It's Normal to Be Stressed Before Presenting
Its perfectly normal for presenting to cause some stress, cause if you don't get stressed over this then you're one in a million. Some of the physiological changes caused by this rise in stress level may lead to symptoms such as sweating, hand/leg shakes, upset stomach, accelerated breathing, increased heart rate. If you get any of that before or during a presentation then congratulations, you are perfectly normal. Almost everyone experiences some stress but one of the secrets of being a great presenter is being able to channel that stress to work for you not against you .
If you can use that excessive stress energy to your advantage, it can be the fuel for a more enthusiastic and dynamic presentation. Below are some guidelines that can help you do just that. You want to be able to turn that stress into a positive driving force towards better presenting.
Tips to lower your stress when presenting
Prepare, prepare and prepare some more
One of the best things that reduces stress before a presentation is to prepare well. Getting prepared gives you confidence and is guaranteed to reduce your stress level , If you are well prepared you can more easily turn all that stress into positive energy leading to a more interesting presentation.
Visualize your success
Visualize yourself walking into that room, giving a great presentation, very confidently handled every question and your enthusiasm and energy caused your audience to be interested and enthusiastic about what you had to say, just seeing yourself succeed will help you focus and guide you to do it.
Pactice, practice and practice some more
The best preparation you can do is to actually practice delivering your presentation either by yourself or infront of someone who can give you solid feedback, or even videotape yourself and watch the recordings to identify key areas for improvement.
Remember to Breathe
When we are nervous or stressed we sometimes forget to breathe. if you focus on deep breathing this will surely help you keep your stress level under control.
Move around
Moving around helps you lower your tension by flexing your muscles. You are more prone to experience tension if you stand in one spot. Also moving round helps draw audience into the presentation.
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