Understand Public Speaking Nerves
We all need to speak before a large or small audience at various times in our life. This makes it an important ingredient of modern living, but public speaking has never been a pleasant experience for most of us.
Public speaking nerves that are caused by nervousness, fear and anxiety while talking in public could show up as various physical, mental and emotional symptoms.
It is common for many of us that experience public speaking nerves to feel weak in the legs, with some experiencing shaking of legs. There could also be other symptoms like fumbling for words and expressions, and starting of a sentence and not being able to complete it properly and fully.
So it is best for all of us to realize that public speaking is very important in our lives, so we need inculcate certain techniques that would help us excel in the field of public speaking. It is vital that we do not consider this activity as a stressful activity but as something that is not just enjoyable but also satisfying. It is necessary that we develop a confidence in ourselves and get used to the idea that it is normal as any other activity. This involves thinking and getting ourselves motivated that one day we will also by our efforts to overcome public speaking nerves be able to become a good public speaker.
Knowing and discussing a few techniques would help overcome public speaking nerves.
Techniques to overcome public speaking nerves
Overcoming public speaking nerves requires first cultivating self-confidence that you can do it. Affirming yourself that public speaking is a real pleasurable activity that can be easily done by you helps. It is important to realize that each of us is endowed with a fight or flee mechanism that produces adrenalin.
This adrenalin would give you the energy to face up to tensed and anxious situations. Self confidence can be increased with positive affirmation that you are as good and efficient in delivering the speech as the others that are hearing and watching you help to overcome public speaking as all of them did.
You would definitely benefit with thinking that you are as efficient and would be also capable of overcoming nerves as all the other speakers did. You just have to know, understand and use the plan that worked for them.
It would benefit you a lot in overcoming public speaking nerves with knowing that the audience does not wish to know all that you do, they just want to hear a few things that would be useful for them. So just preparing well on a few points according to the time allotted to you helps impress them.
You would definitely benefit with knowing that delivering a crisp and interesting public speech is more important. Your audience is not going to remember everything. So the trick of not getting nervous lies in avoiding complexities, and being well prepared both in the speech and method of delivery. You would greatly feel confident in preparing a map that gives you the vital route to deliver effective speeches and following it strictly.
It is best understood that preparing a good speech requires attention being given to preparing one that should have a powerful and motivating start, have a free flowing center, and an equally strong, interesting and thought provoking ending.
In addition to preparing a map for effective delivery of the speech, it is best to follow the principle that practice makes a man perfect and confident. All this is sure to grab and maintain attention of the audience, in addition to diverting their attention from minor flaws if any.
Not being subject to public speaking nerves requires you to know to some extent the expectations and level of understanding of your audience. A speech that appeals to an technical person would differ from one that would appeal to a layman, so the speech for layman need to be more in a direct and simple manner.
In addition the vital points to be covered may also vary. Being well prepared on this aspect with adapting the public speech to the audience’s preferences and level of expertise would make you confident. Conveying the public speech in the right pitch and most favorable manner would make you avoid being subject to public speaking nerves.
A very humorous, yet true fact that most of us assume that successful public speakers did different things to be successful is wrong. Most public speakers did not consider themselves as public speakers at all. They just did things differently. It is not always correct to assume that it was their hard work that paid and it is worth emulating them. In most cases successful public speakers dared to be themselves and different, this helped them feel comfortable. Their individuality made them unique and interesting in their own way.This attitude would surely help you also to overcome public speaking nerves.
Last, but most important, combining humor and humility in public speaking has gone long way in overcoming public speaking nerves. It is always a great art to be able to laugh at oneself. This helps not just release tension, but also makes for one of the best illustrating and entertaining speech. In addition being humorous with starting and ending on a humorous note, and maintaining humor regularly with humorous notes would keep the audience alert and convey their interest. This would surely act as the best antidote and help overcome public speaking nerves.
All this would ultimately make for a confident and courageous public speech delivery.