How To Combat Presentation Anxiety?

The fear of creating a presentation is the most common phobia which exists. It ranks with the fear of death as a traumatic experience, likely because people unconsciously fear the attention directed at them when they’re creating a presentation will somehow expose them to risks that may cause death! This unfounded fear (in most normal situations) paralyzes countless people and prevents them from moving forward in their careers or in their enjoyment of life.

Centre stage

Certainly it’s possible to live without taking “centre stage” but the quality of life could be disrupted by the chance of being called on to make a speech, a presentation, lead a prayer, or even face a hiring committee. To overcome this fear, you must become of aware of how you handle stress and anxiety. Awareness is half the battle. The other half is learning how to “let go” of stress so that you might take back control of how you respond in difficult conditions. Presentation anxiety can manifest in the exact techniques panic/anxiety often occurs.

Commonly people experiencing this anxiety will: alter their breathing (short shallow breaths or hold their breath), tighten muscles, tighten their gut (slowing or stopping digestion and reducing normal reproductive activity), reduce blood circulation to the surface of the skin in their hands and feet, increase heart rate, increase stress hormone secretion (raise blood glucose and reduce immune system function (over time)), and increase sensitivity to all environmental changes. You can learn how to control every one of these signs either directly or indirectly.

Symptoms control

By controlling these symptoms you learn how to get back in control of your life! Let your chest, neck, shoulder, and relax as you breathe.

• Only on a really deep breath should these components move in the breath. This might be the most significant Demo Stress Control you can find!
• Use the Stress Management for Presentation Anxiety tape 1-3 times per day for 8-12 weeks. Use some kind of fever training biofeedback in your hands to find out how to warm your hands with comfort. When you can always get over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (93-95 degrees is ideal) then you can start to master warming your toes to 90 degrees. When you can”let go” by relaxing and warming your hands and feet, you’ll have the ability to control if not stop your panic episodes. Then you have to develop the confidence in your hands so the fear of fear during demonstrations won’t control your life.
• Regular exercise can enable you to work off the effects of life’s stresses. 3-5 times a week of regular exercise which can increase your heart rate for 15-45 minutes will be best. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program if you’ve been inactive for quite a while. Despite the fact that elevating your heart rate can be a bit frightening, the release of tensions and the strengthening of your cardiovascular system will have good advantages.
• Eat regular meals. Low fat and complex carbohydrates are better than fast foods with plenty of sugar. AVOID CAFFEINE and other stimulants. Caffeine is found in coffee, black teas, cola drinks, chocolate, some over-the-counter pain medicines, and other foods/drugs. Read labels. Eating as closely as possible to natural foods (lots of: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.) will benefit any one.
• Practice positive self-talk. Don’t allow your fears escalate into you losing control of your body and your mind. By breathing slowly and remaining inside your body, now, you avoid falling into the negative pattern of fear and anxiety.
• Get support from friends and family, physician, and therapist if needed. Check your area for panic/anxiety treatment or support groups! Then consider joining a local Toastmasters group to desensitize yourself, gradually, to talking in public. Desensitization to your anxiety can be started when you’ve mastered relaxation. When you learn how to breathe diaphragmatically and can warm your hands and feet, you’ve got the skills to start the mental rehearsal called desensitization.

What now?

After becoming completely relaxed, keep this comfort/relaxation, and start to envision yourself preparing and giving a demonstration to a positive supportive audience. When you are able to achieve this mental rehearsal successfully, staying relaxed, then you may start to really prepare for this kind of experience. This will take practice and time, however, beating your psychological fears to creating a presentation will take a lot of the uncontrolled fear from the actual event. The key to making a fantastic presentation comes from the preparation.

Repeated practice adds confidence! Humor or humorous stories can help “break the ice” at the start of your presentation, but you want to rehearse even this component. Practice a powerful closing that asks the audience to get a call to action! You might even wish to videotape a”dress rehearsal” so you can see your mannerisms and voice tones once you highlight your most important points. This additional work will be well worth the effort once you actually perform. You might even discover that, after all this preparation, the event will be less stressful than you’d anticipated. Indeed, the anticipation of a future difficult situation is generally worse than the presentation itself. SO DON’T BE A VICTIM TO THE FUTURE! Live in the present, on your body, and under your control! Remember! You can get back in control of your body and your life! You have to make this a priority so that you can avoid being a victim to this fear of making presentations. Both of these resources from this site can provide you with a program to start for management of your presentation stress.