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 March 10, 2010 - Are you a very quiet and normally shy individual? Has speaking in front of a group of people been something that you usually have avoided? To the inexperienced person, stepping in front of a microphone and making a speech to an audience can be a very stressful ordeal. The notion of public speaking anxiety is very real to the person who will be addressing an audience for the first time ever. Please be aware that it is something that you can overcome, ahead of time.
If you have never given a public speech before, it could overwhelm your thought patterns if you allow it to. The worst thing that you could do would be to allow fearful, imaginary, and negative thoughts to completely invade your mind about speaking in public. You could imagine the negative thought in which you simply forget what you intend to say mid-way through your speech. You could even imagine horribly that the speech will not be well-received by the audience; with little applause after you finish speaking. As your mind becomes consumed with these negative thoughts, your brain and central nervous system both become over-stimulated. If it gets entirely out of control, you could easily have a devastating anxiety attack before the actual speech.
To help you overcome the anxiety that you have about this speech, here are 3 tips that you should follow:
1. Preparation before the speech
You should sit down, days before the speech, and write down your thoughts concerning what you will be talking about as you speak in public. If possible, seek the help of a friend to assist you in organizing this speech. Once the speech is written, review it thoroughly. Get to know the speech almost by memorization. Practice the speech in front of a mirror, and in front of a small group of close friends. Seek out the advice of these friends; asking for suggestions, compliments, and if necessary constructive criticism. The most important thing, besides actually practicing the speech in front of people before-hand, is to have a finished product that is well-articulated, informative, and interesting.
2. Seek time to relax before the speech
As with any behavior modification ideal, you need to implement steps to lower the amount of anxiety and stress that your body may experience before the speech. Practice breathing exercises. Count slowly up to 5 as you inhale air into your lungs. Exhale the air out slowly, counting up to 8. Repeat this exercise as often as necessary, as it is a great method in lowering your stress level. You should even do this exercise just before walking up to the podium before your speech.
In addition to breathing exercise, take the time out to relax. If it is several hours before your speech, take the time out to listen to some soothing Classical music. It would not even be out of the question if you decide to take a nap. Relax and take the time to basically chill out. At this point, the worst thing that you could do would be to allow your mind to become consumed with the speech. If you have prepared well, (taking the suggestions in tip #1 above) then you are ready for the speech.
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3. Take your time during the speech
There is no rule which would prevent you from using any of the breathing exercises that I mentioned earlier. You would want to be as relaxed and stress-free as possible. Controlled breathing will help to reduce the anxiety. Take your time during the speech. Pretend that you are simply speaking in front of the same group of friends who have already heard, and approved your speech. If possible, invite some of these friends to the speaking engagement. Ask them to sit near the front of the auditorium. Talk to your friends during the speech; as if you are in that earlier setting. If you have notes, write them legibly so that you will be able to consult them throughout the speech if necessary. Pretend that the entire audience is all a representation of the friends who have heard your speech. Your friends approved of your speech. So, will the entire audience.
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