Nerves and Panics of Public Speaking

I am the type of person who really struggles with presenting. Even with a short sentence, in front of an audience I am a mess. Legs shaking like a leaf and my heart racing so fast that it feels like it's going to explode out of my chest. The worst is the dryness in my throat so that I can barely swallow any moisture to begin talking. I have presented many times before, sometimes to a big audience. However when I have presented in the past it has usually been for a dancing competition. I always felt confident when dancing, as I have been doing it for 15 years. You never have to speak whilst dancing you just let your body do the talking for you. I used to dance jazz and modern, this meant a strong figure with sharp positions, you should never have wobbly legs for that. I never did. For some reason speaking in front of a classroom full of people scares the living day lights out of me.

At my last university my lecturer was very aware of this, so he recommended I read a book called, ‘…and death came third!’ A definitive guide to networking and speaking in public. This book has been a great way to prepare myself for speaking in public. The first half explains about networking, however the second half provides you with information about how to speak, dress, expression to make and actually the realistic facts of speaking, ‘after three days only 15% of what you said is remembered’. That statement did make me think well what is the real point, but it did enthuse me to try and make my speeches memorable.

The best part of this book for me is the, ‘Energise before opening’ section, it gives a list of four things to do before going into the room to present so that you look energised and ready to go. My favourite point is the last one:

‘If all else fails, find somewhere away from everyone and jump up and down shouting “I FEEL FANTASTIC!”’

I have tried this and let me tell you when you feel as though all you want to do is curl up into a ball and cry, do exactly that, and you will feel so silly that you will be crying with laughter.