Daunted in public speaking? No more!

Do you break into a sweat every time you even think about speaking in public? Would you like to learn how to do it better, but currently don’t dare attend a course in case you’re put on the spot or found out? Don’t despair.

There are practical things you can try to help you feel more comfortable and confident when speaking in public.

Before you start

1. Public speaking is a skill you can practise

First of all, realise that you can develop your public-speaking skills, even if you feel hopeless about it currently. Many people who once found public speaking extremely difficult have developed greater confidence with practice.

2. Feeling nervous doesn’t mean you’ll speak badly

Secondly, realise that feeling fearful does not mean you’re a failure. Even experienced speakers can feel nervous before something that matters to them. Feeling nervous doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t speak well.

3. Don’t punish yourself for feeling nervous

Third, repeatedly avoiding public speaking may make it harder to build confidence through experience, while criticising yourself for feeling nervous is unlikely to help.

So what can you do? Try the following four approaches:

4 ways to manage public speaking nerves

1. Move

Staying motionless to calm yourself may not always help. Try moving your shoulders, shaking out your arms and hands, wriggling your toes or walking around for a moment. Speaking is a physical activity as well as a mental one. Gentle movement before you speak may help release some physical tension.

Later, you can stand still if you want, while maintaining that alive feeling.

2. Breathe

When we’re nervous, our breathing can change. Before you begin, take a moment to notice your breath and allow it to settle rather than deliberately forcing a very large breath.

Give yourself time to breathe comfortably and begin speaking when you’re ready. You don’t need to rush into your first words.

3. Remember times when speaking felt easier

Remember times when you felt fine while speaking - maybe talking to a close friend or chatting with mates - times when you felt at ease, and your body was comfortable and relaxed.

How did you feel then? Think about what was different about those situations and use the memory as a reminder that speaking doesn’t always feel difficult.

4. Stay present

Finally, try to stay in the here and now. When you’re nervous, your attention may become caught up in thoughts about what has gone wrong before or what might go wrong next.

Use your eyes to notice your external surroundings; use your ears to hear the sounds in the room rather than only listening to the self-talk in your head; use your sense of touch to feel your feet on the ground rather than focusing only on the butterflies inside you.

Focusing some of your attention outwards may help you feel more grounded and connected with your audience. That outward attention can also help you appear more present and engaged with the people you’re speaking to.

So, nerves are not the end of the world. I’ve seen people who were extremely nervous at the beginning gradually become much more comfortable and expressive as they practised.

Be kind to yourself - feeling nervous and speaking effectively can exist at the same time.