Do you struggle with public speaking fear? If so, you aren’t alone. It’s hard to get a grasp on the actual number of people who struggle with presentation anxiety. And most of the numbers floating around the internet aren’t tied to any solid, scientific research. So I’m not going to float you a statistic that hasn’t been conclusively proven. But I will say this. The fear of public speaking is not only prevalent, it’s persistent. I write about it a lot because people talk about it a lot. It’s one of those battles it seems like humans will be fighting forever. But we aren’t without hope.
Today, I want to share some research-based methods for fighting this tough battle. We’ll divide the fight into three stages: before you speak, while you are speaking, and after you speak. With this 3-stage approach, and tips from experts and scientists, I hope to assure you that this is one battle you can win.
1. Before You Speak
Prepare.
If you want to get rid of public speaking fear, there is no better way to build your confidence than through proper preparation. Dr. Jim Taylor is a sport psychologist, professor, and speaker who studies the correlation between confidence and performance in athletes. He says, “Confidence is a deep, lasting, and resilient belief in one’s ability . . . [it] keeps you positive, motivated, intense, focused, and emotionally in control when you need to be.” The same holds true for speakers. The best way to build that belief in your ability is to spend ample time preparing. This means running through your presentation enough that it becomes almost second nature. That way, when you stand up to present, even if you feel a little bit of fear, you know how to proceed because you’ve practiced so often.
Reframe.
Reframing or restructuring is a popular technique with cognitive behavioral scientists and therapists. In the book Cognitive Restructuring, DA Clark says that cognitive reframing is a technique used to shift your mindset so you’re able to look at a situation, person, or relationship from a slightly different perspective. In other words, you work to change how you think about something. In this case, public speaking.
Perhaps one of the most frequently referenced studies of the effectiveness of cognitive restructuring comes from Alison Wood Brooks of Harvard Business School. She studied how reappraising nerves as excitement affected public speakers. Her studied showed that simply trying to calm down wasn’t the most effective thing to do. Participants were asked to give a 2-minute speech on camera. The study showed that “compared with reappraising their anxiety as calmness by stating ‘I am calm,’ reappraising anxiety as excitement by stating ‘I am excited’ caused individuals to feel more excited, to speak longer, and to be perceived as more persuasive, competent, confident, and persistent.”
Breathe.
A deep breath is one of the fastest ways to put the brakes on your public speaking fear. Dr. Andrew Weil is a Harvard educated physician who developed a breathing technique that he calls “a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.” It’s called 4-7-8 breathing. And here’s how it works. Start by sitting up straight and placing the tip of your tongue behind your upper teeth. Do your best to keep it there while completing the following steps, as explained by Weil:
1. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
2. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of 4.
3. Hold your breath for a count of 7.
4. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of 8.
Aim to complete the 4-7-8 cycle in one breath and then repeat it 3 times. This cycle of 4 breaths should help you to feel relaxed.
2. While You Are Speaking
You’ve done everything you can to fight your fear ahead of time, but now it’s time to present, and you still have some nerves. Here’s what to do when you stand up to speak.
Get through the first adrenaline rush.
Most people have a bit of an adrenaline rush when they present. Shannon Peddicord of Healthfully says, “An adrenaline rush—also called the fight-or-flight response—is caused by a hormone release from the adrenal gland. In healthy people, the hormone release consists of 80 percent epinephrine (also called adrenaline) and 20 percent norepinephrine. It is the body’s natural coping reaction for activities or environmental situations that are exhilarating, stressful or physically demanding.”
The main thing I want to highlight is that it is a natural body system. There is nothing wrong with you if you experience adrenaline when you stand up to speak. So tell yourself your fear of public speaking is natural. Then, remember that it will subside. As your body begins to recognize that you aren’t in danger, it metabolizes the epinephrine and norepinephrine. How long does that take? Well, it depends on the person and the situation. My personal experience is that in public speaking situations, people tend to start to calm down after about 90 seconds.
Move.
You can help speed up the process of metabolization if you move around a little bit. Harvard Health says, “moving your body decreases muscle tension, lowering the body’s contribution to feeling anxious.” After all, that response is called “flight or flight” for a reason. It’s preparing you to run away fast or defend yourself, both of which are highly active things. So if you can walk around on the stage, or use your arms to gesture, you’ll naturally release some of that natural energy.
3. After You Speak
You made it through your presentation. You may still have some of that adrenaline flowing through your body, but chances are you don’t feel that same rush of fear you felt early on. But that doesn’t mean the battle is over. You’ve got important work to do following your presentation so that you aren’t as nervous next time.
Use Positive Reinforcement.
While you might be tempted to criticize all that went wrong with your presentation, don’t. Instead, take time to reward yourself for a job well done. Stop by your favorite coffee shop, go for a quick walk if time allows, or write down a few things that went well. Do your best to make sure the moments immediately following your presentation are positive ones.
That’s important because your brain is actively working to “code” what just happened. In Psychology Today, Susan Reynolds writes, “Happy thoughts and positive thinking, in general, support brain growth, as well as the generation and reinforcement of new synapses, especially in your prefrontal cortex (PFC), which serves as the integration center of all of your brain-mind functions.” And you’ll rely on those synapses the next time you have to give a presentation. When you do the work to think positively about your experience, it will create brain pathways that will teach your brain and body to feel more positively about public speaking the next time you have to do it.
Now you know some strategies for fighting those nerves before you speaking, while you are speaking, and even after you are done with your presentation. We know that public speaking fear is not an easy thing to fight, but it is something you can conquer. We know that because we’ve helped so many people face their presentation anxiety head-on and come out victorious.
We can help you deliver your next big presentation with confidence. Find out how.
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