Maintaining Your Public Speaking Confidence.

When speaking in public or delivering a presentation, have you noticed how it is during the few minutes before speaking that your public speaking confidence takes a hit as any nerves or anxiety reach their peak?

These were the moments when I used to experience every single known symptom of public speaking nerves.

It is the time where our public speaking confidence diminishes as we even wonder why we are here or if there's even a way to escape!

I get it, as that was me every time.

Let me share with you some ways that helped me to lose and reduce those feelings of extreme anxiety I had always experienced, so you can build and maintain your public speaking confidence

Public Speaking Confidence

There is a reason you are speaking.  You have something of value to share with those attending the meeting, which can be as simple as updating your colleagues or sharing a recent development.  

Whatever the reason, your public speaking confidence will affect the success you achieve in the meeting, so believe in the value you have to share with those attending.

While waiting for your time to speak, resist any temptation to start making changes to your script.  Any changes made now will reduce your public speaking confidence, so stay with what you have prepared and rehearsed.

An important area for our public speaking confidence is ensuring we breathe correctly.  Too often when under stress, we start a breathing cycle that is fast and shallow without realising it.  This type of breathing increases the stress that we experience while waiting to our turn to speak.

Here’s a terrific technique that will help you to steady your nerves while regulating your breathing rate so you will begin to feel more relaxed, boosting your public speaking confidence.

• Place both feet flat on the floor and relax your arms.
• Slowly and quietly breathe in for 3 seconds.
• Hold your breath for 3 seconds.
• Slowly breathe out for 3 seconds.
• Hold for 3 seconds.
• Breathe in for 3 seconds.
• Repeat the steps a few times until you feel calmer.

As you repeat this cycle of slow and regulated breathing, you will feel your body relaxing and all the stress slowly slipping away.

You can do this exercise anywhere you're feeling some stress with no one ever realising what you're doing.

When it is your moment to start speaking, pause for a second, take a slow, silent breath before you say a single word. 

Taking this breath will ensure your first words are those you prepared, ensuring you start strongly and boosting your public speaking confidence.