#public-speaking
For work reasons, I regularly have to stand up in front of a bunch of people I have never met before, and talk to them. Usually it’s about fifteen people, but at conference time my seminars have upwards of seventy-five people or more in the audience.
For years, public speaking was not my favorite thing; I dreaded it more than anything else in the world. But I love it now, and I’ve been told I’m good at it, so I’m gonna share some tips.
- Freak out. Go ahead. Give yourself permission to panic about having to stand up in front of a bunch of people and give a speech. Go. Panic, scream, cry, complain to the world. Just get it out of your system - really get it all out in one go. You can have anywhere from ten minutes to three hours, depending on how close this due date is. But however long you take, know that when you’re done freaking out, that’s it - it’s work time now.
- Make an outline. Write down the main points you want to cover. Dates, theories, equations, all of the Big Stuff. Write them all down in the beginning, so you won’t forget them later.
- Once the Big Stuff is written down, start filling in details: what’s important about this date, explain this theory, what’s the application for this equation. If it seems relevant, give examples (but limit it to one or two easy examples per item; overfilling with examples can lead to your audience forgetting what you were talking about)
- If you are making a PowerPoint - start transferring that outline into your slides. Don’t worry about design, format, animations, none of that right now. It shouldn’t be pretty at the beginning, all you need is your information on the slides. Make sure your slides are simple and not stuffed with information. Font size should be at least 28 for every bit of text - if you need to shrink it down to fit your information on, move it to the next slide or user fewer words.
- Write your speech in bullet points. Resist the urge to write it out word-for-word. If you write it out word-for-word and practice from that and nothing else, one of two things is probably going to happen: you will recite the speech as you have written and it will come across as a recitation rather than a presentation, or you will forget a word somewhere in the middle and stumble over yourself. Writing your speech in bullet points lets you fill in the transitions as you’re practicing; your flow will be more even and natural when you’re speaking, and you won’t get caught up in what the next word is supposed to be.
- Practice. Practice, practice, practice.Do not, under any circumstances, wing it. If you wing it, you will feel unprepared, so you will come across as unprepared, and you will probably forget important details or be surprised when a particular slide shows up. Practice until you are tired of your topic, practice until you want to murder your topic and bury it out in the back.
- There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a sentence and realizing you have no more air left. When you’re practicing, make note of where you should breathe.
- Practice with an audience that can interact with you (your dog is a loving and supportive friend, but your dog can’t tell that you’re talking too fast). You need to give your speech to someone who will give you honest feedback - it can be an audience of one. Make it clear to them how you want their help: do you want them to critique your content, your presentation skills, or both.
- Preparation is equally as important as practicing. Check your PowerPoint - are all your animations working correctly? Is everything spelled right? Do you have legible notecards written in a way that will help you? Do you have an outfit planned (you want to look nice, but you also want to be comfortable)?
- Three days before, stop tweaking it. Stop making major changes. Go ahead and change the wording, but do not add any new content (and do not remove content unless it really is garbage). Up until now you’ve been practicing with a certain set of content, and throwing new content in at the last minute can unsettle your pacing and structure - it’s information you haven’t had nearly as much time as practice.
- One day before, leave it alone completely.It’s locked. Done. It’ll be what it’ll be. 24 hours before your speech is not the time to making any kind of adjustments to it. You’ve practiced what you have, you know you can rock what you have, so you’re going to give what you have.
- If steps 9 and 10 have both failed for any number of reasons (which is fine! happens to me all the time), then this is the rule you need to pay attention to. For the love of everything you find holy, do not make changes to your speech right before you give it. This has the same effect as winging it, and all the practice you’ve done will be for nothing.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Be hydrated. Eat breakfast (but not a super big special breakfast that might upset your stomach; eat your normal breakfast, even if that’s toaster pastries and a can of soda). Dress in layers, so you can remove or add a layer as necessary and not be freezing or sweating up there.
- Go first, if you have the option. Seriously. Volunteer to go first. You’ll get it out of the way, and you’ll be done. More importantly, you won’t be watching everyone else’s presentations/speeches while worrying about your own - that’s a super easy way to psych yourself out. So go first, or at least go early.
Other tips!
- Watch stand-up comedy. What stand-up comedy teaches you is timing, pacing, and audience interaction. Stand-up comics stand in front of people and talk to them for a living - they just happen to be funny when they do it. Study them for timing and pacing: where do they pause, for how long, how do they transition two wildly different topics together, etc. Stand-up comics are great at handling unpredictable audiences.
- PowerPoint animations: never use slide transitions, and the only animation you should ever use is “appear.” The “appear” animation controls what’s on the slide at any given time and is helpful for both you and the audience (though don’t make stuff disappear once it’s already on the slide). You won’t rush over yourself trying to move on to the next topic, because the next topic isn’t visible yet.
- Also on PowerPoint: know where your slides end. Create a little circle or square in the bottom corner that’s just a shade or two darker than the background color, and have it be the last thing to appear on the slide. Your audience won’t notice it, but it’ll be an indicator for you that the slide’s over and you’re moving on.
- If it’s speech with a time limit, have a buddy keep time by holding up a piece of paper with how much time you have remaining. Since you’ve practiced, you should know about how long your speech is, but you may speed up or slow down in front of people and you need to know about that. Be clear with them up front about what they need to tell you: you don’t want to be suddenly blindsided with 2:00 LEFT, but neither do you want to be warned every five minutes.
- Have a buddy give you signals. I talk super fast in front of people, so I always have someone in the back of the room to give me the “slow down” hand signal. You may also get really quiet, and you need someone to tell you to speak up. If at all possible, you want to adjust your speed or volume before someone in the audience points it out to you, which can interrupt your rhythm and train of thought.
- If you talk with your hands, talk with your hands. If you want to stand still, stand still. If you like jokes, tell jokes. If you need Star Trek references, make them. Let yourself be yourself. You’re already in an uncomfortable situation, and trying to silence something fundamental about who you are is going to make it so much worse. Be yourself in front of a crowd - you will be a lot more interesting, and a lot more fun (and have a lot more fun), than everyone else who’s trying to be as flat as possible.
If you have any questions or want some extra advice or anything, I’m happy to help!
this is rly solid advice thank u!!!
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Public Speaking & Presentation Masterpost/Advice!
Whether you’re giving a speech or a presentation with images, here are some tips and useful links:
Important general tip:
If you are feeling yourself panic, stop for a moment and take a breath then continue. No one is judging you and everyone is supporting you! :)
Giving a speech:
1. Do NOT just stare at your ‘script’!
2. Stand up straight, speak clearly and confidently, and smile
3. Use prompt cards, not a printed version of your entire speech10 tips for giving a great speech - Forbes
9 tips for giving your best speech ever - Lifehack
Tips for a good school speech - wikihowGiving a presentation:
1. If you have a powerpoint (or similar) do not have a ton of writing! Having one or two key words or just an image is a lot better as it ensures the audience (and you!) are not just reading off the slide
2. Know the content inside out - be an expert! (no necessarily memorise but make sure you really know your stuff - this will help with confidence too)
3.How to give a good presentation - Princeton
How to make presentations - University of Kent
How to give a memorable presentation - TimeThis masterpost/advice post was requested by @jessastudy:)
Request a masterpost/advice post!
Use#izzistudies for anything you want me to like/reblog!
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Filler Words and Floor Holders: The Sounds Our Thoughts Make - JSTOR Daily
More about the functions of filler words! Turns out they’re extremely useful!
What’s the purpose of filler words?
Are filler words like um,like, and you know a sign of poor speaking skills, or do they serve a purpose?
Like these videos? Consider becoming a Linguistic Discovery patron!
Linguistic Discovery is creating videos about linguistic diversity and language science! | Patreon
After seeing the impact @ReclaimYourVoice events were having on people’s lives, I became passionate about continuing the work. My fear of public speaking was still something I had to deal with and it was a challenge every time I had to stand in front of the room as the host. But not only did I keep doing it, I also found myself going to open mics around the city so that I could let people know about our events. I would perform my Firefly poem and then finish by speaking about Reclaim Your Voice. I must admit I surprised myself; I’d spent my entire life fiercely dreading ever being on stage and here I was taking the initiative to do so because I believed in this cause so much. I was doing things to raise awareness for the survivor community that I was never willing to do for myself with my photography business. I was now willing to try and fail. I was willing to face rejection. I was willing to face my greatest fears. And despite the fact that this meant constantly making myself uncomfortable, and despite the fact that I was doing all of this for free(dom), I had never felt more fulfilled in my life.
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The First @ReclaimYourVoice Event || Planning the event was easy enough. I booked a room through the Toronto Public Library system and promoted it on Facebook. Most of the people I was connected to knew me only as a photographer so I’m sure they were surprised to see me promoting an event for people who’d been abused, but the response was incredible. 76 people not only confirmed their attendance but also left comments on the event page, applauding this initiative and saying how excited they were to attend. Their enthusiasm gave me another boost of confidence and I couldn’t wait for this to happen.
When the big day came, my friends and I set up the space, laid out an abundance of refreshments, opened the doors and waited…and waited…and waited. But none of those 76 people showed up. Painful. I felt deflated. For so many people to have promised their support and to have none of them keep their word really hurt. I delayed the start of the event as long as I could, thinking that perhaps those 76 people were just having trouble finding the place, but after 45 minutes went by it became clear that they weren’t coming. Despite the crushing disappointment I felt, I had to put on a brave face and start the event.
I went to the front of the room to welcome the 20 people who were there, all friends of mine and the other speakers, when suddenly my lifelong, paralyzing fear of public speaking resurfaced with a vengeance.
I hadn’t addressed a room since making presentations in high school and several years had passed since then so I simply assumed that I didn’t have stage fright anymore. I was completely wrong. Simply standing up to greet the small group filled me with absolute terror. After I welcomed everyone, I took my seat and one by one the other speakers shared their stories beautifully and gracefully while I sat waiting with my heart pounding, overcome with nerves. When it was my turn to tell my story, I went shakily to the front of the room and began to read from the speech I had prepared. When I got to the part about LO abusing his animals I started to cry and my whole body trembled. I paused to take a few deep breaths in an attempt to regain my composure but it didn’t help. As I fought my way through the torturous 15 minute speech, I repeatedly paused to breathe deeply hoping desperately that it would help calm me down, but it was of no use―I just had to power through. Interestingly, it was when I arrived at the part of my story where I finished speaking about the abuse itself and began talking about my healing that I finally calmed down. I stopped trembling and the tears ceased as well.
To be completely honest, I didn’t feel good when the event was done. I felt low and gloomy, partially due to all the uncomfortable feelings that had arisen when I spoke (which I later learned is common after revisiting and releasing painful memories and not necessarily a bad sign) but also because of all the people who said they would show up but didn’t. I felt that maybe hosting this event had been a mistake. But my friend Cher, who had also shared her story that day, gushed to me about how amazing it had been. She once again caught me off guard with her positive view of this event and showed me that despite the heaviness I was feeling, something powerful had happened that day.
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My Australian Sewing Guild Talk
I was recently asked by the Australian Sewing Guild to speak about my favourite topic, underwear! I hadn’t been to a guild event before so I had no idea what to expect. The one thing I did know however was that the women in the audience would be from a generation that rejected the type of foundations that I love. This detail paired with the fact that I am terrified of public speaking, caused me…
To the people who say to combat the fear of public speaking by picturing everyone naked:
WALKING INTO A ROOM OF NAKED PEOPLE IS LITERALLY ONE OF MY WORST NIGHTMARES
HOW DOES THAT MAKE IT BETTER?!????
I would rather do public speaking
1. Know The Power Of Silence
Whenever you hear people speak, you hear music. Language is sound. And if you’ve ever heard a beautiful piano sonata or a violin concerto, a bad note in the middle of a stirring melody can really ruin the mood. The same goes for someone who says “uhhh, uhmmmm” before and after every sentence. These are people who are, in some sense, afraid of there being silence in the conversation.
The people who speak eloquently know the power of silence, and if forced to pause, use that silence to their advantage. Silence creates suspense, and can either be seen as “uncomfortable” or as an opportunity to make the next statement that much more poignant. There is power here, and the greatest speakers know how to use it to their advantage.
2. Eliminate uhm, uhh, etc. Replace with “Well; you see; now…”
Going off the above, people tend to stutter and fill silence when they are nervous, uncomfortable, don’t know what they’re talking about, etc. We all learned this in middle school. The fastest way to make your teacher believe you didn’t do the work was to stand there with your hands in your pockets saying “Uhhh….”
Whether or not you actually are nervous or if you have no idea what you’re talking about is besides the point. It’s what your audience BELIEVES that matters, and these things can be easily concealed with words like “Well; you see; now…”. Instead of saying “Uhm, I was thinking…” you say, “Well, I was thinking…” Very different sounding, yes? These little words, especially “Now” is a filler word that can help you extend silence if you need time to think. Take a moment to pause, say “Now…” pause again, and then move on with what you were going to say. That’s 2 whole seconds you get to formulate your next thoughts.
3. Jargon Isn’t Impressive
The best talkers leave the jargon at home. Want to know the difference between a new salesman and a seasoned salesman? The new salesman leaves you confused, the seasoned salesman makes you feel like you are more educated than you think.
Jargon is pointless. It’s meant for people at your office, people you work with, to get more done faster. It’s not intended to be flashed around to make people feel impressed. It usually doesn’t impress them. It just makes them confused and feel left out of what the conversation really should be about, which is how to provide value, or an emotional component that is easier to relate to. Think more poetry, less endless prose.
4. Eliminate Curses
The sophisticated don’t use words like fuck, shit, ass, bitch, etc. They just don’t. I myself have a sailer’s mouth, but I also know there’s a time and place for it. The fastest way to earning the trust and respect of those around you is to speak well, and that means eliminating the “gutter” words.
5. Be Descriptive and To The Point
Somewhat in line with jargon usage, get to the point and don’t talk around it. There’s no point. Nobody wants to sit through your stream of consciousness. Say what you mean to say in the least amount of words, and then when you get to the meat of what you’re saying, describe it in such detail that the person you’re talking to can envision it with perfect clarity.
Details are everything. They’re what wet our senses and are ultimately what draw us in. It’s the reason why some people are terrific storytellers and others put you to sleep. This is not to be confused with saying “a lot.” It’s not about length. It’s about saying what you mean to say, and saying it well.
[online source]
the power of speech has really been on my mind lately. so this is one of several pieces on communication that that ive come across & i’m hoping to find many more of. please join the conversation by sharing any tips you may posses!
Hi everyone! Here’s a sort of masterpost on the tips I got on presenting (I put everyone’s @ with their message, unless it was sent in anonymously, but if I missed any usernames, let me know!).
I really didn’t expect so many of you to help me out, but I’m so touched. You guys have genuinely helped me through it and I think this was the first time ever that I was giving a presentation (or: talking out loud in front of more than four people) without shaking uncontrollably and stumbling over my words every other sentence. Just reading all your messages calmed me beforehand, you made me feel a thousand times more comfortable when I went in and as I was up there.
To everyone I didn’t post, I’ve sent you all a message personally to thank you, and if you sent it in anonymously and I haven’t: thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I seriously am so grateful to you.
This is a very long post, so you can keep reading below:
About your post on anxiety for online talks, you can focus on having good posture. It helps with breathing more deeply. Also, don’t be afraid to tell people your nervous and need a few seconds from time to time to gather your thoughts : it happens to many and they’ll understand. One last thing, you can have a glass of water next to you and take a sip to recenter before answering. Good luck !
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Your comment function is closed on the temporary post but my recommendation is to have physical note cards if possible with key points or at least the opening sentence. Shaking your shoulders will help destress a bit if that’s physically possible. Smiling, even if it’s forced, will also help. Silence is okay. And whatever the result, reward yourself for being brave enough to do it - every bit of experience will make the next time easier! Good luck
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Would counting help? I often find that counting by 7s helps distract me from whatever I’m feeling because I have to do the math of adding the numbers in my head. And often having a small fidget toy helps me, even if I don’t use it it’s comforting to know it’s there.
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Anonymous:
I have a similar problem and I remember my teacher telling me that instead of looking at the audience, look at the wall (if there is one) that worked for me. Hope it helps, good luck :)
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@vallendesterren:
Hi. Are there any things that always calm you when you’re nervous? This could be a song, a smell, a loved one, … Maybe it could help to be in contact with that object/person to calm you down beforehand. Positive affirmations also do wonders. Telling yourself that you’ll do great, while you try to believe it, can boost your confidence. Try to focus on the present, not what will happen a few minutes later. During the presentation you can choose one point just right above your audience to look at, this way it seems like you are looking at them but you are not. Try to focus on your content and not on the people you present it to. This is your presentation, you know what to say, they are alone listening. What also may help is imagining that you are talking to friends or yourself. As if you’re practicing. If you experience trouble speaking and it goed downhill, it’s never wrong to catch your breath. Normally they will understand that it’s stressfull. Pause for a moment, close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out. Maybe a small “you’ve got this” in your head. I believe in you. Good luck!
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Anonymous:
I really don’t know how helpful this will be but you could try clenching both of your fists for 1 min as hard as you can and make sure your shoulders are relaxed while doing it. Then very slowly unclench them. Repeat that for 3 times and that should help you take any frustration out and calm your nerves down. And think the people your presenting to are dumb- don’t mean to sound rude but if you think that your wayyy better then them and they don’t know anything of the topic your presenting it might help you. You can repeat that your smarter af before you fall asleep. I hope it goes well for you.
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Anonymous:
Hi! About your speech thing, what always helps me is to practice it beforehand (if possible) and then I usually try not to focus on the audience (e.g. by looking at a point “over their heads”) and only keep my focus on the topic. And whenever I stumble I try to just move on and not repeat myself bc I feel like repeating makes it worse? Anyway, I don’t know if that’s in any way helpful, but I wish you the best of luck, you totally got this!!
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@maltsnack:
Re: presentation.
I pretend that I’m already friends with everyone! And the presentation is really just a chat with friends about something you’re super passionate about! I literally say inside my head “these are all my class/uni/work buddies and it’s all chill.”
The down side is occasionally coming off a bit too casual, but I believe that’s far better than freezing up! And my feedback for most things is that I seemed to know my material/was confident (because I was focused on the material not the crowd) and that it was engaging (because I was just ‘casually telling my friends’ not worrying about formality).
It may not work for everyone but that’s how I get through them :) Good luck!!
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Hello dear I‘m answering in reply to your recent post.
I‘m struggling with dissociation a lot, which causes me to feel very foggy and oftentimes leaves me unable to articulate myself in any way. I have had to learn and keep learning more about ways to communicate myself. I understand your situation is different, so my tips might not be of help to you, but in case there is something useful, I want to share what I‘ve discovered so far:
* focusing on your breath and resting deeply within your body.
* Reminding yourself of your worth and your abilities. Maybe even imagining your own little scenario in that situation - something like this: You are a flower and you know your roots (you are prepared, you are grounded on something, you are versed in what you are talking about, etc.) and you may allow yourself to bloom. Your environment is there for your support, even if it might not seem that way. Those heavy droplets on your petals that make you want to sink your head? They want to nourish the ground you are living in. The heavy nasty wind ripping off some of your leaves that you have taken off so lovingly? Once helped your seeds to be blown to exactly that place you have been growing on. No matter how challenging a situation, it‘s always an invitation to grow. Which leads me to the next point.
* you are in control. You can always decline an invitation. You do not owe anyone anything- the same goes for your words. Are there minor or major consequences? Yes. Might there be judgement from other people? Perhaps. But none of that matters, if you are your closest friend and supporter. That might sound harsh, depending where you are in your life, but it can also be a huge relief. If your words are stuck, if they don’t come out or differently than intended - step to your own side and be there for yourself. If you feel ready even embrace the silence. I’ve personally been in so many awkward situations that I have created, that at some point I was able to see beauty in it.
* Ridiculus (Harry Potter charm) - for calming yourself beforehand: What is the worst thing that can happen and which part can you transform to feel lighter about it? That helps with regaining control and is a bit more specific in asking yourself what you can practically do in order to help yourself to get on track again or how to leave the situation if needed.
* imagining someone you love and you know is interested in what you have to say in the crowd. If no one comes to mind - imaging exactly what how you would feel like if you knew someone clinging to your every word, waiting patiently and with all tenderness and care for your needs to help you communicate your inner treasure (that really is what successful communication is about - helping one another to really hear what wants to be delivered by accommodating over and over again as both participants of a conversation. The same goes for a crowd. It’s kinda their job as well to help you feel comfortable so your talk can be delivered. It’s really not one sided, if you struggle to bring across what you want to say. Being conscious of that might be of use in staying confident. You cannot mess up in the sense of judgement. The communication might fail, but the responsibility of that lies equally in the addressee as it does in the addressor of a message. If someone really wants to understand something they have to compensate by enhancing their listening abilities for someone struggling to communicate. They might not be able to do that, because they have not yet learned that. If they truly care, both of you can connect through that grief that comes with not being able to express and to understand. If they do not care enough to connect with you for whatever reason, then you did what you could and your responsibility ends with that. No judgement passed, you can let yourself off the hook and move on. They can say or think whatever they want, it might never dawn on them that they missed out on their part, but you know you did your part - *whatever* that will look like.
Good luck to you ✨ I believe in you and more so I hope you believe in yourself!
Kind wishes, Shell
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Anonymous:
if it helps i always get nervous before starting a presentation no matter how many times i’ve done it or no matter how prepared I am. and i think it’s totally normal to feel that each time i suppose. what I do though is tell myself out loud that i can do it. say anything that can help you feel better. “i can do it” “i am confident” “this will work” and it helps me get into the mindset of things. another thing that is helpful is knowing that everyone else is in their own mind worrying about their presentations as well. they’re probably nervous as hell too! so little mistakes or blunders here and there probably won’t even be noticed. another great tip I heard is if you need to make eye contact but don’t feel comfortable, stare at the wall behind people because it’s still in the same direction and makes it seem like you’re looking at them. and at the end of the day any critique/comment is directed towards the subject or topic of the presentation itself and not to the presenter. so hype yourself up, get in there, and kick ass!! rooting for you. you’re going to do amazing!
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Hey! Saw your post about nerves before big presentations - I tend to focus on one person (whether they’re your friend, someone whose always calm, or even the sleepy guy in the back) and when I start off, I just focus on them. Eventually, if I’ve practiced enough, the nerves wear off and I might look around to other people but only if in confident that they’re paying attention and won’t lower my like overall confidence. Best of luck on your presentation!
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I like to do guided breathing exercises. Also find 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can feel and 1-2 you can smell/taste. Best of luck, you got this!
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Anonymous:
a cold compress on your temples (or like, a cool water bottle, splash from the bathroom tap, etc) can help trick your body into calming down, if you’re having acute anxiety. preparedness is also essential, in the presentation but also just in general. make sure you plan what you’re going to wear, have something good to eat, leave the house on time, use the bathroom before even if you don’t have to, have hydration and snacks on hand. since you have such turmoil incoming, it helps to be vigorous with normally mundane things to be certain there isn’t any extra stress in addition to it. also, focus on your breathing. not necessarily in any pattern, just remember To breathe, as calmly as possible.
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Anonymous:
Practicing in front of a smaller audience helps me, like friends, family, roommates, or coworkers. I really just have to pretend like the people aren’t there though. Like pick a point in the back of the room and focus on that
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I just practice the speech over and over when I can, so I make the words a habit going in my head, and I time it each time so I know exactly how long it should last. Then when it’s time for the actual speech, I start the timer, and when I can, I check it so I can tell if I’m rushing or going too slow (it also helps me add pauses). Then I take a big inhalation (through the nose) and continue. And suppressing the concern of “does what I’m doing look weird,” because confidence really does sell what you’re doing.
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Anonymous:
hi bb! i’m also a student so i definitely get how stressful presentations can be… when i gave my first in-person presentation since covid started i was literally shaking with nerves aha i didn’t know what to do with myself, here’s what has helped for me:
- give yourself 30mins (or more) before your presentation to prepare/focus: if it helps you, review what you’re going to talk about, or if that’s stressing you out, listen to music, or do a mindful activity
- i know everyone says it but breathe deeply and slowly, i like to do a quick 5 min meditation before i present so my breathing is regulated
-if you’re afraid of panicking/getting stuck, think of a phrase/word/image before your presentation: if at any point you feel yourself starting to panic, try to think back to it. it can be an encouraging phrase or just a word you like to “snap” you out of it (or like think of your pet if you have one)
- before you start, tell yourself that in [xy] minutes, it’ll be over: try to think of your presentation as an increment of time, i’ve found that it makes it more digestible for me
- if you do get stuck during your presentation, remember it’s not a big deal! it’s easy to feel guilty, but remember the audience is one your side
idk if any of this will help, but good luck!! :)
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Hi bee!!! I saw your post about your presentation tomorrow and i completely understand why you’re nervous!! With everything online before, it must feel even more scary :( but something that I like to do is practice the morning of in front of a mirror. Try to maintain eye contact with yourself! Another small tip is to take long pauses in your speech (count to 5). This helps me calm down a bit, slow down my pace bc I tend to talk fast, and also gives off the impression that of confidence. Another small thing I try to do is tie my hair (so I don’t continue to put it behind my ear or twirl it) and also try to wear something short sleeved so I’m not always pulling on it. Another thing I’ve picked up over the last two years is this: if you’re feeling really really nervous but still want to make it seem like you’re looking at everyone/have good eye contact, look above their head!! Kind of like their hairline? I find it helps a lot of my friends who are on the shyer side. Anyways, that was a ramble of tips and idk if any of those will help you but I hope they do. You’re my role model so I have no doubt that your presentation is going to be amazing (and even if you aren’t happy with it, I’ll still be proud <3) good luck, bee. If anyone can do it, it’s you
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Anonymous:
hi! i also used to get really nervous about presentations, and the whole persona thing really helped me… i basically pretended i was a fictional character from a book i like (specifically a guy who was really good at public speaking ), i even dressed in a way that kiiinda resembled him (though those were also just nice clothes that made me feel more confident). it sounds a little silly but it helped :‘D
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The stutter when you get overwhelmed thing? I do that too. Honestly I think my brain just moves faster than my mouth can follow sometimes. I usually stop, take a breath, maybe two, smile and smh at whoever it is I’m speaking to and then continue. All humans make mistakes and no one is perfect, they’ll understand.
