Giving a presentation and would like advice for overcoming nerves

[Rohdekill]

I always open by having the audience perform a short song and dance routine.  Nothing makes you feel more at ease than knowing you just made complete idiots of your audience.

[LaP]

I have often heard about people imagining the audience naked...never dead though! Will have to give that one a go!

 

Just don't care about it. That's how i do it.

 

It used to stress me up to the point i was sick for a whole week before doing a presentation in front of a crowd. One day i just decided i did not care anymore about it. If i look like a fool so be it.

 

Don't try to over-prepare yourself. From my own exp it leads to more stress. Just know your subject well that's enough. Improvise. Bring some reminder notes for numbers, stats, chapters order and such so you don't have to read the powerpoint people don't like it when you read your own presentation and don't look at them.

 

I don't even practice my presentation anymore. I do a single test to see if it fits the time avalaible and that's it.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

there is a good trick

 

 

 

go to the bathroom where people cannot see you.

few deep breaths. 

 

 

then breath out, until your lungs are empty.

hold it. hold it. hold it.

 

ideally you can last 60 seconds. and if you are athletic, much longer.

 

once it is unbearable...  and i mean when your body is in great distress, breath in.    you, taking air again, will put your body (which actually thought it was going to die) in hormone pleasure overdrive.

you will feel EUPHORIC.  like on the happy drugs, but still sober smart.  

 

no harm done (trust me, you would not be able to hold it for long enough to cause harm)

, but your body (and by extension, your mind) thinks it just narrowly avoided DEATH.

 

you just have to deprive yourself of something ESSENTIAL, to realize, Who the ###### cares about anything else, and you are totally relaxed now, with no worries.

 

 

 

 

i have done it before important interviews and presentations.

 

 

 

other option is to get a bit drunk, but it is a much riskier option, depending on your boss.

[compl3x]

Thank you all for all the advice. Did the presentation last week and feel it went pretty well. I could have done better, but I always knew it was never going be to perfect! However, it went much better than I thought it would so thanks for the support. Weirdly looking forward to the next time... 

 

 

Study where you think you fell short this time and consider ways to improve next time. However, don't nitpick tiny things too much otherwise you'll send yourself crazy.

 

Some things like public speaking just take practice.

[DConnell Member]

Reading this thread I thought of something to try next time I need to do a presentation. Maybe I'll try imagining my best friend is there. Might alleviate some of the stress since I'm comfortable talking about anything with her.