HELP! I Need to Overcome ..?

Question

..my fear of talking infront of people! I have a geography project that I will be presenting infront of my classmates tomorrow & I'm really nervous. Whenever I am obligated to talk infront of my fellow pupils, I so nervous my hands have the tendency to shake and sometimes I even stutter. Do you have any suggestions to help overome my anxiety problem? and please don't say "picture them in their underwear" . It doesn't work. Trust me, I know from experience, haha.

Answer 1

don't fear, they are not better than you ! and look them in the eyes and you'll feel comfortable!

Answer 2

I get very nervous when speaking in front of people, too. I had to give a presentation in my Ethics class a few weeks back.

What I do is I think about it being a group chat rather than a presentation, just the same group of us hanging out in the classroom talking.

If the same group of people and I were hanging out in the classroom before the teacher arrived we'd all just be talking back and forth. Giving a presentation at the front of the room really isn't so different. The only differences for me were that the teacher was there and I had slides shown on the wall. Other than that, it's much the same thing.

It also helped me to remember that it's an assignment, not a personal expression. I wasn't up there because I wanted to be. I was up there because I was required to be; I spoke on the topic I spoke on because I was assigned to, not because I preferred to (and the exact same thing applied to all of my classmates when they took their turns)!

It's also very true that the teacher is always genuinely interested to see what his/her students do. The teacher rarely, if ever, has any very negative thoughts about the student speaker other than the process of deciding the grade. They come up with assignments like this partly because it's good for the student but also partly because it keeps the teacher from getting bored with routine. lol

Good luck to you -- oh and remember: most people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death, so we're not the only ones who feel like this!

Best of luck!

Answer 3

I used to be the same way. You need to relax and not worry about it. The more self-conscious you are about it, the more anxiety you're going to show when you do it. It's no big deal.

Sometimes throwing an appropriate joke a few times here and there will warm the crowd up to you, releasing some pressure off you. But try not to joke more than a few times during the entire speech.

If you decide there's no way to overcome it, you just need to tell whoever is making you go up there that you cannot. No one can actually "make you" do anything.

Worst case scenario, the class doesn't think you were the best, and it blows over in a week. C'mon.

Answer 4

Bringing Phobias Under Control
- Tormented by Phobias
> When All Eyes Seem to Be Upon You
- Controlling Social Phobia
> Watch Your Breathing!
- When Fear Leads to Panic
http://watchtower.org/library/g/1998/7/22/article_01.htm

Answer 5

Try to prepare as well as you can beforehand- if you know the material, it should come more naturally and you won't be as nervous. Try to talk yourself out of your anxiety- if you tell yourself that you're going to do well, you most likely will. Think of really positive things that have been said to you in the past and repeat them to yourself to build yourself up. Before you go onstage, breathe. Think only complimentary thoughts and don't let anxious feelings enter your mind. If you lose your place while you're presenting, pause for a second, take a deep breath, and keep going. good luck =]

Answer 6

You are not alone. Most studies have shown that the number one fear is to speak in front of people, number two is death - WOW!

I would encourage you to play a role - like in a play. Become the expert of the thing you are presenting. If you have to, think of a movie character - maybe the Elizabeth Shue character in "The Saint" (you haven't seen it, have you?). Anyway, you'll be less nervous if you're playing a part. You could even play it up, if you're teacher is into creativity. If not, you can imagine it, you could even give yourself a name. It's very much like actors that consider themselves very shy, but give them a character and watch them emote!! You go and knock their collective socks off!!

Answer 7

most people are like you who are so nervous when it comes to public speaking. it also happened to me during my school days but you know what that fear inside you is just normal. all you need to do is to prepare very well about your presentation. then be confident about it. before you start your presentation you just have to take a deep breath and think that you are a very powerful person who can make things matter to people whom are you presenting. be comfortable as if you are just talking to your loved ones. always look to each and everyone in the crowd in the eye and as if you are touching their hearts with your presentation. through these you can even make your presentation the best presentation in the class.

Answer 8

ohhh please, they are all goofballs and you know it. Half of them won't even be listening, and the other half will be staring at your chest.

It looks like you're well prepared for the talk, so just go out there and share some of your wisdom with them. You're judged on content rather than form, and occasional stutter only shows that you're too excited about the suject to care.

Answer 9

I kinda have that problem. Sometimes as much as you think you are shaking you really aren't. I had a speech class where we had to record our speech. When I watched myself it didnt look like I was shaking. When i gave it, it sure felt like I was shaking.