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#46 - I'm terrified of public speaking!

So basically I am terrified of speaking in front of more than two people at a time, even if they are close friends or family. Last year I had to do a present my project on journalism to my class of 25 (including my teacher). I was shaking the entire time and my teacher asked me twice if I was okay because I was so pale. And then she couldn't give me a mark because it turned out she and the rest of my class could barely hear me.

Next year is my final year at school and surprise surprise  have to do a presentation in front of my entire year and tons of teachers in our massive school hall. This counts as half of my final mark.

Any tips on how to talk in front of people without fainting and puking because that's happened to my sister before?

Please help.

::

Hello!

Let me enlighten you with a quote from Mark Twain:

"There are two types of speakers. Those who get nervous and those who are liars."

Girl, you're not the only one who has the same fear of speaking in public. I too get shot scared before performing or speaking in public, yet time and time again I find myself on the debate team or playing the piano in front of tons of people.

And I get nervous ever fucking time. Not to mention the panic attacks and sweaty and shaky fingers - which is obviously not idea when you're about to play the piano - and so I definitely understand where you're coming from.

I have a couple of tricks that I use and I really hope they do help you. Because like you said, you have to conquer this fear - or at least know how to handle it. Maybe you can never completely stop being nervous, but you can get to a level where you feel a bit more confident when you make presentations.

Without further ado, let me proceed with a list.

1. Make a plan 

The best way to prepare for anything is to plan beforehand so that you have a good idea of what you're going to say or do.

Planning gives you a general overview of how you'd like your presentation to go so that when you finally give it, you know how things will run.

In this plan, note down the main points of your presentation and in the order you want them to go in. For example, say I've to make a presentation on...*thinks of something*...Beyoncé, lol. My plan would look a bit like this:

Point 1 - Introduction of the singer
> powerful and influential woman
> feminist and vegan
> has *insert number here* albums

Point 2 - her achievements
Point 3, 4, 5 (depends on the amount of time)

Point 6 - conclusion
> quote from the artist herself

So you see, I have a clear plan in front of me in regards to what my speech will be like, which will therefore be helpful when I'm standing in front of people because rather than the information being scattered everywhere in my head, I have a clear path.

This is really helpful because I find that many people freak out during presentations not because they don't have any points, but because they haven't organized their points properly.

2. Practice by yourself

Whether you'd prefer to pace around the room, or do it in front of a mirror or in the shower, continually run the presentation through your head the way you want it to go. Say it out loud, say it in your head. This really helps because repetition drills the speech into your long-term memory, making it easier to remember when you finally present it.