Toastmaster - Ways to Get Over Anxiety Before a Speech

We've all laughed about the old advice on how to relax before giving a speech: Imagine the audience in their underwear. However, one in four people suffer from speech anxiety, according to University Center Rochester, so it's a very real problem. Finding techniques to get over anxiety before a speech can help you feel confident and relaxed for your big moment.

Preparation
One of the best ways to get over your speech anxiety is to make sure your speech is fully prepared and researched. Nothing can throw you off like forgetting parts of your speech or realizing that some of your research isn't right. If you know that you have a speaking engagement coming up, do what you can to prepare to deliver your speech succinctly. Avoid flowery language that you wouldn't normally use. Instead of memorizing your speech word for word, jot down the key points, quotations and elements, and ad lib what you can. Trying to memorize a speech will give you extra anxiety, especially if you realize that you've forgotten something.

Practice
See if you have a family member or friend who can sit and listen to your speech as you run through it for practice. They can be helpful in pointing out places where you seemed less than confident, or times when you repeated yourself. Practice your speech so that when it's time to deliver it, it seems familiar and easy to go through. If you can, invite the family member or friend to sit in the audience, in the center near the back. You can maintain eye contact with that friend, and you just might forget about anyone else in the audience.

Stay Calm
If it helps, write notes right on the speech text, telling yourself to slow down and breathe. A person who gets nervous while talking tends to speed up, which can make you fumble over words and cause even more anxiety. Remember that the speech is not a race, and make a concerted effort to slow down. Before you even begin to speak, try taking a deep breath. Remember that just about everyone has some degree on anxiety when it comes to speaking in public. Rely on your preparation, research and credentials, and trust that they will speak for you.

How to Set the Style for a Speech: Teaching English | eHow.com
How to Prepare a Speech: Teaching English | eHow.com

Finally, relax. This is easier said than done, I know. But here are some ways to psyche yourself out to get rid of some of the anxiety.

• Take deep breaths. You'll be surprised at how well this works. If you know some special breathing techniques, use them, but all you really need to do is breathe deeply in and out for awhile.
• Do some simple stretching exercises before class.
• Avoid caffeine or any food or drink that makes you jittery. Drink something that relaxes you, like decaffeinated tea.
• The night before, close your eyes and visualize yourself giving the speech and everything going well.
• Make friends with your classmates, and you'll feel better about speaking in front of them. Make friends with your teacher too.
• Keep things in perspective. You do much more dangerous things every day, like driving a car or crossing the street. Chances are you've already gone through some stressful or dangerous experiences in your life, and you made it through, right?
• Keep in mind that everybody is nervous. You're not alone.
• Keep in mind that you rarely come across as nervous as you really feel. Unless you're shaking and stammering, the audience probably won't know how nervous you are.
• Just do it. Speak. Speak more. The more experience you have with public speaking, the less nervous you will feel.

Social anxiety disorder treatment #1: Reducing physical symptoms of anxiety
Many changes happen in your body when you become anxious. One of the first changes is that you begin to breathe quickly. Overbreathing throws off the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your body — triggering additional physical anxiety symptoms such as dizziness, a feeling of suffocation, increased heart rate, and muscle tension. Learning to slow your breathing down can help you bring your physical symptoms of anxiety back under control.
Practicing the following breathing exercise will help you decrease the physical symptoms of anxiety and stay calm:

• Sit comfortably with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for 4 seconds. The hand on your stomach should rise, while the hand on your chest should move very little.
• Hold the breath for 2 seconds.
• Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds, pushing out as much air as you can. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
• Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on keeping a slow and steady breathing pattern of 4-in, 2-hold, and 6-out.