How to Reduce Your Speech Anxiety

culled from:wikihow.com

Steps

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Get to know your audience beforehand. This not only allows you to tailor your speech directly to this specific group of people, but also helps you feel less nervous about who will be watching you as you make your presentation. Speaking to a room full of strangers can be scary.

• If you are talking to a group of complete strangers, do an audience analysis. An audience analysis looks at factors like age span, gender, education level, values, beliefs, careers, and cultures of the audience. This can be done via a survey or by talking with someone already familiar with your audience.
• When presenting to a group of people with whom you regularly interact such as classmates or business associates, take time to engage in conversations with them. Ask them questions, observe their behaviors, and note the things they value and talk about.

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   Get to know your topic. The more you know your topic, the less nervous you will feel when you talk about it in front of others.
   • Choose something about which you are passionate to address in your speech. If you do not get to choose the topic, at least try to find an angle that interests you and which you know something about.
   • Research more than you think you should. A general rule for public speaking is that for every minute of your presentation, you should spend 1 hour in research. Not everything you learn will end up in your speech, but it builds your confidence in the subject matter.
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   Prepare for your speech. The more prepared you are, the less anxiety you will feel. This includes writing your speech so it fits your speaking style, finding appropriate illustrations and examples for your audience, and creating effective and professional-looking presentation aids.
   • Test audio and visual aids. Creating a presentation aid and then not having it work during your actual presentation will only increase the anxiety you feel. Try to prevent this by testing your aids in advance.
   • Have a back-up plan. Consider what you will do if your presentation aids do not work due to equipment malfunction or power outage. For example, print out a copy of your slides to refer to should your slide show not work. Decide how you will fill the time if your video does not work.
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   Take control. We tend to fear things that are out of our control. Though you cannot control every aspect of your presentation, you can reduce speech anxiety by controlling the situation as much as possible.
   • Find out what is non-negotiable. You will often be given parameters with your speech, such as how long it should be or what you need to talk about.
   • Communicate presentation preferences to the organization. For example, if you prefer using a hand-held microphone over a headset, tell them. Other things to consider are using a stool, having a podium or table, and having your slides show up on a small monitor for you to use so you do not have to read off the big screen. Work these details out with the organization, instructor, or other representative before the day of your speech.
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   Practice presenting your speech. We tend to fear or be leery of things that are unfamiliar to us. Take the time to practice. You do not need to memorize your speech word for word, but you do need to familiarize yourself with your main points, introduction, transitions, conclusion, and examples.
   • Practice alone. Begin by reading your speech out loud. Get used to hearing yourself. Test the wording and make sure you are comfortable with it. Then practice in front of the mirror or videotape yourself so you can see your gestures and facial expressions.
   • Practice in front of others. Find friends, colleagues, or family members who are willing to listen to your speech. Ask them to provide suggestions. This will give you the chance to become more familiar with speaking in front of an audience. Consider it a test run for speech day.
   • Practice in the room where you will actually present your speech, if possible. See how the room is set up. Find out what the acoustics sound like as you speak. Even if you are already familiar with the room, stand up front and get comfortable viewing the room from that perspective, from where you will be presenting.
   • Focus on the introduction. Chances are that starting your speech well will lower your speech anxiety and help you feel more comfortable throughout the rest of the presentation.
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   Take care of yourself. Getting a good night's rest before you present your speech will ensure that you are clear-minded and not tired when you present. Eat a healthy breakfast to give you energy. Dress in a way that makes you feel confident.
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   Find friendly faces in the audience. Though many people think making eye contact will make their anxiety worse, it can actually reduce it. Simply find some friendly faces in the crowd and imagine that you are having a conversation with them. Allow their smiles to encourage you throughout the speech.
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   Channel nervous energy. Before your speech, stretch, tighten, and loosen muscles. Shake out any nerves. Take deep breaths and calm your heart rate. During your speech, use your nerves to energize your gestures and body movement. It is okay to walk around a bit, but try to keep it natural and try not to pace.