How do you calm your nerves before delivering a speech?

Answer 1

Nothing beats being prepared. The nervousness is natural, but exacerbated if you are afraid you might make a mistake. The better you know your subject, the more likely you will be to have confidence that will overcome the nerves. It also helps to start with a decent joke. a bit of laughter tends to cut the tension and will help you and the audience relax.

Answer 2

Practice What is called "The Mindfulness of
Breathing" for only 5 or 10 minutes.

It will definately calm your nerves down so you can deliver your speech with excellence.
It also helps a great deal with memory. So, as a result of this practice, you'll remember everything, every detail of what you need to convey in your speech.

Mindfulness of Breathing - simplified for you.
1) Be in a comfortable position, ie: sitting in a chair, or sitting up on a bed, or you can do this standing.
2) Close your eyes and focus solely on your breath. Breath in, hold the oxygen in for a second, release it, counting ONE.
Do the same, counting Two, and so on, till
you get to Ten. Then begin again.
3) What is important is to stay focused on your breath. If, (& it happens to everyone), a distracting thought comes to your mind, especially an anxious thought, simply allow it to pass through your mind, {w/out focusing on the thought), and patiently, with gentleness, bring your full attention back to your breath !!
4) Focus on the sensations of your breath, through your nostrils.
5) Do this for about 5 min. everyday before your speeches, but especially immediately before giving a speech.

This will calm your nerves down, providing you with that calm, peaceful state of mind, preparing you to give your excellent speech.

You'll Do Great. I took speech, and drama
in high school, and 3 semesters in college.
This always helped me a great deal.

From: A Psychologist with a Master's Degree.

Answer 3

Go to the bathroom look in the mirror and talk to ur self positive (I can do this, I am going to blow them away, I am good) stuff like that what you would want to hear others say, also try to find one point while at speech it doesnt have to be a person it can be a object by a person or a person that looks like cute w/e, try to get use to the area that you will be in before going up...Gluck

Answer 4

Don't let them intimidate you. And don't worry about making a mistake either. Nobody is perfect and your audience understands that. They'd be nervous too in your shoes. Pretend you are the only one in the room. Forget about everyone else, do the speech for yourself. Good luck and don't forget to breath.

Answer 5

Just breathe in and out a few times deeply. Just remember they are no different then you, so why feel intimidated. Just keep remembering that and that should help. If all fails imagine them in their underwear.

Answer 6

breath
water
shake it out
reherse so many times tht it gets ridiculous
talk with friends/family
eat
sleep
slap urself hard or have someone do it for you

Answer 7

I have a glass of wine. Nothing works better, I've found.

Answer 8

deep breathing,
not chronic, it'll make you fricken paranoid if you're not a regular user
last resort ....XANAX...works every time(or a Val)

Answer 9

chronic...