Five Tips to Ease Those Pesky Public Speaking Nerves

Imagining people in their undies isn’t one of them.

Public speaking isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, over 70 per cent of the world’s population experience some level of fear or anxiety.

Unfortunately, we all usually discover our fear of public speaking during high school when we need to present for English or HASS, and this fear often continues right through to university.

Speeches and public speaking are pretty much unavoidable in life (sorry to break it to you) but what we can do is put things in place to ease our nerves beforehand.

So, if you’ve got a speech or uni assignment coming up that involves speaking in front of the class, here are our five tips to reduce your nerves beforehand.

1. Nerves aren’t a bad thing.

You’ve probably heard that said a thousand times before, but it is true. Nerves before a presentation tell you that you care about giving a good speech.

When in a healthy state, it’s been proven that nerves can improve your performance. It just requires you to see the speech as a challenge to overcome and not a threat.

Embrace the nerves!

2. Practise, practise, practise.

This one almost goes without saying, but you need to practise. Whatever your presentation is about, learn the subject matter inside-out.

A great way to do this is to write out a script or palm cards of key points and then practice in front of a mirror or somewhere away from other people.

If you’re going into your presentation knowing that your palm cards aren’t really needed, you’ve practised like a boss.

3. Breathing exercises to calm your nerves.

When you get nervous, your breathing tends to increase and your heart rate goes up, causing you to feel more nervous. It’s a vicious cycle.

If you find this is happening to you before your presentation, go find yourself a quiet space to practise some breathing exercises.

A good way to do this is to close your eyes and do the 4-4-4 method. Inhale in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, and exhale for four seconds. This exercise will slow down your racing heart and help you feel more relaxed.

4. Get a good sleep the night before.

It’s almost universally accepted that sleep is one of the greatest things in the world (I’m willing to die on that hill) and that’s without mentioning the health benefits.

A good sleep the night before your presentation though is exactly what you’ll need to ace it. If you’re struggling to sleep, put on some relaxing music or read a book until you feel drowsy.

5. Take a course.

Finally, if you want to make public speaking nerves a thing of the past, it’s defs worth thinking about taking a course in it.

A great place to start is with our Become a World-Class Communicator course with Student Edge Plus. The course will help you boost your confidence, understand why communication is important, and learn how to manage your nerves.

Upgrade your membership to access this course and more.

Header Image: @priscilladupreez via Unsplash