Palms are sweating, breath is catching, heart is racing… You would think that someone in this situation is about to jump off a cliff, but in reality, they are just giving a presentation. Why do we get so nervous when we have to present in front of a crowd? It’s definitely not just one person. Even professional performers like John Lennon will admit that he had to throw up before every single performance. It just can’t be helped. Our instincts from long ago tell us that in such a situation, we are faced with certain death. This is our fight or flight response. But those days of having to fight off a saber-tooth tiger are over, so why do we still have to feel this way? The simple answer is, evolution hasn’t quite caught up yet. Only recently in the past hundred years or so have we all been able to sleep safely in our beds at night without fear of imminent danger. To our brains, we are still holed up in caves or huts, waiting for the next storm or bear to come knocking down our doors. Without any physical threats, we start creating our own worst enemy in the form of public speaking.
TED-Ed brings to us a fascinating, Tim Burton-esque animation which presents facts and strategies to tackle stage fright.
It is our human nature to value the opinions of other people. We need to fit in because our caveman instincts tell us to. Without these instincts, our ancestors would have all wandered off in their own directions, all certain that their own ideas were right. Having our peers or co-workers look down on us produces the same hormones similar to experiencing death. When you get up on that stage or podium, all eyes are on you. But stage fright is not a terminal disease, so don’t feel like you have to fake a real terminal illness to get out of presenting. You can fight it with some useful tips.
First and foremost, relaxation is key. The night before or the morning of your presentation, it is a very good idea to do some meditating. I don’t want to sound like an ancient Chinese monk forcing my philosophies of zen, but it has proven effects. Being relaxed tells your brain that there is no dangers and forces it to secrete hormones that make you happy. Right before you have to go on, take in deep breaths and stretch to bring in more oxygen to the brain. More oxygen = more functioning, ergo less chances of slipping up your words.
Practice is another method that most professional speakers use. Unless you are someone who is extremely confident and great at improvisation, knowing your stuff will make you less nervous and more confident, reducing your nervousness.
There are no bullet proof or hard fast techniques that we can use to completely overcome the anxiety related to public speaking, but it can prevent some premature balding.
Good luck out there, everyone!