Got a presentation coming up soon and feel nervous? Need to ask your boss a question or a favour? A speech for a wedding? or maybe even ask someone on a date? If you’re an introvert, this may seem like your worst nightmare, but there are easy steps to take to soothe those nerves and help your confidence bloom!
Identify the problem, and work at it: What is it exactly that makes you cringe away from the spotlight? Is it eye contact? Is it worrying about messing up your words? Is it being the focus of attention? A way to get through this is to find solutions to each of these problems.
If it is eye contact, practice speaking at an object in the room instead, or ask a friend to be your friendly-face to focus on. If it is being the focus of attention, a great place to start is by making yourself feel your absolute best: keep yourself grounded and calm any nerves, even put on a great outfit to make yourself look the part! Remember even those who have been public speaking for years still get nervous, and it is okay — even good — to embrace the adrenaline. Just focus, practice, feel your best, and you will ace it!
What makes them tick: Look at those around you or in public, what do they do before they’re in the spotlight? How do they cope? For some people, they almost have a stage presence — their own character — that they embody when speaking to large groups: in other words, they fake it ’til they make it!
I can’t help but be reminded here of a scene from Maid in Manhattan where Ralph Fiennes’ politician character admits to a young kid that he uses a paperclip to calm his nerves by twisting it in his pockets during speeches. He calls it his ‘lightning rod’. Maybe it’s not always best to have your hands in your pockets, but a distraction technique such as this is brilliant for calming nerves (thanks, Ralph Fiennes!).
The power of Self-affirmations: Boost your confidence by being your own biggest fan. You should believe in yourself and your abilities, and stop that little voice of doom in your head that tells you it will go wrong. You are a great public speaker. You are friendly to everyone, you are smart, you are capable. You can speak to a group. You can do this presentation/ask that question. You’ve got this!
Top Tip: Move your body! Just before you are due on stage/ thinking of your question/ loading up your powerpoint, roll out your shoulders and release tension build up! All of our stress concentrates in our spines and shoulders, so give yourself a quick shake-out and let go of that tension and you will feel a literal weight lift off your shoulders! If you have time on the day before your moment in the spotlight, ground yourself with mindful exercises such as yoga or meditation. Take a deep breath, get your oxygen flowing, and let go of your nerves!
One last piece of advice? Keep your head where your body is. Try to avoid overthinking and getting nervous before you absolutely have to by keeping your mind in the moment. Once the spotlight is on you, think about your words and your posture, but don’t skip ahead to other people’s reactions or when you can finally sit down again! Doing this will keep you centered and calm, and ready to shine in the spotlight!
Written by Hollie Sherwood-Martin
WellBe is spearheading the way to a brighter future for corporate wellness. Our innovative portal is scientifically designed and tailored to each individual employee to improve their wellbeing. We specialise in a range of services from coaching and therapists, to meditation and reading materials. Our aim is to reduce workplace stress that costs UK businesses £42 billion per year. Get in touch with us by visiting our site wellbe.global for more information.
