With over 45,000 roles on LinkedIn listing presenting as a necessary skill, experts are sharing clever tricks for overcoming presentation anxiety, including power poses that change our brain chemistry.
Over three quarters of Brits (77%) have Glossophobia or some fear of public speaking, while 15% say their fear of standing up and speaking in front of people is overwhelming and debilitating.
Studies have shown that a fear of public speaking could be evolutionary. Biologist Dr. Glenn Croston wrote “one common defence to predation displayed by primates is to live in a group.” This fear of not being able to survive on our own is what led humans to form society and could explain why the isolation of speaking in front of a crowd is so daunting.
A fear of presenting and public speaking can hold people back in their education and careers. Studies have shown that a fear of public speaking negatively affects student performance in speaking tests at school, and adults with a fear of public speaking often settle for jobs that don’t require much talking, which usually pay less.
Furniture At Work has worked with psychologists and professional public speakers to help people overcome their fears.
Here are five clever tricks to calm your nerves before a big presentation.
1. Squeeze your toes to stop yourself from shaking
One symptom of public speaking is shaking. If people think they’re visibly shaking, it can be very distracting and take away from the presentation or speech. A discrete trick for expelling shaky legs is squeezing your toes or thumb and pointer finger together in your non-gesturing hand. This will release your body’s excess energy and reduce shakiness during public speaking.
2. Practice power poses
Social Psychologist, Amy Cuddy, says standing or sitting in a certain way can change our body chemistry; this is a genius way to get yourself in the right mindset for a presentation. Power poses are an expression that can make you feel more confident, optimistic, and assertive. They can also reduce cortisol, which is linked to stress and anxiety.
The best power poses for public speaking are standing with your hands on your hips, leaning forward on a table or standing with your arms up in a V-shape.
3. Learn the ‘Ocean Breath’ technique
Ocean Breath is a nasal breathing technique that uses a constriction in the back of your throat to control, slow and extend your inhales and exhales. Ocean Breathing releases emotions and reduces stress and anxiety.
Sit up tall with your shoulders relaxed, close your eyes, and become aware of your breathing without trying to control it. On your exhales, tone the back of your throat to constrict the air passage. You should hear a soft hissing sound. Once you’ve become comfortable with the exhale, you can do the same for your inhales.
When you feel in control of this technique, you can begin breathing through your nose. Apply the same principles and count six as you inhale and six as you exhale.
4. Use a cold water bottle to lower your temperature
Common symptoms of Glossophobia are feeling too hot, getting flushed or sweating. Matt Abraham, an author who has published books on strategic communication, says a clever trick for overcoming this before a presentation, meeting or speech is to hold a cold-water bottle to lower your temperature.
It’s natural to carry on stage with you and will feel soothing as if you’re stepping into an air-conditioned room.
5. Turn fear into positive energy
A common mistake people make before public speaking is fighting their fear and telling themselves they shouldn’t be nervous. Nerves are natural; it’s just your body preparing to do something important, and the right amount of nervous energy can be good, giving you the energy to provide a more dynamic presentation.
One trick to help with nerves is to turn your fear into a positive energy like excitement. Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert says one of the best ways to do this is to think about the symptoms of fear differently. If you are short of breath, you can feel confident your body is getting the extra oxygen it needs. The increased breath will fuel your brain and muscles, so you think clearer and react quickly.
You can find useful advice about health and wellbeing, productivity, and motivation at work on the Furniture At Work blog.
