How do you calm yourself before public speaking?

Change your mindset from "I'm nervous about this speaking opportunity" to "I'm so excited that I get to do this". Visualize the audience learning from you - this shifts focus away from your stress and nervousness to how much value you can bring.

For every occasion that I am asked to speak, I remind myself that I am right where I'm supposed to be. In every moment I am present, connected to the audience, making eye contact, feeling the room and the energy, knowing that each word said and story told matters. My goal is to invite and encourage attendees to leave the world a better place than where they found it.

We often get caught up in the words we choose and the messages we aim to convey. While the content of our speech certainly holds significance, it's equally important to consider the emotional resonance it creates. After all, it's not just about the words; it's about the lasting impressions we leave on our audience. Maya Angelou, encapsulates this sentiment beautifully with her timeless quote: "At the end of the day, people won't remember what you said or did; they will remember how you made them feel."

How do you want your audience to feel? Excited? Reassured? Inspired? Use the actors technique of writing verbs next to each paragraph. When you rehearse ( always out loud) at home match a physical gesture to each verb- eg - to excite- wave your arms around etc. you’ll find your voice starts to match that energy and emotion. Your body will retain that muscle memory ( minus any big / exaggerated moves don’t worry) and your audience will start to feel your intended emotion and if they feel they will care/ or be more engaged with your message.

I recall my first presentation. My heart raced, but I applied these tips and felt more composed, delivering a successful talk. 1. Deep Breaths: Inhale deeply for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four. Repeat to steady nerves. 2. Visualisation: Imagine success – see yourself confidently delivering your speech to an engaged audience. 3. Positive Affirmations: Recite affirming statements like "I am prepared and capable" to boost confidence. 4. Mini Warm-Up: Stretch or lightly jog to release tension and stimulate blood flow, enhancing focus. 5. Pause and Smile: A brief pause with a smile helps you collect thoughts and connect with your audience. Remember, practice makes progress!

Practice what you preach. Most people don't practice. Most people don't preach. Be in the minority. Practice your speech. Preach in style. Go for it. You'll be glad. No joke. No lie.

Prior to hitting the stage, I take a quick walk outside. This allows natures natural cooling rhythm to take over. Breathing in the fresh air allows my lungs to reset and slow down my racing heart beat. I think positive thoughts in a meditation in my head and even out loud if no one is watching. If you’re in a busy city and it’s loud put on your headphone and listen to soothing ocean sounds. The stage is now yours stand in your power pose and flow.

When I did my first TedTalk, I rehearsed it every-single-day! That’s after speaking publicly for over three decades! There’s so my to be said about repetition. When you practice regularly, you develop muscle memory. Tapping into your muscle memory when speaking will get you in an effortless flow because you will no longer need to worry about remembering what you have to say but simply being in the moment. It’s the best feeling in the world!

If you can deliver your speech to nobody and nail it, you can deliver it to anybody. Nothing is more foreboding to the speaker than an empty room or a mirror and the sound of your own voice.

I completely agree. Perfect preparation and practice will lead to solid execution on game day. This means practicing your presentation the same way you will be delivering it.

I have found it most important to have mastered my subject matter and to have thought about what of all that I know that is relevant to my audience. Then I organize my key points and rehearse how I want to deliver them. And rehearse and rehearse and rehearse. By the time I am in front of an audience I am excited about what I have to tell them and I am ready to engage them, making direct eye contact with an audience member on each key point. I think of it as several individual conversations with audience members who are there to hear what I have to say. And my job is to give them useful information in a clear and concise manner so they remain engaged and ready to hear what I am saying.

If you find yourself getting nervous during the visualisation, pause, breath into the diaphragm and when you feel calm again start the scene again. In this way you are training your nervous system to relax. Visualise yourself in the third person by imagining your watching yourself present on TV. Research shows this is more effective, particularly if you have limiting beliefs about presenting. Once you’ve done this a few times you can then do it from the first person perspective. Visualisation isn’t just something you do once. The more you repeat the visualisation the more comfortable you’ll be on the day. You can also combine the visualisation with positive suggestions for feeling calm, confident and at ease.

Fear and excitement are very similar physiologically. The difference? The story you tell yourself. If you think about why your afraid your brain will provide a list of stories about why. If you tell yourself you're excited, your brain will formulate different conclusions, different stories. Before every speech I think of all the reasons I'm excited! This helps me focus that anxious energy into my speech and connect with the audience.

With time and attention, the fear can shift to excitement -- it can feel like a blast to connect to an audience & give them gifts of insight, and laughter, too -- how cool is that?

After rehearsing my speech, I visualize delivering it to friends in a laid-back, comfortable setting. My goal is to be confident and relaxed, not overly formal. I find that when I can imagine myself in a relaxed setting, I'm better able to project that same relaxed attitude when I'm actually giving my speech. It's important to me that I come across as authentic and approachable, and I think visualizing myself in a comfortable setting helps me to achieve that. Ultimately, I think that a relaxed and confident delivery will help me to connect with my audience and get my message across effectively.

Diaphramatic breathing is a sure technique to steady those nerves, i agree that you can do it while you presenting and as a bonus it can act as a dramatic pause.

Breathing is important to calm your nerves before a presentation because it triggers several physiological and psychological responses that help reduce anxiety and stress. Some examples are as follows: 1. Deep breathing increases oxygen intake, which nourishes your brain and body. 2. Deep, slow breaths activate the body's relaxation response, which counters the fight-or-flight response 3: Controlled breathing lowers the production of stress hormones like cortisol. Deep and deliberate breathing is a simple yet effective technique to calm nerves before a presentation. It promotes physical and mental relaxation, reduces anxiety, and enhances your ability to deliver a confident and composed speech.

Breathing is natural.Stopping our breath is unnatural, because it tightens our whole being, cutting us off from humor, inspiration, and connection to everything and everyone else. Breathing is our greatest joy.

"Take a deep breath." It's more than just advice; it's a powerful tool to calm those pre-speech jitters. Deep breathing is a proven stress-buster. It lowers your heart rate, reduces stress hormones, and sharpens focus. Inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold for four seconds, and exhale through your mouth for four seconds. It's a simple technique, but its impact on your composure and confidence before and during public speaking is profound. So, remember to take a deep breath; it's your ally in the spotlight.

Every theatre actor I’ve ever worked with warms up before going onstage. It’s not just to sound louder or speak more clearly, but the way it focuses your mind and calms nerves is incredible. Also, the goofier the better! It’s hard to feel nervous when you’re making a bunch of weird noises and faces. Try an exercise I call Big Face Small Face: open up your eyes and mouth as wide as you can, then scrunch your mouth & nose and close your eyes tight, and do that back and forth about 10 times as fast as you can on the mirror. That’ll help you feel loose, as as a bonus you’ll look much more engaged onstage or on camera.

Friends in the room or friendly faces. I visualize finding friends in the room or friendly faces in different parts of the crowd. They’re always there. I scan the room in my introductory and find them. Left right middle back and front. Then I speak to them directly form my presentation. I work to connect with those few. It works to engender to the entire crowd by allowing me to make it direct and as personal as I can.

Harnessing the power of a positive mindset can be your secret weapon when preparing for public speaking. By channeling optimistic thoughts and visualizing your success on stage, you can transform nervous energy into enthusiasm and confidence. Consider each speaking engagement as a chance to connect, inspire, and make an impact. It's not just about delivering words; it's about sharing a message that can resonate and inspire. Believe in yourself, your content, and the value you bring to the audience. Positivity is contagious...

What I have always found helpful is to know that I know my subject matter and allow the words to come through me and not from me. Nervousness is, for me, a reminder that keeps me sharp and focused in a humble way at that start. However, when the purpose-filled anointing from the universe drops into my spirit, what needs to be said to my audience flows, and “fear” is not even a consideration - whether the message is for one or one thousand.

A positive attitude is helpful when giving a presentation because it: Boosts confidence, making you more engaging. Attracts the audience's attention and interest. Reduces nervousness and fear, improving delivery. Fosters a favorable connection with the audience. Enhances your ability to handle challenges gracefully. Increases the likelihood of a successful presentation overall.

I’ve always had the meditative mentality of “I am about to go help someone and maybe change their life.” This gets me not only excited and pumped up, but channels positive focus onto delivering value and building a connection with my audience.

Self talk is so important and can't be emphasized enough. If your inner dialog tells you that you are in control and will succeed you are more likely to remain in control and succeed. If your inner dialog is telling you what will go wrong, it likely will. What you focus on, you find.

Good posture, using appropriate gestures, and maintaining eye contact with the interviewer or camera. But most importantly, KYA! Know Your Audience in order to connect with them because what you say won’t stick if you don’t know how to make it stick. Look for opportunities to speak publicly, participate in mock interviews and consider media training workshops. Be aware of your filler words like ums, your tone of voice and your body language, especially if you are presenting live or on TV. If you are on radio or podcasts, voice becomes the important tool.

Water - Keep hydrated. 60% of our body is water. Dehydration could cause fainting and muscle cramps. Water should be at room temperature. It helps remedy a dry mouth. Bananas - Are an excellent source of potassium that helps normalize our heartbeat and regulate the water balance in our bodies. Apples - Keeps vocal cords clear. Foods rich in High Omega-3 essential fats that help with focus and concentration, good to have for that great presentation! Cashews - Are a good source of L-tryptophan, the amino acid that is necessary for healthy serotonin production, making them a great snack to help you feel calm and in control. Breathing techniques and stretching loosen muscles, increase blood flow and help to stay relaxed and focused.

Realize that this is about empowering and motivating the people in the room. Instead of shining the light on myself, which can cause anxiety and fear, imagine turning a flashlight to the room and feel the shift of all the people you are going to bless and help by your message! This calms my nerves and brings me back to my purpose and why!

Why not try Power Posing? Power posing involves adopting confident postures to enhance a sense of Power. In the study at Harvard, "The Benefit of Power Posing Before a High-Stakes Social Evaluation," participants who practised high-power poses for two minutes displayed increased feelings of Power and reduced stress compared to low-power posers. This technique could help improve confidence and performance when speaking to an audience, especially in crucial situations.

Nervous energy is not the enemy if you harness it, control it, and unleash it. Passion is powerful when it is infused with self-awareness and self-control.