public speaking = worst

[Minus]

... I have to present something this semestre, and I'm still telling myself it will be all right. ...

Of course you will. I will be finishing a speech class shortly. The idea of taking a speech class terrified me enough to consider dropping out of school.

Probably the one thing that helped me more than anything was practicing the speeches before hand. I figured that i had to work three times as hard at it to get half the results of the rest of the class. With the help of a tolerant person, i would put in an excessive amount of practice so that i wouldn't get lost in the middle of it, stall out and lose my direction, since we could only use a note card with a couple words to prompt us through a ten minute speech that had to end within 30 seconds of the 10 minute mark.

While i still feel scared to death when giving them, the practice does help. With the last one i even had people come up to me after class and complement me on my speech, and i was sure that they would try to crucify me for that one because my topic was something that i expected to be hated by the "law & order" crowd that makes up most of the class.

 

[Drama]

it's true that a lot of practice helps. And positive thoughts. I always try to see the good side of a presentation "having a better mark" which is the goal.

being scared is noooooormal my heart always beat soo fast when i begin a presentation with the blushing and all but if I remember exactly what I should say, it becomes easy. Even with the look of everyone... oh God! staring at meee but then i remember to imagine the worms lol

 

[Minus]

...if I remember exactly what I should say, it becomes easy....

That became a big part for me. If i start to get lost on where i am going with it, then i can start to panic which makes it more likely that i will lose my direction. That is largely why practice became so important to me, to maintain my direction.

Somehow the people looking at me doesn't seem to get to me to much even though i hate being the center of attention. I guess i just become too busy trying to make sure that i look around the room instead of focusing on one spot that i don't really even see faces that much, more just shapes. More concentrating on where i am going with that speech that i don't even get the chance to think "weird, people are actually kinda listening to me".

 

[Badjedidude]

Haha I've had some hard moments during presentations....sometimes, even if you prepare and everything, you'll mess up, or stammer, or have awkward pauses...

but IT HAPPENS. It's no big deal. If you just keep going and try to keep a light-hearted attitude about it, everything will be fine.

 

[Drama]

Ohh!!!! I'm losing the confidence again lol it's a biiiiiiiig deal for me :/ I always need to do things perfectly. I'm afraid to mess up and lose aaaaaall my you're-the-best thing...

 

[Badjedidude]

Haha awwww I didn't mean to cause you to lose confidence.

My point is that eventually, sooner or later you're GOING to mess up. If you accept that and then just do your best to REACT to that mess-up in a comfortable manner, then you're waaaaay ahead in the game. Because honestly...if you try to make ZERO mistakes, then you're just going to be more flustered when you DO make one.

So just do your best to laugh at yourself and be comfortable even when making a mistake, mis-pronouncing a word, or stammering. It's really not that bad.

AND ESPECIALLY in a class setting. Think of it this way: EVERYONE WATCHING YOU understands the nervousness you're going through...because they will be experiencing the same thing in a few minutes. So no big deal, really.

 

[Minus]

... So no big deal, really.

Yeah it is easy for those that find it to be no big deal. The difficulty is getting there.

 

[suckaG]

sometimes, even if you prepare and everything, you'll mess up, or stammer, or have awkward pauses...

but IT HAPPENS. It's no big deal. If you just keep going and try to keep a light-hearted attitude about it, everything will be fine.

True! I need to find that place of light-heartedness, where I can laugh with ease at my own foibles, rather than cringe in mortification lol

Yeah it is easy for those that find it to be no big deal. The difficulty is getting there.

I agree. we gotta work up to the cool nonchalance!

 

[Badjedidude]

Yeah it is easy for those that find it to be no big deal. The difficulty is getting there.

Noooooooo I'm always crazy nervous before a presentation, especially if it's in front of my peers...but I find that once I actually get up and start going, all the nervousness fades away, because at that point it's "do or die" and I have no choice BUT to accept it and go on.

And that's how I become comfortable with it....about 1-2 minutes into a presentation.

 

[Drama]

AND ESPECIALLY in a class setting. Think of it this way: EVERYONE WATCHING YOU understands the nervousness you're going through...because they will be experiencing the same thing in a few minutes. So no big deal, really.

Actually it's optional so just two or three will really feel what I feel.

 

[Badjedidude]

That's alright. Just as long as SOMEONE else in the room understands...then you can focus on those people. And chances are that they'll be pleasantly attentive and nice about it.

 

[Drama]

You're right I'll try to do it this way!

 

[Minus]

...but I find that once I actually get up and start going, all the nervousness fades away...

It doesn't for me but at some point i quit waiting for it to go away and decide i will make it through it even though i am terrified.

Also based on statements of others, it seems that they are often much more scared than they look, which to me is some comfort me, knowing that i may not be coming across as unsettled as i feel.

 

[Drama]

You have to breathe slowly while conforting yourself with positive thoughts. Once I tried not to breathe to slow the beating of my heart I almost passed out.

 

[Minus]

Sometimes i forget that breathing thing. The results aren't good.

 

[Drama]

I know all about it!

 

[Minus]

Not good

Amazing that something like that can be forgotten.

 

[Drama]

You mean breathing? Not if we have a heart attack *giggle*

 

[Minus]

Eeek, that doesn't sound good.

 

[Drama]

See, so before all remember to breathe then remember the speech