How I Overcame my Oral Presentation Fears

For some reason, most people have one common fear. I'm not sure why, but we do. Public speaking just freaks us out. Yes, I used to be one of you, too. I know how I felt when I had to get up in front of a class or group and speak; my heart raced, palms were sweaty, escape plans start running through my head. It just was not a pretty thing. Since I went back to school, I have had to give more oral reports and presentations than I did back in high school, on top of the classes I have taken in public speaking. With all of this practice and teaching, I have become very well educated in oral presentation. I have found a few tips that help calm me down before an public speaking outing, so I thought I'd share this knowledge with you, in the hopes that you can give better presentations and speeches.

One key problem with my oral presentation I noticed was my procrastination. I can write a report in no time at all, so I usually wait until the last minute. This boils over to any public speaking chores I may have, but unfortunately, waiting until the last minute is one of the worst things I can do. When I get my PowerPoint and other oral presentation aides in order, and I have a good grasp on my topic of choice, I find that I can breeze through any speech type situation much better, and faster. Being prepared ahead of time, and not throwing it all together at the last minute, will help calm the anxiety you feel.

Do not over analyze every move or motion your audience makes while you are giving your speech. If somebody yawns, that does not mean you are boring them. Most likely, it simply means that they are tired and did not get enough sleep. People will always fidget, and some are more restless than others. Realizing that not everything in the room is caused by you oral presentation, will help keep your imagination in check, and allow you to focus on what you have to say and the true meaning of what you are trying to convey.

Remember that adrenaline will be produced by even the calmest of public speakers. Damp palms and elevated heart rate is all part of the package. By calming down, you goal is minimize these effects, and to make sure you aren't focusing on them and your fear. Everybody has their own peculiar quirks when they get pumped, so learn what yours are so you don't get even more scared when speaking in public.

Lastly, and this was the hardest for me to realize, you have to know that not everybody can be a great, or even good, public speaker their first time in the game. It sometimes takes years for those great orators to master the art of speech giving. And since you will not, most likely, be addressing the entire nation in your oral presentations, you don't have to be on par with speakers such as Martin Luther King, Jr. or JFK.

If you follow these few simple steps, and practice a lot, which means just shutting up and facing your fear, you will be able to get over the great fear of public speaking. Good luck!