How to Reduce Presentation Anxiety in 3 Steps

Do presentations or public speaking give you so much anxiety which makes your voice shaky, and make you feel like you are about to pass out? I have always been super anxious about presentations and public speaking(including class participation), which made me avoid them as much as possible. But as time went by, I realized that this was only making things worst even though it gave me temporary relieve. So I asked myself, “What is making me anxious and why am I so afraid”? That’s how I came up with these 3 steps.

Step 1:

Do your research on the topic and don’t just memorize but strive understand what you are talking about. Come up with some questions that people may ask you and try to answer them. Preparation is key, I cannot stress this enough. For me I realized that I was anxious because I always “winged” my presentations and did the bare minimum to meet requirements.

Step 2:

Practice, Practice, Practice. I always do a power pose before I start practicing because sometimes I need an initial boost to actually start practicing and a power pose gets me going. When you practice for the first time, don’t try to perfect any parts, instead just run through it, while looking at the presentation. As you run through it, pay attention to the areas where you fumble and when you practice for the second time, try to perfect those areas. Keep practicing until you feel ready. Practicing in front of mirror makes a HUGE difference. When you practice infront of a mirror, you can see if you are moving a lot or talking really fast etc. When you feel ready, practice one last time without looking at the presentation. I don’t know about you, but I find it difficult to look at presenter notes while presenting and it makes me more anxious.

Step 3:

Right before your presentation, do your power pose and positive affirmation statements. One of my worries is always that people would judge me. So, remind yourself that you made that presentation and you know what you are talking about more than those sitting in the room because you did your research. Then go in there and slay.

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