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“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You can say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Public speaking is a nerve-wracking experience. You feel anxious and your terrified that you’ll make a fool of yourself. But it’s not uncommon for people to have a fear of public speaking. Public speaking is scary especially when you tie in social pressure. It’s a normal fear that you can overcome.

You can lower your anxiety of public speaking and increase our confidence by avoiding a few poor habits while incorporating these helpful tips. The following are five tips for reducing public speaking nervousness. While the butterflies may never go away completely, there are still some things you can do to help clear your head before your big moment.

Practice

Anything that you haven’t practice is scary.  So it’s no surprise that practice would be the first step, and the step that you need to complete. You practice for several reasons to remember your speech or lines. And to become familiar with your speech. Practice turns the act of speaking into more of an instinct. As you practice you become familiar with giving your speech. So if you fumble during your speech you’ll have an easier time getting back on track.

When it comes to preparing for a speech there is no such thing as being over-prepared. Don’t stop when you think you know it. Stop when you’re annoyed that you have to keep practicing. Then do it at least 3 more times. The point isn’t just to know your speech but, to know it well enough you don’t want to give it anymore. Once you reach that point you’re ready to go.

Visualization and Relaxation

After you’ve practiced your speech thoroughly do some visualization and relaxation exercises to help prepare you for the big day. They’ll help you get used to the fears you’re going to have when giving your speech.

Start by imagining upset faces and the things that will cause you anxiety. Then you’ll find yourself experiencing a bit of anxiety so try to relax. Imagine those upset faces mean something positive. Think of them as people who are enjoying your speech and are only upset. That there are not more people in the audience to hear it. Then try to calm yourself down until you feel better and keep going.

When that scenario no longer brings you anxiety imagine something else. Like giving your speech in front of a hostile crowd. Then see if you can calm yourself down while giving your speech without distractions. It’ll help you get used to giving a speech and control your anxiety.

Change Your Mindset & Focus on the Positives

When it comes to public speaking most people tend to focus on the negatives of giving a speech. Such as messing up or having an uninterested audience. Try to change your mindset from a negative one to a positive one. Get excited about the material that your speech is on or the people you can reach.

Face Your Fears

Before you walk out on that stage take a deep breath. As you breathe out let go of your fears and relax your body. Walkout on that stage with your head held high and confident. Because the people in the audience want to hear what you have to say.

You’ve practiced and your ready for speech and now its time to let all your hard work show. When you get to the stage take a couple of deep breaths before you start. Don’t let your fears hold you back from achieving greatness.

Write Down 10 Positives After Finishing Speech

After you give a speech your mind tends to zoom in on all the things you did wrong. But the truth is there’s a lot of things you did well while giving your speech. Make sure that you acknowledge them even if you feel as though you had a bad presentation. Don’t focus on the negatives and write out the positives. You’ll just end up letting your mind increase your anxiety. So next time you finish giving a speech take the time and write down at least ten things you did well.

Related post: The Best Fidget Toys to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

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Angela Louise
Written by Angela Louise
Angela is the owner and chief content creator for Weird Louise and is working towards becoming a full-time blogger. In addition to blogging here on Weird Louise, she is an artist and owner of the Social Awkward Club. She also has a passion for helping others discover ways to live their best lives.