7 Surefire Tips To Overcome Presentation Anxiety
7 Surefire Tips To Overcome Presentation Anxiety
Racing pulse rate, sweaty palms, blood rushing to your face, butterflies in your stomach, trembling voice -if you experience any or all of these symptoms before and/or during your presentations, then you may be plagued with what is commonly known as performance anxiety.
1. Practice Makes Perfect
- Practice in the same venue where you will be presenting and in front of small audience who can give honest feedback
- Practice in front of a mirror and record your presentation
- Rehearsing answers to possible questions
- Working with the same tools you will be using in your presentation
- Learning everything you can about the subject matter
- Coming up with and practicing a fallback plan in case you commit any major mistake
2. Redirect Your Nervousness
Channel energy from unwanted anxiety to something more productive like being more expensive in gestures to boost confidence as you do along
3. Visualize
Scan for friendlier faces in the crowed to imagine your entire audience in a different light
4. Force Yourself to Act Confidently
Forcing yourself to act confidently through appropriate eye contact, body language, facial expressions and tone of voice can direct your mind to eventually follow
5. Ask Yourself “What’s the Worst thing That could happen”
You will soon realize that you tend to exaggerate your pessimism and whatever possible negative outcome isn’t such a big matter after all
6. Practice Breathing Techniques
Take a deep slow breaths to improve blood and oxygen flow to the brain thereby increasing mental alertness and functioning
7. Prepare Your Audience
- Begin your presentation by cracking a joke or asking a question
- Establish rapport by talking to them as you would with a friend
Interesting Facts
The best performance enjoy presenting in front of a crowd, not just because they love the attention, but because they also like what they’re doing. Enthusiasm is highly infectious – when you love your presentation your audience will likewise love it. When you imagine yourself to be doing something you feel passionate about, the tips described above will come easily and natural
