The Feeling of Public Speaking is a Roller Coaster

Speaking in front of people is an important skill that is used in relationships and careers. Many people become anxious and stutter when presenting. This feeling is normal. I am a confident speaker and enjoy presenting, yet every time before, I get that nervous pit in my stomach, and my palms get sweaty. 

Think of public speaking as a roller coaster. Before you get to the highest point, you anticipate the rest of the ride. You let your mind overpower and all of your thoughts get jumbled together. When you’re on a roller coaster, most people don’t scream on the way up. The screaming takes place on the drop-down. On the ride up, all of your fear and emotions are locked inside, and basically, you’re screaming within. But when you reach the drop and scream, you finally release all of your energy and nerves. At the end of the ride, your fear is mostly or all gone. 

Just like public speaking, you feel that screaming inside before you present. It’s not until the actual speech when you start to relax. Some people feel calm after a few sentences of their speech, while others don’t until the entire ordeal is over. In order to reduce the buildup before a presentation, breathing techniques are helpful. For example, you can practice deep breathing while counting your breaths. Creating a serene environment for your mind helps calm people and improve their speaking. For me, I thrive off of stress. I need to be moving, pacing, or doing jumping jacks in the bathroom to prepare myself for a speech. Find out if you need calmness or excitement to get you through a presentation and use it to your advantage, 

Practicing your speeches in advance, around one week, reduces the stress from public speaking as well. 

Takeaways:

Understand you are not alone and your fear to speak is common

Discover if a calm or excited state prepares you for a presentation and practice ways to get into that mindset

Practice your speech before you give it in order to be prepared and reduce nerves