Can someone give me tips about public speaking?

Question

I have a solo presentation next week for my Advanced General Psychology class, which needs to be at least an hour long. I will be presenting with a Powerpoint presentation, so I will have some guidance. I have a problem with giving any kind of presentations/speeches in front of people, which is not uncommon, I know. I tend to absolutely panic while up there though. I constantly feel as if I'm going to pass out due to fast heartbeats and shallow breathing. Does anyone have any tips to help me overcome this horrible thing?

Answer 1

There are a few things. Of course, practice and be prepared.

Food wise, a piece of chocolate a few hours before will help.

Vitamin and Minerals…start taking some B vitamins as soon as you can. Follow directions on the bottle.

The best I have found however is EMI. Some may view it as pop psychology but it works.

Without moving your head, track your eyes through the farthest corners of your field of vision. Track them in the shape of a Z and then move your eyes to make a square around the Z. Move them slowly. Do this 7 times.

You will feel a little buzz. You will also be integrating the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This will let the two halves start to solve the stress problem.

You’re probably already thinking that they already are communicating with each other. If that is true, why do we from time to time keep replaying and replaying thoughts in our mind as if like a continuous loop?

One theory is the constant replay is from one half of the brain inputting info and the other half not responding or dealing with it. Without the input being dealt with, the brain keeps playing the program until it gets input or resolution.

The eye movement is like the on switch to get the two halves talking on the particular stressor you face.

Best wishes.

Jonathan

Answer 2

You are correct EVERYONE experiences the same thing, it is just that some are more use to doing it.
What I find that helps is to know what you are presenting. You do not have to present everything you know. Rehearse your presentation many many times, timing yourself. A good and relaxing presentation for you and everyone else is one that is well prepared. This one tid bit believe it or not will make you feel more confident and at ease. Remember it is the quality not the quantity that you send on your presentation. No one has ever failed by giving a short but very productive presentation, but they have when giving a long non-productive preso.
Other tips: No gum!, take out the change and keys from your pockets so you don't stick your hands in your pocket and rattle them. Do what is called the "Ben Duffy" method where you write down 10 questions the audience might ask you. And once again, do many timed rehearsals speaking out loud.
You will do great!

Answer 3

im taking a speech class right now actually and i have the same problem. i always feel like im taking short sharp breaths and i feel like i constantly have to pee haha. anyway, this is what i do...

first, i make sure that i know my material inside and out, so there isn't much room for messing up. if you are worried about how the rest of the class is looking at you, dont. you are doing a powerpoint presentation so most of their attention will be focused on the material you are presenting. dont picture them naked because you will lose your train of thought. if you are getting graded on eye contact, just look slightly above everyone's head so you dont have to make actual eye contact but it looks like it. i also smell lavender before i go into class because it actually calms nerves really well. maybe you can get a spray or an air freshner for your car to help you calm down. just focus on your presentation and not the audience and you should be fine. i also go into other classrooms and stand in front of the desks so i can get used to being upfront.


hope it helps!!

Answer 4

you don't say whether the powerpoint is of your own creation but it helps to be/get really intimate with your topic... I create and deliver trainings for human service workers and when I add a topic to our syllabus, I learn/read all I can about whatever it is so that I can address the topic from a position of confidence in my material...that takes care of some of the nerves... yes, it takes time and that is always at a premium but t/making the time to get deeply involved with the subject definitely feeds the confidence with which you stand before your audience...it also adds permanently to your knowledge base so it is a win/win situation

what helped me lots when I was first starting out and fear basically dominated my life let alone my career was to remind myself that in the big picture of life, this presentation was merely a burp... the presentation would be looming in my mind... ohhhlawd, three weeks!... ohno! two weeks!... gawd, tomorrow!! and each time my stomach would convulse... I trained myself to say rather "in two weeks, this will be over"..." by tomorrow night, this time, the presentation will be in the past"... and I always had some kind of treat waiting for me after I survived the ordeal...dinner maybe, a manicure, a new scent... (the bigger the ordeal, the higher the payoff hehe) as I gained in confidence around the mechanics of my task, I stopped sweating it and now in front of an audience is actually one of my favorite places (but that's just me :) )

oh yeah... picturing your audiece nekkid DOES help too :)

best of luck with it... would love to hear how ya did

Answer 5

Well before you even go to class you need to prepare yourself mentally... breathing is a major factor.... control it.... when you think about giving the presentation don't get a panic attack, just breathe, and tell your shelf to calm down. Make sure your organized, have everything ready well before you get to class. Know the material inside and out. When you get to class, continue monitoring your breathing. And when your up there, focus on the material, not so much your classmates. Of course make eye contact, but do not get distracted. If you do, or you lose concentration, take a few seconds, breathe, find where your at, and continue. Just don't get flustered up because that will make it worse. Just remember, long deep breaths! Good luck!

Answer 6

The first thing you need to do is be prepared. You need to have a well thought out presentation. Make sure that your slides are in order and everything flows. Practice, practice, practice. Know your material inside and out. That way you will easily be able to deal with any problems that might occur. This will also allow you to learn your pace and keep within your time limits. If possible, before your class starts try out the equipment. Make sure the projector works, the computer is working. Have a back-up of your file. Don't trust just one source (use a CD and USB or email it to yourself). Once all of the equipment checks out focus on your breathing. Take a couple of deep, slow breaths. Focus on your message. Be confident that you know your material. If you are afraid of sweating you may want to wear a jacket to cover any evidence of sweating. Finally, have a bottle of water with you. If you feel your mouth getting dry or if you need a moment to compose your thoughts it will come in handy. You will do fine.

Answer 7

Just think about it reasonably.

Just don't think about it. Honestly, what's the worse they can do? Not like you're presentation. No one is going to jump on top of you and eat your skin off. Seriously.
It's not the end of the world it it doens't go over well. You will survive.

Take deep breaths, and know you're peice. Now what to say, and when to say it.
But, when the day comes, just take it one step at a time, and be sure to talk clearly and slowly, taking deep breaths.

and this one may sound stupid, but wear something cool.
If you get to hot, it won't help with the pass-out feeling you seem to have. And a lose neack, so that you can breath well.

Answer 8

Hi,

Public speaking can actually be fun. I have a psychology background, and use it to help people overcome their fear of public speaking.

I have some articles on my website that you may wish to look at to get some ideas about using powerpoint to get your message across. Try this link

http://www.executivespeaking.com.au/articles/stand%20up%20and%20speak%20-%20web/standup_and_speak_page1.html

Cheers

Darren

Answer 9

Visualizing everyone naked is fine but the best solution to fear of public speaking is confidence in your subject. If you believe that you are better equipped in the subject than anyone else, it would be a breeze.

Answer 10

1-Remind yourself that you are THE BEST in what you are going to talk about.
2-try to express yourself and do not try to play a show.
3-It is usually hard at the beginning and it will become pleasant as it goes by.memorize first sentences of the speech (not all of your lecture).
4-practice your lecture. it really helps.
GOOD LUCK