Stage fright is a real thing, especially as a media personality, no matter the level of experience you have, you still experience that small beating of your heart before you present your show or even moderate a panel session. The truth is that you are not alone. Many people suffer from stage fright worldwide. But do not be alarmed, here are some tips to help you overcome.
- Get your head in the right place:
I’m going to start out with some tough love: It isn’t about you! Speech anxiety is unpleasant enough that you may focus on how awful you’re feeling instead of what really matters: how your audience responds. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what they hope to get out of this presentation. You’ll be on the right wavelength, which is that of your audience.
- Belly breathe:
Breathing deeply and clearing your lungs is necessary to prepare you for your presentation. By doing this, you are relaxing your mind and calming your nerves.
- Turn that negative talk into positive thinking:
The longer you stay in negative territory concerning your response to public speaking, the more it will seem like home. We’re all experts at beating ourselves up through negative self-talk. Why not use positive thinking instead?
- Visualize a successful outcome:
It helps to have a picture of the beginning and the end in mind. Also, the more time and effort you spend anticipating positive outcomes, the better equipped you’ll be to respond that way in real-life situations.
Talk to members of the audience:
- Some people like to sit in the audience and start chatting with people to get more comfortable. This will make you see that the audience members are just ordinary people like you, thus helping you manage your expectations.
After all these steps, trust your instinct and know that failure isn’t final, and even if you have a severe case of stage fright, you can bounce back again. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. You can do it!
