Ok real talk: I give plenty of speeches and the nerves beforehand never fully go away for me. Never let anyone convince you that experiencing nerves means you shouldn’t be up there. You absolutely do! Here are some awesome benefits:
Those same nerves that make you feel anxious or give you stomach problems kick in your ability to think more clearly. You’re literally more able to think more clearly from the adrenaline. You know what else?
I see tons of speaker lounges. The speakers that are more calm beforehand are not necessarily giving the better talks. I see no correlation. My theory is that the people who are nervous are appreciating the time and attention of the audience. They want to make it stellar.
So here’s what I would suggest: acknowledge nerves. Don’t try to fight it. It’s ok. You still deserve to be up there. When you get on stage, smile. Remember that the subject matter is something you love and you get to share it! How cool is that!
Breathe. This one is actually harder than it sounds. Throw your shoulders back. Go into the bathroom and jump around and do power poses if you need to. You got this. Even if, (and maybe especially) because you feel like you don’t. 🚀
I thought I was done but one more- you have to practice. Those nerves are much better if you know oh have something good coming, and you feel prepared. Different things work for different people but I practice until I’m sick of my own voice and then practice a few more times.
