5 Techniques to Help Reduce Stress & Calm Nerves Before Presenting
“There are only two types of speakers in the world: 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.” – Mark Twain.
Every speaker has feelings of nervousness or anxiousness before taking the stage. And that’s okay. The important piece is to not let your nerves get the best of you and to learn to focus that energy in a positive way – like turning it into excitement.
Below are five different ways to help reduce performance anxiety and calm your nerves before taking the stage to present.
Body language:
Have you ever heard the old adage, “It”s not what you say, it’s how you say it”? Of course you have, and that’s because it is true. Research indicates that your nonverbal queues are what account for the major percentage of communication. This means the clothes you wear, the way you wear them, your hair styles, personal hygiene, body stance, vocal pitch, vocal intonations and so much more – that you don’t say – actually are what can help impart your message to the audience, or distract from it.
Takeaway: Set yourself up for success before you even take the stage by making sure you have on appropriate attire and good personal hygiene. Take this a step further by finding a type of outfit, color or something else that you can wear that makes you not only feel appropriate, but also like a million dollars. If you feel like a million dollars, your confidence will permeate right through it. And if you really want to learn the intricacies of body language, watch this amazing documentary on the secrets of body language.
Get enough rest:
Sleep plays a major role in your mental health and physical health. And the way that you feel while you’re awake, depends largely on the amount and the quality of your sleep. If you’ve had a good night sleep your body is able to support your body and your brain to make sure you’re able to perform your best. No foggy brains allowed here.
Takeaway: Most everybody is nervous before presenting, thus the sleep leading up to the day of your presentation is important. An hour or two before getting into bed, find ways to calm your brain from your presentation. It may be a good idea to walk-through your presentation with the intention of it being your last time, or create a to-do list for the next day to release it from your brain. And then as you’re trying to fall asleep, find a familiar and comfortable position that can assist in the progression of sleep. Meditation, focused breathing and even some relaxing chamomile tea can help your body feel more relaxed and ready for sleep as well. If you want to learn more ways to natural fall asleep, check out this Huffington Post article.
Power Poses:
“Fake it until you become it” is the famous line from social psychologist, Amy Cuddy. Our body doesn’t only convey a message to others non-verbally, it helps define who we are and how we view ourselves. Cuddy’s research found that these power poses will increase testosterone, the dominance gene, and decrease the stress hormone, cortisol – enabling you to feel more confident. Thus, just a few minutes of power-posing will actually change your body chemistry to help enhance your performance.
Takeaway: Take advantage of this by completing power poses for 2 or more minutes before each presentation. The following images contain five different power poses you can do to prepare.