i am scared sh*tless?

Question

friday i have a speech about driving distractions and safe driving. im terrified of public speaking and im not sure how i can atleast minimize my fright. can anyone please give me tips about how i can stay calm for 4 minutes?

Answer 1

get drunk first.

Answer 2

Just face the fact you will be as terrified as you can be for four minutes and then it will be over. You will probably feel humiliated in the process. But it is really only four minutes. I can almost hold my breath that long.

But don't hold your breath. Really breathing is the key in so many challenges. If you can just listen to your breathing, your mind will stay more focused and the speech will practically give itself.

You can use up the first thirty seconds just talking about how terrified you are and all the great help people tried to give you. Maybe you will see then that the audience also wants to help you to get through it okay.

It will be a good experience for you in becoming more intimate with people. It will change your life, as anything really hard always does when done for the right reason. It may even make you a better driver and save lives as a result.

Quit thinking about it, just DO IT!!!

Answer 3

I've read a few books by Steve Chandler, who was terrified of public speaking and then went on to become a great motivational speaker as a living. You might look him up.

His advice is to practice on a much harder audience first. Try your family, then a friend, then a stranger who's willing to listen. Or someone you highly respect, who you'd be afraid of looking stupid in front of. Once you do this, you'll see that nothing bad can happen, even if you stutter or sweat; and moreover, doing it in front of your group will seem much easier, so you'll breeze through it.

Very deep repetitive breathing lowers your blood pressure right before an event, and is an easy way to calm down pretty much instantly.

Use note cards or memorize the sequence of your main points. It helps your confidence.

Look at peoples' foreheads. It looks like eye contact, but isn't as intimidating for you. If you wear glasses, take them off. The audience will be a non-threatening blur.

And realize that most people have to do public speaking a few times in their lives. They sympathize with you, really. If you make a mistake, you'll no doubt see people smiling at you encouragingly. The job of the audience is to listen and clap, not judge and throw tomatoes. No one will be in that mindset. Really!

And honestly, it's not like you're giving a political speech on some controversial topic which you'll be quoted on later. People sleep through this topic in driving class every day. :) You'll be fine.

Answer 4

Get plenty of rest the night before, know your topic and practice your speech beforehand. When you are in front of the group, don't look at them--look at the back wall or somewhere else behind them--they will think you are looking at them, but you aren't--that way you are not focussing on how they are responding to you. If they have to speak they are probably just as nervous as you so remember that as well. Most people when nervous tend to talk fast, concentrate on speaking at a moderate pace, which will also help you not focus on the audience. Some suggest that you should amuse yourself and picture the audience sitting there naked. That might work to lighten up your mood and not take the audience so serious. The idea is that you are frightened at being judged by them, so try not to focus on them. Most people come off sounding much better than they think, so its a self-conscious thing you have to find a way to get around/over.

Answer 5

I had the same problem for YEARS. One day I had to do a speech with a partner. My partner was out sick and I had a terrible cold. They made me do the speech all by myself. I was terrified, but at the same time, I could have cared less because I was so sick and irritated that I too, did not call in sick. Because I went up there and I really didn't care, I breezed right through the speech, and aced it. From that day on I realized that it really wasn't that bad!! I took a required speech class in college, and breezed through that too. Just go up there, and look at everyone as a single group, not a bunch of individual people. Don't focus on one person, or anything else. Keep your eyes moving. Remember not to ramble and talk as if you were telling a story, it will make it interesting to your audience, and your speech will naturally flow smoothly. You will do just fine!!

Answer 6

Aside from good preparation, one thing you can do is just tense and relax your muscles before you speak, to loosen up and calm down. Even little things like slow, deep breathing, can help calm and relax you.

I was terrified of speaking for a really long time, until a teacher videotaped our presentions. When I saw the tape I realized that there was a big difference between how I felt (awful) and how I looked (fine). Try practicing and taping it if you can - it might give you some confidence.

Answer 7

Four minutes? Try giving a speech for seven. I just told myself not to think about the time and just give my speech at a steady pace. Also I looked at the people I knew better or had given a speech with. It seemed as though I had been talking forever, but I managed to speak for a little over seven minutes. Hope this helps a bit.

Answer 8

I took a course, never had to use it though...lol. They say to look at a point in the audience,not a particular person, just find a focal point. Try to have a few so it doesn't look like you are staring into space. DO NOT under any circumstances tell any lame jokes, I don't care WHO tells you to break the ice !!! Familiarize yourself with your material so you are not constantly looking down at your notes, and finally just picture yourself at home practicing your speech in the mirror or something, take yourself out of where you are,and into somewhere you feel comfortable. Hope it helps,, and GOOD LUCK !!!

Answer 9

Deep breathing and relaxation will help.

This is very, very important - know that everyone there wants you to succeed, and you owe it to them to give a good performance. You are in charge of the sitaution, and you will have the audience completely under your control while you give your speech.

Make sure you know your subject well, by rehearsing it either in front of the mirror, or preferably, in front of a safe audience of close friends.

Think positively - you will give a good speech. Good luck.

Answer 10

Pretend you're talking to yourself or only one other person. I find that when I treat my audience like I'm simply talking to them as people, rather than addressing them in a formal way, it is much easier to get up there and do what must be done! Plus, practice your speech and know it well enough to paraphrase ideas in it, so it sounds natural.

Answer 11

Look at the audiance. They are just like you most of them would be too scared to get up on stage at all. Even if worse comes to worse in a week no one will remeber anyways. So get up there give your speech and relax. I hope I have been of some help.