So, in this article, we'll go over the key tips for overcoming speech anxiety so you can speak confidently and easily. All you have to do is follow up with us if you're interested.
Top tips for overcoming speech anxiety
1. Know your topic
Part of being a comfortable and dynamic public speaker is making sure you know what you're talking about. Lack of knowledge can make you anxious when you speak, which will reach your audience.
Therefore, preparation is key. Take your time when preparing your speech to make sure it flows naturally and logically. You'll also want to make sure you know how you're going to look during the speech to maximize the positive points while minimizing the negative ones.
2. Train yourself into good posture
Speaking in public isn't like running a race. There are things you can do to make sure your body is cooperating with you and helping you. This goes beyond not shifting your weight from foot to foot while you speak. Stick your toes in and you won't find yourself doing that. It's also about breathing and making sure you're speaking correctly.
Consider using your diaphragm to speak. By doing this, you'll be able to speak loudly and clearly so that your audience can understand you without sounding strained or yelling. Here's a drill: Stand up straight, put your hand on your stomach, and take deep breaths in and out. Then, as you take two breaths while counting to five and then to ten, you'll feel your stomach loosen up.
Also, try to adjust your tone. Explore your voice tone, is it too high? Or too low? Relaxing, standing in a comfortable but straight position, and breathing properly will help you find a more comfortable tone.
Avoid throat breathing and upper chest breathing, as both can increase your anxiety and narrow your throat, making your voice sound more tense as a result.
It must be noted that chewing gum for a few minutes prior to giving a speech will increase blood flow to the brain and make it simpler to focus. Therefore, pick a sugar-free gum so you don't get a spike in your blood sugar, but spit it out before giving your speech.
3. Practice your pace
People speak more quickly in conversations, but this kind of speech does not work when you are speaking in front of an audience. Your audience must be able to follow what you are saying and have enough time to process the speech.
Try to speak more slowly and carefully, and make sure to leave space between ideas or significant topics so that your audience has time to understand and reflect on what you just said and can easily move on to the next idea.
Make sure that your pronunciation is correct. You must make sure that you know how to pronounce all your words. You must practice pronouncing the most difficult words in advance. Try to avoid saying "Mmmmm" because it will make it sound like you don't know what to say when speaking in front of an audience
4. Know your audience and base your speech on it
You need to know who you are addressing because a speech might go well with one type of audience while irritating others. For example, it might be desirable to be formal while addressing an educated audience, but it might not be suitable for an audience of craftsmen.
Before you give your speech, interview 3-5 people who will be in the audience, if possible, and ask if they have any buzzwords related to their industry or group that you could include in your speech.
A great way to make yourself and your audience smile is through humor. Most public speaking situations can benefit from humor, but not always. It's a good idea to break the ice and project confidence by using a little humor right away. A good way to accomplish this is by telling a true, humorous story. Determine what you are trying to deliver to the audience. Are you trying to give new information or mention old information? Are you trying to convince them to do something? This will help you keep your speech focused on your main argument.
5. Choose the right type of speech
All types of speeches are generally useful, persuasive, and entertaining. While there can be overlap between the different types, each has a specific function to perform.
The main purpose of media discourse, for example, is to give facts, details, and examples. Even if you are trying to convince your audience of something, it is still about facts and basic information. Persuasive speaking is about convincing your audience. You must use facts, but you can also use emotion, logic, your own experiences, and so on.
It must be pointed out that the purpose of recreational discourse is to satisfy a social need, but it also often uses some aspects of media discourse.
6. Try to keep your speech simple
You want your audience to be able to follow your speech easily and remember it when you're done. This doesn't mean just amazing pictures and amazing facts. It means that the speech should be simple and direct. If you deviate from the main topic to related side topics, your audience will get distracted. Therefore, use short sentences that can be used for a greater dramatic effect.
Keep in mind that you should use sentences of different lengths rather than only short sentences. Your speech will flow better if you have variety in it. Roving sentences can be useful if they have a purpose, such as expressing a stressful situation you have encountered.
You can also use short, pithy quotes. Most famous people said funny or powerful phrases using very short sentences. You can try to create your own or use existing ones. For example, try saying, "Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: Be honest and be brief."
7. Deal with your anxiety
Everyone gets pretty anxious before they have to stand in front of people and speak up. So hopefully, you've already prepared your speech and know how to deliver it. Fortunately, there are some ways to make these tensions less serious.
Jumping, raising your hands high, repeatedly clenching and unclenching your hands, or taking three slow, deep breaths can all help lower your adrenaline levels. This will restore your energy and prepare you to breathe properly during the speech.
Stand confidently in a comfortable, straight position with your feet shoulder-width apart. This will trick your brain into thinking you're confident and make the speech easier to deliver.
8. Smile at the audience
Smile at them when you enter the room or when you stand in front of them. This will make you look confident and break the ice. Smile- even if it is fake- because it will trick your brain into feeling confident and comfortable.
9. Memorize your speech
You don't necessarily have to memorize your speech, but it can be a great way to help you look confident while delivering your topic easily. So make sure you have enough time to do this.
Write your speech over and over again, because this will help you remember the words well. The more you rewrite it, the easier it will be to retrieve it. Once you have written it several times, examine whether you remember it or not. If you cannot remember certain parts, write them over and over again.
You can also divide your speech into smaller parts and memorize each of these parts separately. It is really difficult to memorize an entire speech at once. Therefore, it is better to memorize it in small chunks, starting with each point separately.
Practice your speech as you walk into your house. Start reading your introduction in the hallway. When you begin reading your speech's crux, move to the next room. Throughout your speech, continue to move around your home. Repeat everything once you're done. You will be reminded of the section of your speech that pertains to each room as you move around, which will help you memorize words.
10. Think of a good closure
People remember the beginning and end of a speech very well, but rarely the middle parts. That's why you must make sure you have a lovely closure that they can remember.
Make sure your audience knows why this topic is important, why they should acquire this information, and how it will help them in their daily lives.
In conclusion
We can emphasize the fact that everything at its beginning seems scary, but with practice, we can overcome obstacles. The most important thing in this matter is self-confidence.
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