Conquering Public Speaking Nerves

Without a doubt, the question clients ask me the most is, “How can I conquer my public speaking nerves?” The short answer is: alcohol. Just kidding. Seriously though, unless you’re a seasoned public speaker you’re going to be nervous when you’re on stage or on camera. That may dissipate after several performances, but in the beginning the nerves will be there. Don’t worry, that’s not bad news. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Being nervous when you perform can be a huge advantage. 

Lean Into Your Public Speaking Nerves:

Instead of trying to not be nervous, you need to lean into your nerves and draw energy from them. As a performer, one of the most important ingredients is energy. If you’re enthused and excited about what you’re saying, your audience will feel the same way about hearing it. By contrast, if you look and sound flat, your audience won’t care about your message. This is true of a live audience in a theatre and a television audience sitting at home. In some ways, TV energy is harder to manufacture because there isn’t a room full of people to play off, right there in front of you. Consequently, you must work even harder to raise your energy level. 

In those situations, you can use all the help you can get. Luckily for you, here comes anxiety to the rescue, nature’s natural pick-me-up. When you’re nervous your heart beats a little faster and your senses sharpen. Take that energy and pour it into your performance. If you’re giving a speech, walk around the space, use your hands, speak with vocal inflection (which we’ll cover in another blog), and tell your story with passion and purpose. If you’re on camera, do the same thing … except don’t walk around the space. Clearly you don’t want to get up from the desk mid-interview. But, harness your nervous energy and use it to bring your message to life. 

Of course, while it’s great to be expressive with your hands, movements, and voice, you don’t want to be manic. That’s not a good look. You can’t just be screaming and flailing your arms wildly. You need to be in control of your body, and we’ll get to all of that in a bit. 

Remember To Breathe:

One final important aspect of harnessing your nervous energy is breathing. Before every performance, if you’re struggling with nerves concentrate on controlling your breathing. There’s a technique called box breathing that essentially has you inhale for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and then hold the exhale for four seconds before repeating the entire process. I highly recommend this, as it gives you a much-needed opportunity to reset.  

If you’re short of breath during a performance, you can’t really employ box breathing. You need to figure out clever ways to steal a few deep breaths. If you’re giving a speech, you’ve got some options. You can ask for a round of applause for the guests of honor or the company who put the event together. Not only is that courteous and gets the audience engaged, but perhaps most importantly it allows you a chance to calm down, regain your focus, and give yourself a pep talk.

What Are Some Ways To Sneak In A Breath?

The audience will never know that the round of applause was primarily for your benefit. Speaking of audience engagement, you can ask for questions and each time a question is asked use that as an opportunity to take a deep breath or a sip of water. You can also show a short video to buy yourself some relaxation time. There are other options as well, just get creative. 

If you’re on television, sneak in a deep breath when the interviewer asks you a question. If the question is long enough you may even have time to drink some water. By the way, make sure the stage manager provides you with water before the interview begins. Surely there is a fancy mug with the station’s logo they can use. You certainly don’t want dry mouth when you’re trying to speak passionately. And when you’re answering the host’s questions, remember to speak slowly to mitigate any shortness of breath.

Contact Dave for public speaking coaching in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and throughout the United States.