I certainly could have used this earlier today before my presentation, ha!! Twas quite the doozy...! After reflecting on today's presentation, many of the points you brought up resonate so much in how I could have avoided a couple of nervous hiccups throughout the presentation. The portions on preparation and "To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, Stop Thinking About Yourself" hit quite hard. At numerous points in the presentation today, I got lost in the fear of "oh god they totally know I'm a phony" rather than concentrating on the material I was covering. More preparation ahead of time certainly would have helped. Although the presentation went well despite those nervous hiccups, I look forward to improving for the future presentations through these tips and lessons learned. Thanks for sharing this incredibly helpful list of hints and tips, Steve!
"At numerous points in the presentation today, I got lost in the fear of 'oh god they totally know I'm a phony'"
I know EXACTLY how that feels! I'm sure you've all discussed "imposter syndrome" at some point. I think these two feelings are related.
Around 25 to 30 percent of high achievers may suffer from imposter syndrome. And around 70 percent of adults may experience impostorism at least once in their lifetime, research suggests.
...public-speaking anxiety is in our DNA. We experience public speaking as an attack. We physiologically register an audience as a threatening predator and mount a comparable response. Many people’s physical responses while speaking resemble how their body would react to physical signs of danger (shortness of breath, redness of face, shaking).
So today when we speak in front of a group and feel the eyes watching us, we feel painfully visible, like a caveman exposed in daylight. And because our brain is telling us that we are under attack, we do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves. We construct walls between ourselves and the source of danger — in this case, the audience — to repel the attack and blunt any danger.
What do these walls look like? We focus on our slides. We look down. We retreat into our notes. In the process, we disregard the people in front of us, wishing them into invisibility. Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s just how we’re programmed."
These are physiological responses and it's nearly impossible to prevent them from popping up. The key is how we deal with them when they arise.
The first step is to notice your physical responses and be gentle with yourself. It's okay to be nervous - it's just your body's evolutionary responses in an attempt to protect you! Think if it like a good friend with the best of intentions.
Remember your audience can’t see what you are feeling. They don’t want to see a slick, polished memorized speaker on a platform. All they want is to hear another human being who has the courage to connect with them and help them in some way.
Your audience doesn't want you to fail. They aren't looking to attack you. In fact, they want you to succeed! They want you to give a great presentation and they want to give you a standing ovation (because this makes THEM happy!)
Remind yourself that you are here to help your audience. Be firm with your brain. Tell yourself, “Brain, this presentation is not about me. It is about helping my audience.”
I know it's difficult -especially now- but the more experience you can get making presentations in front of your classmates, advisors, faculty, etc --- the more comfortable you will be after you finish this program and start presenting professionally.
I certainly could have used this earlier today before my presentation, ha!! Twas quite the doozy...! After reflecting on today's presentation, many of the points you brought up resonate so much in how I could have avoided a couple of nervous hiccups throughout the presentation. The portions on preparation and "To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, Stop Thinking About Yourself" hit quite hard. At numerous points in the presentation today, I got lost in the fear of "oh god they totally know I'm a phony" rather than concentrating on the material I was covering. More preparation ahead of time certainly would have helped. Although the presentation went well despite those nervous hiccups, I look forward to improving for the future presentations through these tips and lessons learned. Thanks for sharing this incredibly helpful list of hints and tips, Steve!
Thanks for the comment Sophie!
"At numerous points in the presentation today, I got lost in the fear of 'oh god they totally know I'm a phony'"
I know EXACTLY how that feels! I'm sure you've all discussed "imposter syndrome" at some point. I think these two feelings are related.
Around 25 to 30 percent of high achievers may suffer from imposter syndrome. And around 70 percent of adults may experience impostorism at least once in their lifetime, research suggests.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-be-yourself/201708/nine-ways-fight-impostor-syndrome
...public-speaking anxiety is in our DNA. We experience public speaking as an attack. We physiologically register an audience as a threatening predator and mount a comparable response. Many people’s physical responses while speaking resemble how their body would react to physical signs of danger (shortness of breath, redness of face, shaking).
So today when we speak in front of a group and feel the eyes watching us, we feel painfully visible, like a caveman exposed in daylight. And because our brain is telling us that we are under attack, we do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves. We construct walls between ourselves and the source of danger — in this case, the audience — to repel the attack and blunt any danger.
What do these walls look like? We focus on our slides. We look down. We retreat into our notes. In the process, we disregard the people in front of us, wishing them into invisibility. Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s just how we’re programmed."
These are physiological responses and it's nearly impossible to prevent them from popping up. The key is how we deal with them when they arise.
The first step is to notice your physical responses and be gentle with yourself. It's okay to be nervous - it's just your body's evolutionary responses in an attempt to protect you! Think if it like a good friend with the best of intentions.
Remember your audience can’t see what you are feeling. They don’t want to see a slick, polished memorized speaker on a platform. All they want is to hear another human being who has the courage to connect with them and help them in some way.
Your audience doesn't want you to fail. They aren't looking to attack you. In fact, they want you to succeed! They want you to give a great presentation and they want to give you a standing ovation (because this makes THEM happy!)
Remind yourself that you are here to help your audience. Be firm with your brain. Tell yourself, “Brain, this presentation is not about me. It is about helping my audience.”
I know it's difficult -especially now- but the more experience you can get making presentations in front of your classmates, advisors, faculty, etc --- the more comfortable you will be after you finish this program and start presenting professionally.