How Do You De-Stress Before Delivering a Presentation?

If you have a presentation for the first time at school, university, or work, and you feel nervous and confused, here are the most important tips that help you get rid of stress and achieve success in delivering your presentation.

What Is Pre-Presentation Stress?

Pre-presentation or public speaking stress, or what is known medically as (Speech Anxiety), or (Glossophobia) is when a person feels nervous and afraid of speaking in front of an audience, and the stress is reflected in their confusion, stuttering, hesitation in speaking, sweating, or trembling of the hands and voice, and a rapid heartbeat.

This has many drawbacks that may make them fail to complete their presentation or present at a lower level than their real one.

Pre-presentation or public speaking stress is normal for anyone, and it does not mean that the person suffers from a psychological problem, as studies indicate that 80% of people suffer from public speaking stress.

Tips for De-Stressing Before Delivering a Presentation

As we said, public speaking stress is normal, and it can be eliminated by training and following the following tips:

1. Practice

One of the most important steps to help relieve tension during the presentation is rehearsing your presentation before the performance, so practice in front of a mirror, in front of family or friends, or record your speech and watch yourself. The best training is to practice in the place where you will deliver your presentation, taking care not to overdo the training, so that you do not lose your enthusiasm and it becomes boring and monotonous.

2. Try to Arrive Early

Do not arrive exactly at the time of your presentation, as this is one of the mistakes that increase your stress, so be sure to arrive early to prepare yourself, feel comfortable in the place, and prepare the tools you need to use.

3. Know Your Audience

One of the things that help you to get rid of your stress and break the barrier with your audience is to get to know them and know their interests and desires as if you intended to chat with them before the show, and this enhances the familiarity between you and helps you get rid of your stress. It also helps to imagine that the audience is your friends and that you are chatting with them.

4. Smile

A smile is one of the most important keys to your success in delivering a presentation, so be sure to be smiling throughout your presentation under any circumstances, as a smile is like a natural sedative that relieves your feeling of stress, and builds harmony and familiarity between you and your audience.

5. Breathe Deeply

Start with deep breathing exercises before and during the presentation when you feel nervous, as this gives you a feeling of relaxation and release of stress. Take a deep inhale from your nose, then hold your breath for 7 seconds, then exhale it from your mouth slowly, and repeat that 3 times.

6. Anticipate Questions

Anticipate the questions the audience might ask and prepare the answers. You can take inspiration from the notes of family or friends as you practice your presentation, as this increases your preparation for any question and how to deal with it.

7. Speak with Confidence

One of the important psychological tips to get rid of stress during your presentation is to ignore your feeling of stress and not think about it. To speak with confidence, stand straight, and show strong body language, even if you pretend that and hide feelings of stress and anxiety behind it, and little by little it turns into an automatic and real feeling, which is called "biofeedback."

8. Think Positive

Don't think about negative things before you deliver your presentation, such as expecting that "you'll forget the content, or you'll get confused, or you won't engage the audience,” as your subconscious mind takes on these thoughts and translates them into action. So, imagine yourself delivering your presentation successfully, and the audience is very pleased and interacting with you. You should also repeat sentences or sayings that you think are motivational a few seconds before speaking.

9. Master the Subject

The more you master the subject of your presentation and surround it from all sides, the more confident you will be in yourself and your abilities, and you will get rid of stress and fear.

10. Create a Plan B

Always create a plan B in preparation for emergencies that may occur with your presentation, such as technical failures, power outages, failure of the projector, and the inability to complete the slideshow of your presentation, by being able to deliver without going back to the slides, or by writing down the important ideas on a paper in advance to be used in cases like this.

11. Take Care of Presentation Design

You should make an effort to prepare the presentation attractively and interestingly, stay away from the narration in the slides, replace it with broad and brief titles, use pictures and video clips that enrich the topic, in addition to paying attention to colors so that they are comfortable for the eye.

12. Speak Softly

One of the tips that help you get rid of stress and succeed in delivering is to speak calmly and slowly and avoid the speed that leads to running out of breath. Rather, use the pausing method at certain ideas or direct the dialogue to the audience, for example, while taking a break, even for a few seconds, or taking a deep breath.

13. Grab a Pen

If you have tremors in your hands when delivering a presentation, you can get rid of them by holding a pen or projector.

14. Benefit from Others’ Experiences

Be sure to attend presentations by successful and influential people such as "Bill Gates" or "Steve Jobs," and try to pay attention to their style and learn from it. You can communicate with such personalities personally and benefit from their advice and experience.

15. Take Care of Your Appearance

A good appearance gives a sense of self-confidence and satisfaction, so do not overlook this point. Take care of your appearance, and wear clothes that are suitable for the occasion and comfortable for you simultaneously.

16. Avoid Reading or Narrating

Avoid reading the content of your presentation narratively from paper text or from the screen because by doing so, you lose eye contact with the audience, which is the most important condition for the success of your presentation, so make sure you memorize the content so that you can explain it without having to follow the slides, and thus maintain eye contact with your audience.

17. Ignore Your Mistakes

We all make mistakes, and this is very normal, so if you stutter or make a mistake, do not focus on the error that occurred, and do not let it frustrate you and negatively affect your performance. Instead, get over it and continue with confidence because the audience will get over it with you if you continue as if nothing happened.

18. Be Organized

Organize everything in your presentation, such as the ideas you will present, the time you have, and the audio or visual aids you will use. The more organized you are, the more confident you will be in controlling your presentation.

19. Focus on the Introduction of Your Presentation

There is a saying that says: "The first impression is eternal; you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression." Therefore, you must focus on the introduction in your presentation by making it interesting and attractive.

Either you will succeed in attracting the audience or not, and you can start by telling an interesting story, for example, or by asking an interesting question. When you succeed in the introduction and feel your ability to attract the interest of the audience, your self-confidence will increase and you will get rid of stress.

20. Be Yourself

“Expressing yourself without pretending is the best public speaking method,” says Pixabay. So be yourself, and do not pretend to win the audience's love, get close to them, and break the barrier of tension and fear you have.

21. Be Funny

One of the recommended things when delivering a presentation is to include some fun and humor in your style, as this helps break down the barrier between you and the audience and removes their sense of stagnation or boredom with the presentation.

22. Interact with the Audience

To break the barrier of fear and awe between you and the audience, interact with them, open channels of dialogue between you and them, and ask for their opinion on a matter or the extent of their agreement with your opinion.

23. Acquire Social Communication Skills

Be sure to learn social communication skills, including body language and emotional intelligence, before you make your presentation so that you can control your reactions if someone interrupts you repeatedly, for example, or asks you an embarrassing question or remark.

24. Think Well of the Audience

One of the things that make a person more nervous when speaking with an audience is the belief that the audience wants to catch their mistakes or laugh at their gaffes, so change this belief and think well of the audience, as they come to attend you and are excited to hear what you will present, and think that they will sympathize with you, overlook your lapses, and applaud your success.

25. Put a Glass of Water on Your Side

Always keep a glass of water next to you during your presentation, and take small sips of it whenever your mouth feels dry, as stress leads to a surge of adrenaline that causes dry mouth.

26. Avoid Caffeine

It is advised to avoid caffeine if you feel anxious and stressed before delivering your presentation, as caffeine increases stress and nervousness, and replace it with calming drinks such as green tea, mint, or chamomile.

27. Eat Something

You may not crave food because of stress, but you should force yourself to eat something light before the presentation, such as a banana, yogurt, or a piece of chocolate, as this gives you energy, prevents your blood sugar from going too low, and eases upset stomachs due to stress.

28. Get Enough Sleep

Some make the mistake of staying up late and preparing for their presentation all night, and this causes them to suffer many problems, such as loss of focus and fatigue, increased feelings of tension, and lack of control of nerves, so make sure you get enough sleep between 7 and 8 hours before giving your presentation.

Body Language in Presentation

There are many steps related to body language during presentations, the most important of which are:

1. Talking with your body

The more you restrict your movement and stand in one place like an idol, the more nervous and confused you will become. So, free your body, change the place of your standing, and use your hands in expression and explanation.

2. The Voice

A strong voice attracts the audience and increases your self-confidence, so train yourself to speak in a strong and clear voice, with control of its high and low depending on the situation.

3. Eye Contact

Eye contact is one of the most important elements of body language affecting the success of your performance, so be sure to make eye contact with the audience, and not let your gaze get lost on the horizon or focus on the ceiling or a specific person; this attracts the audience to you, and you get rid of your fear of it.

In Conclusion, Face Your Fear

Remember that you are not the only one who feels nervous and afraid when delivering a presentation and that public speaking is a skill like any other skill that you can acquire by learning, training, and applying the previous tips.

Also, remember that everyone experiences these feelings. Even the most famous speakers worldwide have experienced stress in their first speaking experiences. But the secret lies in their success in controlling and confronting their fear, so make a decision that you will face your fear, that you are stronger than it, and that you will not allow it to stand in the way of your success.