Presentation Fear
You've heard it said many times before - the fear
of speaking is considered by many as their number
one fear, outdistancing death and divorce. There
are legendary stories of entertainment superstars
who undergo extraordinary episodes of stage fright
immediately before they perform...but remember
Nerves Can Help!
It is perfectly natural and healthy to be nervous
ahead of a presentation. Nervous energy, when properly
harnessed, will enable you to communicate with energy,
passion and conviction. Nerves can give you the
edge that you need to perform well. However, in
order to do so you will need to harness and control
your nerves in a positive way.
Techniques for releasing presentation nerves
Relaxation Breathing: Put your hands on you stomach
and breathe in, inflating your stomach like a football,
counting to three, then breathe out slowly with
a longer breathe counting to five, pause and repeat.
Remember the object is to take the edge of the nervousness
not to become laid back!
Forgetting to breathe is very common, if
you breathe in and out as fast as you can for 30
seconds you will begin to feel dizzy and giddy,
that is what is happening when you go into a presentation
and feel nervous.
Visualization
Picture the audience reaction after you have finished
speaking: see them on their feet, hear the applause
and the cheering, feel the warmth of feeling they
hold for you, you can almost smell the success as
you shake hands with your admiring followers.
Keep imagining your presentation going well
Additional tips for overcoming the fear
of public speaking
