How can humor ease your presentation anxiety?

1 What is humor and why does it work?

Humor is the ability to recognize, express, or appreciate something that is funny, amusing, or absurd. Humor can be used as a coping mechanism, a social lubricant, and a persuasive device. When you use humor in your presentation, you can reduce stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins and relaxing your muscles. Additionally, humor can help you build rapport and trust with your audience by showing your personality and authenticity. Furthermore, it can engage and entertain them by capturing their attention and making them laugh. Finally, it can enhance your message and credibility by illustrating your points and demonstrating your expertise.

2 How to find your humor style and source?

Humor is not a one-size-fits-all solution; different types of humor may suit different situations, audiences, and speakers. To find your humor style and source, reflect on your experiences, interests, and values. What makes you laugh? Observe and learn from other speakers, comedians, or writers to see how they use humor in their presentations. Experiment with different forms of humor, such as jokes, puns, irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, metaphors, analogies, references to popular culture, props, visuals or gestures. Practice with these techniques to enhance your humor and adapt to different contexts and audiences.

3 How to balance humor and seriousness?

Humor can be a great way to spice up your presentation, but it should not overshadow or undermine your main message. To balance humor and seriousness, use it strategically and sparingly, selecting moments that are relevant and appropriate for your topic, audience, and tone. Consider using humor to transition between sections of your presentation, to break the ice or the tension, or to highlight a key point or a problem. Humor can also be used as a contrast with a serious or emotional statement, to create a surprise or a relief effect. Additionally, you can use humor to support or reinforce your main message, illustrate or explain a concept, persuade or motivate your audience, repeat or summarize your main points, or create a memorable impression or call to action.

4 How to deliver humor confidently and effectively?

Humor can backfire if you don't deliver it confidently and effectively, so it's important to prepare and rehearse your humor. Write it down and practice it aloud, testing it with a friend or colleague to get feedback. Adapt your humor to your audience, paying attention to their reactions and feedback. If they don't laugh or smile, move on gracefully. If they do, acknowledge and appreciate them without laughing at your own jokes or explaining them. Most importantly, enjoy and have fun with your humor. Don't be afraid or nervous. Be yourself, express your personality, don't take yourself too seriously, and smile with a positive attitude. Remember that humor is a gift that you share with your audience.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?