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Friday, April 12, 2019

Tips For Public Speaking


Speeches have always been my Achilles heel. I recently talked to a guy from my old Primary school and the one recollection he had of me is the time I cried before doing my speech in class. 

I was Year 4. 

I'd like to say I've improved since then but a couple of days ago, I had to give a presentation for one of my Uni courses and I was a nervous wreck. My voice was shaky, I kept fidgeting with my hands and to make matters worse, the slides from the powerpoint I prepared were all in the wrong order. I know there are a lot of people that struggle with public speaking so if you also fall under this category, I really hope this post helps with your next speech or presentation. 

Fake it Til You Make it
I tell myself this phrase all the time. The mind is a strange thing and pretending to feel a certain way can have a massive effect on how you actually feel. If you try and act like you're having a good time, you might start to actually enjoy yourself after a period of time. I can't say this always works but it definitely helps the audience engage more with what you're saying. 

Don't Overthink it
Cue cards are great but aren't always necessary. While it's good to prepare, don't overdo it to the extent that it feels unnatural. Having notes to refer to can sometimes stiffen you up while you're speaking. Of course you should go through what you want to talk about beforehand but don't dwell on this too much. Another thing to remember is to go into your speech with a positive frame of mind. Sometimes if you imagine everything to go wrong, you're almost willing it to happen.

Remember it's a Legitimate Fear 
If you're feeling anxious about going up in front of everyone to speak and your heart is beating a hundred miles per hour, chances are someone else is experiencing that exact same feeling. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being nervous to talk in front a crowd of people. It's scary having so many eyes on you at once. Don't dismiss your fear or tell yourself that you're being silly. In fact, acknowledge it. I had several people in my Uni class go up to the front and say they hated public speaking before their speech. Sometimes addressing your fear can make it seem a lot more okay. 

Q: Do you like public speaking?
Thanks for reading!



9 comments:

  1. I love this post! I struggled with public speaking for years, but I find that faking it does genuinely work. I'll be shaking but everybody always says 'I wouldn't have known you were nervous'!

    I speak slowly so that I have time to breathe, but everybody says I just come off as really chilled haha. Mad! xx

    www.chloexlizabeth.com

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  2. Such a great post, I have always struggled with public speaking but not thinking about it much and also smiling made such a difference for me.

    Mel 🌙 | Moonlight Mel

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  3. I HATEEEE public speaking. It was the one thing I hated about my graduate studies, having to give public lectures about my research. I use to live in fear of the Q&A session that followed my lectures. I remeber not sleeping well the nights before, and going out and do some comfort celebratory shopping after I got through it. You are so right with the fake till you make it thing. I used to plaster a big smile on my face, apologizing ahead of time for being nervous and just get on with it. And yes. It is a legitimate thing to be uncomfortable with for sure.

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  4. Can definitely relate to this! I'm better than I was, but still get nervous. I think starting off in front of smaller groups helps and then build up. Even practise presentations in front of your family etc. X

    Megan | https://meganelizabethlifestyle.com/

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  5. Public speaking can be tough but once you get the hang of it, you become a natural! It is great that you improved over the years and there are times when you get nervous, which is fine. I like these tips, especially the part where you don't overthink things. You need to have a composed thought, otherwise, the words that comes out won't make sense. I'm okay with public speaking, though I have to do it fairly a lot for work. It's all a work in progress, hehe.

    Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me

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  6. Great tips! I absolutely hate public speaking and used to avoid it as much as I possibly could. I definitely think it's one of those situations where pretending to be more confident than you really are helps a lot though! x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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  7. I have to speak at team meetings at work quite frequently (the audience can range from about 10 people up to 50).
    It's something I still get really nervous about and afterwards I always feel a bit stupid knowing I missed things out that I meant to say or could have delivered it better.
    Thanks for sharing your tips :)

    Rachel | The Modern Bohemian

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