Many people experience anxiety at the thought of making a speech. Whether the speech is for a wedding, business presentation or school, once the anxiety grabs hold of you, it can feel overwhelming. The trick to calming anxiety before a speech is to accept that you are feeling anxious and work with it, rather than try to will yourself to be calm. Create a plan to ease your tension and you will be well on your way to giving the best speech of your life.
Step 1
Prepare yourself thoroughly before you give the speech. Memorize all of the points that need to be stressed and learn your subject matter well. Organize any notes or presentation materials you have, so they are easy to find.
Step 2
Visualize yourself giving a flawless speech in the days leading up to the real speech. Imagine standing in front of a captivated audience and the words flowing effortlessly from your mouth.
Step 3
Learn about your audience. Knowing as much as possible about who you are speaking to will help you formulate your layout and create confidence, suggests the University of Missouri.
Step 4
Perform deep breathing techniques such as the 7/11 technique before you are to speak. The 7/11 breathing technique consists of breathing in to a count of seven, and out to a count of eleven. It is designed specifically to deal with stressful and anxious situations.
Step 5
Set up visual aids or use slides if possible to take some of the focus off you. Blend into the background as the audience watches your presentation.
