Overcoming public speaking anxiety

To prepare for an upcoming speech, public-speaking anxiety can be overcome similarly as other stressful events: by focusing on strategies to calm the nervous system.

Tips and strategies for delivering a confident speech

1. Prepare well

Practice, practice, practice! This might be an obvious tip, but by rehearsing the speech more confidence is built about delivering the speech.

This confidence can help offset some of the nervousness experienced.

2. Manage breathing

Engage in breathing exercises before delivering the speech. As mentioned earlier, slowing down breathing is a simple yet powerful way to downregulate the body.

When feeling those familiar anxiety symptoms before giving a speech, practice slow, deep breaths. Pair this with any of the aforementioned grounding or relaxation techniques to amplify the benefits and bring you back into the present moment.

3. Burn energy

Harness some of that nervous energy and take action. Do star jumps or jumping jacks before the speech to blow off steam. During the speech, individuals can move around and gesture to consume even more nervous energy.

4. Visualize success

Before the event, spend a few minutes visualizing the delivery of a successful speech or presentation. Imagine the audience responding positively and seeing yourself feeling calm and collected.