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How to Reduce Presentation Stress
A little bit of fear as you prepare for a big speech or presentation is common. Even the best speakers in the world get anxious before they get on stage or speak in front of a large group.
Let me first tell about what causes the presentation stress. It comes from the fear of being judged, which stems from all of the attention that people place on you when you’re speaking. Ideally, you need to be able to deliver a loud, effective speech. Yet doubts over our own ability can create a feeling of fear that is tough to shake. The stress can only be reinforced as well. If you go up there and do a great job, but make a few mistakes, your mind tends to focus on the mistakes, and your fear is then confirmed.
Now I offer you some strategies that will help reduce your presentation stress.
First and foremost, practice and prepare. Make sure that you are completely knowledgeable about the topic you are going to present. Anticipate questions that the audience may ask you and prepare your response. Verbally rehearse your presentation aloud with the goal of speaking clearly, smoothly and knowledgeably. Record yourself after you have "presented" your speech a few times and assess how successful your preparation has been to that point. Think if you were an audience member, how would you react to the speaker? What can you do to make the presentation sound better? Experienced speakers know when to emphasize words for greatest impact while speaking.
Most importantly, switch the focus from you and your anxiety to your audience. Change your internal conversation. Instead of saying "I am so nervous that I think I will be sick", say "I think I can really help these people with the information that I am going to share". Have confidence in the goal of your presentation which is to have a positive impact on your listeners. They leave your presentation with new information that they can implement in their lives. To remain focused on this goal, think about a time where you succeeded in helping others to learn new and valuable information and how powerful it felt to be able to share your knowledge with others.
You can also work with a speech therapist who can guide you through the process of decreasing your fear of public speaking. A therapist experienced in the art of communication can teach you where to pause and phrase, what words to emphasize for the greatest impact, how to eliminate distracting fillers such as "um, so, like, you know". When you are in control of your speech, you are more in control of the situation. Don’t let your fear of public speaking limit your career opportunities and social interactions. Master your fear so that you will have enough adrenaline to be energized but not too much anxiety that nerves will inhibit you. Learn to reduce the stress!