Preparing for a Speech When You Feel Anxious
Public speaking is much like any other activity — you can have better results with better and more dynamic performance. Anxiety about public speaking can hold you back. One way to avoid it is to prepare yourself well ahead of time. When you are better prepared, you can feel a boost in confidence and make it much easier to concentrate on delivering your message.
Choosing a Topic, You Find Interesting
If you can, you should choose a topic you feel excited about. If you can’t choose a topic, you should try the most friendly approach. You can tell a personal story related to the topic at hand so you can introduce your speech. That way, you can ensure you are engaged in the topic and motivated to prepare and research. When you are present, other people will feel the enthusiasm and will be more interested in your presentation.
Familiarising Yourself with the Venue
Ideally, you must try to visit the conference room, auditorium, classroom, or whatever it is where you will be presenting your speech. If you can, you should practise at least once in that environment, as you will be speaking there. Being familiar with the place and knowing how the audio-visual components work ahead of time can benefit your speech.
Asking for Accommodations
This means changing your work environment would help you maintain your anxiety. If you have been diagnosed with some type of anxiety disorder, such as social anxiety disorder, you may be eligible for such, depending on where you’re presenting your speech. If some accommodation may create a more comforting environment during your speech or presentation, you should see whether you can get it organised.
Avoid Following a Script
If you have ever sat through a speech where someone is reading a prepared script word-for-word in the most tedious and monotone fashion, then you are probably aware that you will not remember most of it. Ideally, prepare a list of key points on a large enough piece of paper, so it will jog your memory when you’re speaking. Cue cards may be a tempting alternative, but flipping through those will be distracting.
There Will be Heckler
Though it’s not a guaranteed occurrence, it may still happen. There is a likelihood of criticism being always there, as well as someone asking hard questions, whether in a business setting or something less formal. The best way to deal with a more demanding audience is to remember to pay the person a compliment and to find some points to agree on. This helps you come across as open-minded while at the same time giving you a chance to answer the question. If you’re unsure how to respond, you should let the person know that’s an interesting point and something you’ll look into after the presentation. Try to anticipate any tricky questions and comments, and prepare ahead of time if you can.
The Importance of Practise
Even with people who feel comfortable speaking in public, rehearsal of speeches is an important part of a presentation. Practising your speech multiple times will give you confidence in your ability to deliver it properly. If there is a time limit to your talk, you should make sure you practise enough times to adjust your content as needed, giving you a chance to fit everything within that time frame.
Getting Some Perspective
This is a difficult thing if you’re suffering from a social anxiety disorder, as it means being able to observe yourself as you are speaking. During a practice run, you should speak in front of a mirror or video yourself using a camera or a phone. Take note of the way you speak and identify the nervous habits you need to address.
