Resumo de Overcoming Nervousness

OVERCOMING NERVOUSNESS :

In many surveys, public speaking has been regarded
as

the

second most feared thing in the world, being beaten

only by

death itself. It seems ironic to me that one of the

things

I love doing the most is, for many, as scary as

plunging

into the great unknown! But the problem is clear:

people

are scared of the audience. A large group of people

that

you don't know can be scary enough for some, but

bringing

their attention solely onto you is far worse. What
if I

make a goose of myself? What if they laugh at me?
What

if

my pants fall down?

These are the common questions (Well, maybe the
last

one

isn't so common!) racing through one's mind prior
to

stepping out onto the stage or podium. But the
thing to

remember is that the audience are just like you,
and if

you

asked most of them to jump up on the stage infront
of

strange people, they would be nervous too! Most of
the

audience are there to be entertained, informed, and

perhaps

both. This is your job. And the best way to fulfil
this

job

is to be confident.

But I can't help being nervous, you might say. It
is

natural to be nervous before a public appearance.
Every

professional entertainer experiences some kind

of "butterflies" before a performance. The symptoms
are

usually a nervous stomach, perspiring, shifting
eyes,

death

grip on chairs. I am afraid to say that you can
never

get

rid of nervousness completely. But the key is

controlling

it, and keeping it to an OK level. A bit of
nervousness

is

a good thing, but too much can be disasterous!

I can still remember a young boy being forced to

memorize "The Man from Snowy River" (an awfully
long

poem)

and present it at school. He was a very quiet boy,
and

he

was so nervous when doing this poem that he almost
went

into shock. No one could hear what he was saying
and

the

poor thing was scared to death.

Here are some tips to stop this ever happening to
you:

Before the big day.....

+ Never tell yourself that you will muck up. This
is

the

worst thing you can do for yourself. Always be

positive,

tell yourself that you can and will perform

successfully.

+ Always prepare and know your work well. Make sure

speeches are written well in advance, and that you
have

read them out aloud several times. In drama, make
sure

you

know your lines, and your cues very well. Always

practise

with any props you need to use regularly.

+ Practise your work on a small audience of family,
a

few

friends or work collegues. Even practising your
work

infront of one other person can really make a

difference.

+ Try to practise your work in the venue where you
will

be

performing. If this is not possible, try to find

somewhere

similar. Stand on the stage or podium and imagine
the

room

filled with people.

+ If you make a mistake while practising, keep
going.

This

will ensure that you will be able to handle any
slips

on

the real performance.

On the big day...before speaking

+ Practice a few relaxation exercises before you go
on -

-

rolling your neck, swinging your arms, stretching.

+ Keep a clear head. Don't get panicked. Try not to

drink

any alcohol or take any unnecessary medications.

+ Take a deep breath, hold it for three-five
seconds,

let

it out slowly.

+ Give yourself plenty of time. Don't be late.
Rushing

will

send you into a panic, causing those butterflies to
go

crazy!

+ Stand naturally with your feet shoulder-width
apart,

your

hands loose and relaxed. Then shake your hands and

arms,

letting the vibration work itself into the rest of
your

body.

+ Try and stay around other people, because when
you

are by

yourself, you worry.

+ Nervousness adds adrenaline to your system -- it
can

make

you sharper and quicker -- use it.

+ Think of nervousness as a way of ensuring that
you

are "up" for the presentation.

+ Most of all, try and enjoy yourself, and look on
the

experience as positively as possible.

While speaking:

+ Concentrate on what you want to say. Remember
that

you

have something important you want to share with
your

audience.

+ Watch your breathing. Nervousness often causes
you to

sound choppy and breathy. Be sure and take a breath

before

you begin your sentence.

+ Watch out for distracting body movements and

gestures.

Try to take care of them prior to your speech. For

example,

if you have a tendency to jingle change in your
pocket,

get

rid of it prior to speaking.

Like everything, public speaking takes practise. It

will

get easier every time, until your butterflies
hardly

exist.

The only butterflies I feel before a performance
now

are

ones of excitement, and not being able to wait to
get

out

there!

.

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