What are some tips for anxiety with public speaking?

Here are some tips for fear of public speaking, also known as speech anxiety. Speech anxiety is something many people have. It is difficult at the best of times to get up in front of people and give a speech. Many people who are good at giving talks and lectures do not come by it naturally…they prepare for their presentations methodically.

Here are some tips for anxiety with public speaking:

• Research

One way to decrease you speech anxiety is to research your topic thoroughly. You are giving the talk on this topic, so you are the expert. To be an expert at a topic, you need to research and read all you can. Even if you already possess the expertise, it is always good to do research, as new developments may be moving the field forward. You want to be two steps ahead of your audience- put in the time and do your research.

• Practice

Practice makes perfect. You will not have a successful talk if you go in without practicing. Practicing allows you to practice the delivery of the speech…the tone, volume, cadence, inflections, comic relief, etc. Your presentation may also involve multimedia, like PowerPoint or videos, so it is a good idea to go through your presentation and make sure the delivery is on target.

• Anticipate

Finally, every good presenter anticipates questions from the audience. Brainstorm all the possible questions on your topic, and then attempt to answer them. If you are not able to answer them from the top of your head, then you need to do more research to prepare.

In summary, speech anxiety, or the fear of public speaking, can be overcome with research, practice, and anticipation. If you still have speech anxiety after following the above tips, then you may need prescription medication, such as a beta blocker, to help with the anxiety with public speaking.