Even the most seasoned public speakers can get the jitters before a talk. To calm your nerves, try this advice:
Understand where your anxiety is coming from. "Nervousness is just excitement directed inward," says CEO coach Kristi Hedges. "It's a physiological response; some perspire, the face blushes." Understand that even if you feel nervous, you can still give a great presentation and it does not mean you will mess up, she says.
Remind yourself that it's not about you. You want people to understand and be moved by the topic, says APA 2016 President Susan H. McDaniel, PhD. Use this cognitive strategy to focus on what you want to say and why you are there—to provide information about something in a clear way.
Try starting your talk with a discussion question. "Most speakers are nervous in the beginning," says Hedges. "Starting with a question gets the onus off them and gets the audience talking or laughing."
Make eye contact with different people in the audience, says McDaniel. This helps you see the audience as individuals and not a massive entity. Notice what they're wearing and what they laugh at. Some may smile at you or nod at you, which can be a confidence booster.
Rehearse a lot. If possible, go over your speech in the actual space where you will be talking, says McDaniel. And don't worry about practicing too much, says Gilbert. "There's no such thing as being over-prepared," says Gilbert. "People often fear that too much practice will make your presentation stale, rehearsed and wooden, but research shows that's not true." Practice as much as you can, preferably in front of a group of people who don't know anything about the topic.
Find out what works for you. Experiment until you discover what works to calm your nerves, says McDaniel. "If it's going over the talk every night for three nights before the speech, then do that," she says.
