Managing Nervousness During Your Presentation

We get it. Presentations are hard, and sometimes it’s not easy to calm your nerves.

This video will provide you with 5 tips on how to manage nervousness during your presentation to present like a pro.

Tip 1: Plan your pauses. If you’re one of those people that talks super quickly, this tip is for you! Think about when might be a good time to pause. maybe after a quote, between slides, or after a big chunk of content.

Tip 2: bring a drink with you. Taking a sip of your drink forces you to pause, because you have to swallow it before you start talking again. Plus it also helps if you get a dry throat from talking a lot!

Tip 3: try some mindfulness strategies. You might: plant your feet firmly on the ground, touch your finger tips together (with your hands behind your back), or take three deep breaths right before you present.

These strategies help take away focus from your nervousness, and put it back onto you in the present moment.

Tip 4: Reframe your thinking from something negative to something positive. Remind yourself that you are nervous because you actually care.

Caring is a good thing, and because you actually care about your content you are probably going to be more engaging as a presenter.

Tip 5: if you are feeling brave, try videotaping yourself for extra feedback. Videotaping yourself allows you to check your body movement, listen to your voice, and see your slides. You can see what you like, what you don’t and think about how you might change.

Try these tips the next time you present, and present like a pro!

Remember: it’s probably best to try only one or two tips at a time, so you don’t become overwhelmed.

If you want more tips or practice feel free to book an appointment at the library; they can help you strengthen your presentation and provide feedback.

Need help? Email, chat or drop by!