Anyone that says “I don’t get nervous” is lying. Everyone gets nervous, it’s a part of what makes us human.
We get nervous because we are jumping into the unknown. We get nervous because we have something to fear, and if we have something to fear that means we are smart.
A man that fears nothing is going to meet a stupid death. A man who runs head-first into any situation is going to win a Darwin Award.
By being nervous, we acknowledge that something could go wrong. By knowing something will go wrong, we can think and analyse how to improve.
To give an example, my work wants me to go to a primary school to promote the business. For a simple explanation, I work at a tutoring place. I hosted an afterschool club there earlier in the year and they want me to put on an assembly.
Obviously, this is way out of my comfort zone. This will be the first time I’ve presented anything to a group bigger than 20, and the last time I did that was back when I was in school almost 5 years ago.
So, am I nervous? Of course. I’m terrified. But, I have a few tricks and tips to help deal with it and I wish to share them here.
First, write a script. A script is always helpful. If you have a PowerPoint to follow then write the script with that in mind. If you can, try and have it so that you can somewhat see the script. If you can’t, then make sure you practise your PowerPoint. Make sure you are aware of the points and what you want to speak about.
Even if you won’t be able to write a script, it will still help you remember and understand the points in your mind. You can read over it briefly before starting to help. The more planning, the better you’ll be.
Next, think about the end. Obviously, you’ll want it to be over as soon as possible. But focusing on the feeling of relief afterwards can help greatly with anxiety. Typically, the important presentations only last around 10 – 20 minutes. If you are presenting anything longer then it’s probably not as important. When presenting to important people, they won’t have time for hour-long presentations so you’ll be able to dance with joy at the fact that those 10 and 20 minutes will go by quickly.
And finally, breathe. The most important step. Slow down. Breathe…
I’m a fast talker and an even faster talker when I’m nervous. If you’ve watched one of my streams you may know this, and may also know that I trip over my words a lot.
Take a deep breath, look at your audience with a smile, and look back at the PowerPoint every now and then to remind yourself of what you are doing.
An additional tip that may not always apply is to be light-hearted. Start with a little bit of a joke, even if no one laughs it can help set the mood. In a lighter mood, no one will mind if you make a mistake. Accept your mistakes. The people watching will forget about you eventually, it’s just about making an impression in the moment.
Even in a job interview, once you’ve got the job, they’ll forget when you leave or retire.
It’s not world-ending, but it’ll be over before you know it and it’ll only get easier from there.
Thanks for reading. I hope my tips can help a few people, but as always I was mostly writing for myself. I’m hoping it’ll all go well tomorrow with my presentation, but even if it doesn’t then all I can say is that I tried my best.
If you’ve got your own tips then let me know in the comments below. Don’t forget to like and share to help support me!
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