyond helping with public speaking nerves, so it’s worth the sustained effort.
But, what happens when the big day arrives and you’re still feeling a little on edge? Well, I have some practical steps you can take in advance of presentations to manage the physical signs of nerves.
Calming Techniques for Public Speaking Anxiety
So, the presentation or interview is approaching, and you’re feeling those butterflies in your stomach. I hear you. When I was scared of public speaking, the night before a big presentation I would barely sleep and wake up feeling exhausted and nauseous. I’d try to distract myself with emails and other stuff and then turn up to my presentation feeling tired and wired!
But then I read about something that actors do before they go on stage (in a great book called Finding Your Voice by Caroline Goyder). It’s called “The Half.” The half is a theatre term referring to the 30-minute period before a performance when actors prepare themselves. They engage in rituals and routines to focus, warm up, and get into character. This can include vocal exercises, physical warm-ups, mental relaxation techniques, costume checks, and reviewing lines. Sports professionals do something similar too—you don’t see them scrolling social media before a big race. They are seriously getting into the ‘zone’.
Creating Your Own “Half” to Reduce Public Speaking Anxiety
So, this speaking engagement is important to you, right? Then let’s act accordingly and block out 30 minutes beforehand to mentally prepare and get into the zone!
Techniques to Manage Public Speaking Nerves
Here are some ideas to try when you prepare for your next big speaking engagement:
Physical Warm-Up
- Stretch: Loosen up your body to relieve tension and promote relaxation. When the body is tight, your voice can become strained and less clear, whereas a relaxed body supports better breath control and more natural, expressive speaking.
- Get Active: Burn off excess cortisol and boost your energy by dancing, doing a few jumping jacks or other physical activities. Before going on stage—Tony Robbins, for instance, jumps on a mini trampoline to eliminate nerves and energise himself before his presentations.
- Power Poses: Have you heard of Amy Cuddy’s research on body language? While there has been subsequent evidence countering some of her findings (there’s always a debate in research), I was personally intrigued. After all, 25 million people watched her TED Talk. Spending two minutes practicing a power pose—what’s the worst that could happen? And in case you’re curious, the Wonder Woman pose was my go-to (obviously!).
- And Breathe!: Try practicing deep breathing to calm your nerves and improve oxygen flow to your body. Deep breathing helps prepare your voice for speaking by increasing lung capacity and airflow, which in turn enhances vocal projection and clarity. Additionally, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in less stress and more calm! There are many breathing practices available, but this short HeadSpace practice is often my go-to choice.
Vocal Warm-Up
- Voice Exercises: Ever started talking and found your voice coming out croaky? That’s a sign you need to warm up! Try performing some vocal exercises to improve clarity and warm up your voice. This might include humming, tongue twisters, or pitch exercises. You could try the vocal warm up exercises recommended in Julian Treasure’s TedTalk on ‘How to speak so that people want to listen.‘
- Hydrate: Ensure your throat stays hydrated and your voice remains clear by drinking water, as adequate hydration supports optimal vocal function.
Mental Preparation
- Visualise Success: Visualisation is a powerful tool that top athletes utilise to give themselves a competitive edge. Why not try it before your next big speaking event? Visualise your successful performance. Imagine yourself speaking confidently and engaging the audience. What does that look like? How does that feel?
- Affirmations: Use positive affirmations to boost your confidence and focus. These are my ten powerful affirmations that will help your overcome your fear of public speaking. Pick a few that resonate and repeat them, either in your mind or out loud.
Focus and Centering
- Mindfulness or Meditation: Spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness or meditation to calm your mind and centre your thoughts. I find it helpful to get out of my mind and into my body, and often doing a meditation that takes my focus to my breath or different body parts can help reduce my mental chatter and distracting thought. .
- Quiet Reflection: Not a fan of meditation? Instead, take some quiet time to reflect and focus. Use this time to concentrate on your intention and the message you want to convey. Personally, I find it helpful to reconnect with my ‘why’. What’s the bigger picture reason I am putting myself out there? Reconnecting with your purpose can provide the focus and the motivation you need for what you’re doing!”
Reviewing Material
- Rehearse Key Points: You might find it helpful to go over your main points and transitions to ensure you’re familiar with your material. Don’t over-practice though!
- Practice Delivery: Run through your presentation one final time! Doing it out loud has the benefit of warming up your voice too.
Finding Your Routine to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety
As with everything, it’s important to find a routine that works for you. We are all different, so try these practices before a public speaking engagement and determine what works for you. You might find one (or a few) of these tools helps to ensure that you are physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared, much like actors before they step onto the stage.
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