How To Ease Public Speaking Jitters
My top two tips for nailing nervousness
Day-of presentation nerves are quite fascinating given the human capacity to conjure words effortlessly for the 1,425 other minutes that we spend not giving a 15-minute presentation. Before you pounce on me for including sleep time, a reminder that there are those of us who occasionally (and hilariously) talk in our sleep. It happens. So do nerves.
As a sociology professor, I can’t even count how many presentations I have in any given year. There are my twice-weekly lectures to a new crop of students every quarter. Talks on my research at conferences, universities, and organizations. Proposal summaries for grant reviews. And the list goes on.
For better or worse, public speaking is an inevitable part of my job. So are the dreaded nerves that suddenly come along when I have to stand in front of a group of people and make words come out of my mouth.
There’s a myth, however, that you have to enjoy public speaking to be a good presenter or at least look comfortable giving a talk. I think a good portion of the terror that strikes would-be presenters comes from unhelpful ideas that many of us learn about the essence of talks.
Thankfully, I’ve found that these two tips help quell my nerves wherever I am in the process…
