Since today is the first day of school for a lot of students I thought I would do a post on public speaking and some tips that I have learned throughout high school and college! When I was younger, one of my biggest fears was public speaking. I would absolutely dread talking in front of the class. My heart would race, my hands would get clammy, and I’d start to sweat. I just never enjoyed talking out loud or giving speeches.
When professors would make the class do an ice breaker on the first day, it usually always went the same way- state your name, major, hometown, and one interesting fact about you. I would get so nervous that I would quickly write down my answers to the questions. Yes. I literally wrote my first and last name down on a piece of paper, JUST IN CASE I forgot. Having that piece of paper in front of me was comforting because if I did forget what I was supposed to say, I had all my answers written down.
Throughout college, I did a lot of public speaking. Not just speeches, but group presentations, case studies, etc. Group presentations were always easier because I wasn’t standing up in front of the class completely alone. And in a group, you never have to do as much speaking because it gets divided up between group members.
What I really hated was giving speeches by myself. I disliked it so much that I put off one of my speech classes until my senior year of college. I debated taking the online version of speech, but that was only offered in the summer. AND I didn’t want to pay summer tuition just because I was too afraid to give speeches to my classmates.
I was so sick of being afraid to stand up in front of people and talk and I knew I had to get over my fear at some point. So, I decided to take the regular version of speech, instead of the online one. The first few days of it, I wanted to drop the class. Every single class we had to go around the room and answer a question the instructor asked us. Sometimes he made us stand up and go to the front of the room to answer the question, which absolutely terrified me. I thought the five speeches would be bad enough , but every single class we were basically giving mini speeches.
Honestly, I would feel anxious all the time, because I knew I had this speech class for an entire semester. All I could think about was giving these speeches and it was so mind consuming. A few weeks in, I realized I could not keep doing this. I had to find a way to relax and calm myself down.
Throughout the semester, I decided to focus on ways to reduce my anxiety and stress before giving a speech or even just sharing my answers with the class. I will share with you what I learned this past semester that helped me feel confident in my speaking abilities and reduce my anxiety! I hope some of these tips can help you as well if you are struggling with anxiety or feeling nervous about public speaking.
1. Chew Gum
The first thing I do when I know I have to talk in front of a group, is to chew a piece of gum beforehand. I usually start to get more anxious about 30 minutes before giving a speech, so that’s when I usually put a piece in. For me, I only chew mint flavored gum. There is something about mint that just calms me down.
I also read somewhere that when you chew gum when you are nervous, it helps relieve your anxiety because of the chewing motion. You would not be able to chew or eat food if you were actually in a dangerous situation. So basically by chewing gum before your speech or presentation, you are telling your body that you are not in any danger. Try it next time you have to talk in front of a group, but remember to spit it out before you actually give your speech!
2. Talk to Someone Near You
The next tip, is to talk to someone around you before you actually give your speech. I have found that this helps A TON! At the beginning of the semester I didn’t know anyone in my speech class. And that first speech I gave sounded a bit rough in the beginning because I hadn’t talked for like a half hour before I went up to give mine. It sounded dry and raspy, until I was like 10 seconds in. However, after about a week, I started talking to the people who sat around me. They also said how they didn’t enjoy getting up in front of the class to talk.
It felt so nice to have other people say that! The next speech went so much more smoothly because I knew how these other students felt and I knew they were experiencing the same fear that I was. When you are giving a speech, it’s nice to have a few people in the classroom or audience that are supporting you. Next time you give a speech, try making small-talk with a couple of neighbors. It will help calm you down and give you a recognizable face to look out for in the audience!
3. Use Aromatherapy/Essential Oils
There are so many benefits to using essential oils or aromatherapy. I am someone that doesn’t just get anxious for speeches, but for many other things as well. Some essential oils that are good for anxiety and stress are Lavender, Rose Oil, Valerian Root, and Geranium to name a few! One of the products I have been absolutely loving is Origins Peace of Mind On-The-Spot Relief. It has a peppermint smell that is almost immediately calming. I apply one to two pumps onto my finger and massage the lotion onto my temples and back of my neck. I do this before any big presentation to relieve tension, anxiety, and stress, but I also use it whenever I feel a headache coming on. This product is magical and can easily be stored in a backpack or purse so you can carry it with you!
4. Practice your Speech in Full 3 Times!I used to just skim my speech multiple times looking over the words I had written, but never actually reading it FULLY. After this semester of speech, I HIGHLY recommend that you practice your speech Out Loud and in Full, 3 times. And, don’t just do this sitting on your couch in front of the tv. Pretend you are actually giving your speech. Stand up, have your outline prepared and printed out, and actually practice your speech out loud. You will be able to hear any mistakes that you made or sentences that should be worded differently. Trust me this helps immensely. When you actually have to give your speech, you will be so much more prepared. Do this the night before or the day of your speech!
I also always time my speeches, because in most cases you will have a time limit that you want to meet.
5. Highlight and Bold Sections on Your Outline
By highlighting and bolding certain sections of your outline or manuscript, you will find it so much easier to keep track of where you are in your speech! I used to just print off my outline without any markings on it. I sometimes would find myself losing track of where I was. I would look up and then look back down and have no idea what sentence I had just read. It would give me a mini panic attack because I could feel everyone staring at me. To prevent myself from losing my place, I started breaking my outlines up into sections. I would highlight the main ideas and bold certain words or sentences. I also would take a pen and physically draw a line separating each paragraph. Doing this will help you remember where you left off and make it easier for you when you are giving your speech.
6. Look Presentable!I feel so much more confident when I have my hair done, I’m wearing make-up, and I have a nice outfit on. I have given speeches in sweats and t-shirts before in high-school and college, but when I’ve done that I just feel like a slob. I also feel like it gives off the impression that you don’t care. When you are giving a speech, your audience will be looking at you and only you, so why not try to look your best? It will make you feel so much more confident! Make sure you pick out an outfit that you feel comfortable in though!
Okay, so those are my tips for public speaking that I utilized my last semester and will continue to use in the future!
I hope these tips will help you deal with any anxiety and stress that public speaking gives you. Let me know if you guys have any other helpful tips to get over the fear of public speaking!
XO
Cassie
