Overcoming Your Public Speaking Anxiety

Excellent presentation skills are one of the most sought after by hiring managers and modern professionals. However, with 73% of the population admitting to a fear of public speaking, technically titled glossophobia, even seasoned professionals can get some nerves. Developing solid coping mechanisms can help channel your anxiety and even find confidence while presenting. These tips go beyond “imagining the audience in their underwear,” and give you solid and actionable items to help you manage anxiety. Read on for tips during your preparation process and on the day of your presentation to help you feel supported and confident while speaking.

During Preparation

• Structure is Your Friend – Once you’ve determined the goal of your speech, you must identify a complimentary structure. Not sure where to start? Check out the infographic for speech structure ideas! Having a solid format will give you something to lean on while you’re presenting and can help you feel more confident. Bonus tip: Jotting down your main points on a notecard works great if you’re presenting without a podium or PowerPoint.
• Substitute Filler Words – Verbal hiccups tend to creep into our speech when we’re nervous as a way to fill space. One method to cope with this is strategically embracing pauses to demonstrate a change of topic, denote an impactful statement or allow the audience time to process. This gives both you and your listener a moment to breathe and recenter before continuing on.
• Practice, Practice, Practice – This may be obvious for a prepared speech, but this can help with extemporaneous or impromptu speaking as well.  Creating opportunities to practice speaking with limited to no preparation can help you improve overtime. Practice with a randomized speech prompt generator to gain experience and finetune your skills.

On Presentation Day 

• Swap Your Latte for Decaf – Avoid caffeine before presenting. In addition to heightening your nerves, caffeine can also raise the pitch of your voice. Bonus tip: If you’d like to lower your tone of voice, try a milk based drink. Milk can cause your voice to shift further down in pitch. Generally lower voices are perceived as being more confident and authoritative.
• Use the “Tense and Release” Method – Anxiety often manifests in your body as shakes, sweats or fidgeting. Try this simple exercise to mitigate the tension: Breath in while intentionally tensing your muscles, hold this stance for 3-5 seconds, and then breath out while releasing your muscles. This technique can help to reset any physical anxiety and keep you relaxed.
• Find Friendly Faces – Nearly every audience has a few intimidating faces. To combat those, purposely find 3 friendly faces to the right, left and center of the room to use as focal points. Focusing on people who are engaged, smiling, and inviting can boost your confidence while presenting.

Using these skills can help you appear poised and professional when presenting to a boardroom or an arena. Managing your anxiety around public speaking can open doors for increased sales, career promotions and passion projects. Try some of these tips to help manage anxiety and exceed expectations during your next presentation.

About the Author

Starting on a stage at the young age of thirteen, Mikayla has been speaking in front of crowds for over half of her life. Beginning in theatre, she quickly excelled and earned most speaking roles her company had for her demographic. Later in life, Mikayla began giving competitive presentations through multiple organizations and earning top 5 national ranking for informative, impromptu and literal presentations in addition to state championships. For the last few years, Mikayla has shifted into a coaching role, assisting young scholars in their ability to present ideas in persuasive and compelling ways. Mikayla works as a digital marketing advisor for BKD CPAs & Advisors and serves as the social media chair for the Association for Women in Communications Springfield, Missouri Chapter Board of Directors. In her free time, she reads everything from poetry to current events. In a more creative vein, she enjoys quilling, embroidery and painting. Connect with Mikayla on LinkedIn to learn more.