Speakers Nerves - Take Control

Ever had to give a presentation to a room full of people and got that awful stomach churning feeling. You can get this feeling on the day, just before you go on, often in the 48 hours leading upto your presentation or sometimes even weeks before. My other half competes in Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and he is a nightmare to live with before some competitions. The thought of speaking to a room is uncomfortable, just like jumping out of a plane or fighting an opponent - anything that tests your normal comfort zone. The thought of getting armlocked, thrown on your head, or strangled in front of your coach, friends, girlfriend, and several hundred total strangers means that at some point, my other half will get them. Sometimes its a few weeks out from the event, occasionally its on the day. However, its all in the mind whether you are speaking / presenting, or preparing for a big fight. Taking control of those butterflies is the key!

This is how you do it:


1) Slow, deep breathing
2) positive self-talk!

Yes we all know that we need to do it (breathe!) but how many of us work on our breathing for when we are presenting or preparing for a tense situation. Now there are techniques within Yoga that are extremely helpful. However, whilst I love a stretch and the relaxing warm-down, its not neccessary to go and enrol at your local leisure centre. Or entering a combat sport!

Simply take yourself away somewhere quiet, maybe outside, to the toilet cubicles, anywhere where there are no distractions! Now breath in slowly BUT breath out for at least three times as long. The slower the exhale the better.

Now positive self-talk. "I am going to smile warmingly, make eye contact with my audience and blow them away with my presentation. I will walk out there like James Bond walking into a casino. I will breath normally." Visualise from your own eyes perspective the crowd smiling back at you, nodding approvingly, and laughing at your quips.

You can reinforce your positive self talk with a "positive tell". Ever seen a top tennis or golf player punch the air or give a gripped fist to the crowd after a winning shot? Henman, McEnroe, Tiger Woods, - I can name so many sports stars giving out their postive tells and you can see the winning feeling in their entire body. If you don't know your positive tells, start to learn them from whenever you enjoy success. Do you give yourself a knowing pat on the chest, a smile maybe? Reinforcing these tells with your positive self-talk will produce even greater results.

You can check out my courses on advanced presentation skills training by following the link.

Best of luck and be sure to let me know your comments below.

Elizabeth