Be A Better Public Speaker: Channel Your Anxiety

This article is the third in a series about how to be a better public speaker. Earlier articles address why you should show up early and how to stop saying “um” (and other filler words).

You may have been thrilled to land that speaking gig a few months ago, but as you prepare to take the stage, the butterflies have taken up permanent residence in your stomach. Or your boss recommended that you speak before a large cross-divisional team and you’re feeling anxiety about your new leading role.

Feeling nervous about speaking to a large group, no matter how friendly the audience, can cause paralyzing anxiety for some, and uplifting excitement for others. For those on the anxiety end of the continuum, I have some guidance.

First of all, reframe your nerves to focus on the excitement versus the anxiety. Experts like Simon Sinek agree that this is the best way to adjust your mindset. Remember to congratulate yourself: You’ve reached a point where people are interested in your thoughts.

I would argue that no one is a natural public speaker. Those who come across this way have had the benefit of coaching and sufficient practice. The first step is to acknowledge and address your nerves to be on your path to being a confident speaker.

From there, you can adopt a few key strategies to increase your comfort level with public speaking:

Be prepared

Embrace your inner boy scout and be prepared by knowing your key points inside and out, and understanding what your audience is expecting from your performance. My Say It Shorter workshop helps participants identify an effective headline, three concise supporting points and a strong call to action. With this structure in place you can deliver a talk at any length, because you know your home base.

Some people mistakenly believe that too much preparation will compromise their delivery and make them appear over-rehearsed. This is completely false. To avoid coming across as stilted or too formal, look at your word choice. You want to tap into your audience’s emotion, not impress them with your extensive vocabulary.

If your talk will include questions and answers, be prepared in advance to answers the questions that make you most nervous. Know your key points and go from there.

Strike a pose

Take a minute to center yourself and focus your energy. Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy’ TED talk about power poses has been viewed 69 million times. While the research is still being discussed in social science circles, the idea of making yourself bigger, and adopting confident posture, is worth the mental energy. You can also wear a piece of lucky jewelry or anything that makes you feel confident.

If you’re speaking at the end of the day and you need a little more than adrenaline to get you going, do movements that engage your abdominals, such as the captain’s chair exercise where you sit in a chair and raise both knees to your chest. Ten reps should do it.

Shake it off

Physically clearing your energy will also make you feel more confident. Here are some physical actions that will release the anxious energy and help you focus.

• Shake your hands, to literally shake off the excess energy.
• Clench your fists then quickly unclench, flicking your fingers.
• Before you’re on the hot seat, start a regular meditation practice that gets you into your zone by focusing on your breath.

By preparing effectively, adopting a confident pose and shaking off any remaining anxious energy, you’ll be on your way to bringing momentum and strength to your talk and help your audience hear your message without distraction. For more tips on communication confidence, subscribe to my community.