Tweet

Presentation Anxiety (Part 2): Putting Bad Nerves to Good Use

Guest post by: Cam Barber

Article Overview: - You can choose to experience adrenaline as either energy or anxiety. - Certainty of information (message) is the strongest foundation you can create. - Focus on your message and become a natural presenter.

Presentation Anxiety (Part 2): Putting Bad Nerves to Good Use

Do you choose fear or fun?

Psychologist Stanley Schacter has conducted experiments on changing the way people label the physical symptoms of anxiety. Using many inputs, including a drug similar to adrenaline, he set up two different scenarios. Half the group were told to expect good feelings and given feedback that they were having the time of their lives. The other half were told to expect bad feelings and given feedback that the experience was negative. The inputs were the same, only the way the participants labelled the experience was different.

Excitement has very similar physical symptoms to nervous anxiety. Those who expected good feeling enjoyed the rush of adrenaline and felt energy, those who saw the feelings as negative labelled it anxiety.

You can alter your experience of a situation by changing the way you think. Once you know why the feelings and symptoms are there, you can choose to experience either energy or anxiety.

Hyper-vigilance is bad nerves

What do we focus our attention on? Hyper-vigilance is a psychological term meaning our attention is focused too intently on ourselves, not the true situation. This can magnify what would otherwise be minor things. For example, we mislabel a small change in our bodily reactions such as dry mouth or sweaty palms, as being dramatic.

Hyper-vigilance creates overreactions and drains the energy needed to comfortably complete your presentation. The good news is we can choose to focus our attention on the highest priorities.

Find your message and lose the ‘bucket' of words

There are many techniques to reduce the nervous symptoms, but there is one that stands out. Gaining certainty of message, and the feeling of purpose it engenders, is by far the strongest foundation you can create for yourself. Think logically about how you could feel prepared and then work on those elements.

The goal of planning is to identify the intent of words, not to write down all the words you want to say. This gives you certainty about the idea, message or concept you want your listeners to accept. Without a planning template of some kind, your presentation can appear to be just a huge bunch of words.

When you find the message to be transferred to your listeners, your entire experience changes. A feeling of purpose develops. You can relax knowing you don't need to memorise all the words as there are many combinations that will communicate the meaning of your message.

In addition, delivery elements such as the tone, inflection and emphasis of your voice start to flow naturally from your clarity of mind. Sorting the information in your head reduces nervousness and helps create a natural delivery style.

Good nerves and the performance myth

Our goal is not to eliminate nervousness - just to eliminate the fear and hyper- vigilance that magnifies it. The cure is to simply take away all of the clutter about ‘performing' and focus on communicating information. The emphasis should be on getting the ideas across, not on the performance per se. Once the focus is on the information you want to share, you can find your natural style.

Your style is the right style! Change your perception of what's going on, put anxiety to good use and discover the relaxed certainty that will make you a great speaker.

Summary: Adrenaline doesn't have to create fear ...it can be seen as energy. Gain certainty about your message and you'll reduce anxiety and allow your "natural" presentation style to flow.

Related Articles
  Successful People Use Their Nerves to Deliver Dynamic Presentations
  How to Deal with Anxiety Using the Power of Positive Affirmations
  Direct Sales Strategies: Overcoming Initial Resistance- We Just Want the Price
  Little Known Special Cure for Presentation Anxiety
  Presentation Performance Anxiety? Use it!
  Maximise the power of public speaking
  Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Pitching An Idea Or Project
  Overcoming Recession Anxiety For The Good Of Your Small Business
  Presentation Anxiety (Part 1): Remove Anxiety and Nerves Evaporate!
  Are You Afraid Of Home Based Business Success Or Failure?
  How To Give Great Speeches
  Presentation Skills – Getting Around Nervousness
  Anxiety Free
  Four of the Most Common Mistakes in Persuasive Speaking
  Discover the 8 Secrets to Successful Presentations
  Professional Presentation Skills
  How Not to Start Your Presentation: 10 Roads to Disaster
  How to End Performance Anxiety – Quickly!
  9 Practical Tips to Keep Your Anxiety Under Control
  Do You Wake Up Happy or Anxious?

Article Tags: bad nerves, certainty, key message, nerves, nervousness, presentation anxiety, presentation skills, public speaking, public speaking anxiety



Related Forum Posts
Re: Essential Leadership skills - Vision Values Mission Strategic Thinking Decision Making Communication Team Bonding People Development Coaching / Mentoring / Guiding / Grooming Presentation Thanks Robert
Patent information - I'm also interested in Part 2. Thanks.
Patent Process - Interesting to hear your experiences with the patent process - what's Part 2?
Re: As an Entrepreneur, What has been your Biggest Success? - [quote="GT Bulmer":c52l5xxp]The difference between me and them is that I like and enjoy what I do, so I don't "live for the weekends" like they do. Putting in the long hours that I do is not work for me.[/quote:c52l5xxp] I call it passion, and love it
Re: Poll: Video Marketing Online, Do you use it? - Hi GT, One of my goals for this year is to start using video over the summer. I checked the "actively researching" box as I have been looking into it in the last six months with that in mind. I have practical experience with making videos as that is what I do with my "English Presentation" students at college in their second term. Earlier this year, I used iMovie on my Mac OSX to make a DVD stringing together edited versions of the students' presentations, so I'm OK with the technical side... It's the production side that is more of a challenge at the moment!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Five keys to business success

The Substance Abusing Employee

RULE YOUR BUSINESS LIKE A SHINE STAR

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.