Page 22 - The EDGE Winter 2024 WEB

PUBLIC SPEAKING
BY COURTNEY PIÑA
Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
Courtney Piña
Public speaking. Two little words that make
us feel like we would rather die than speak or
present in front of any size of audience. The fear
of public speaking exists and lives in almost 75%
of us, which means more than seven out of ten
individuals have the same feeling.
Why are we so fearful to speak in front of our
own colleagues? There are a multitude of reasons,
from fear of experience, fear of judgment, fear of
making mistakes, fear of forgetting the materials,
even the fear of professional status.
As we try to overcome this fear, how many times
have you heard the advice, “Don’t worry, the more
you do it the better you’ll feel.” Well, I can tell you
from personal experience, which is half true. No
matter how many times I have been in front of any
size of audience, the nauseating pit in my stomach
has not fully gone away. I have had nerves that
rise from my stomach all the way to my throat; all
the while my heart is pounding so rapidly that it
might actually jump out of my body.
Each public speaking engagement has been
different for me and has had various levels of
anxiety. It is truly something that is always there
and has never gone away. Yes, I am still waiting
for the moment of “the more you do it the better I
will feel.” Trust me, I love sharing ideas, feedback,
guidance, and networking with so many in our
community. Presenting can be enjoyable, but the
level of nervousness is one of the areas that I have
not grown to love. I may not be able to shake my
nerves entirely, but I have found a variety of ways
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to prepare and minimize these feelings.
Here are five tips I would like to share. Number
one, prepare, prepare, prepare. If all else fails
and your nerves take over, you prepared your
materials well enough, and it is your script to fall
back on.
Number two, remind yourself that it is normal
to feel nervous, do not go down the rabbit hole
and internalize these nerves. Trust me, we all go
through these adrenaline rushes.
“I may not be able to shake my
nerves entirely, but I have found
a variety of ways to prepare and
minimize these feelings.”
Number three, do not compare yourself to others.
Many of our colleagues appear to sound very
polished, skilled, witty on the spot and flawless.
Chances are they may have the very same feelings
you do. You are unique – let your own personality
shine.
Number four, although all the staring eyes on you
appear to look like judgment, chances are they are
listening and admiring how well you are speaking.
Number five, it is perfectly acceptable to pause and
take a deep breath, allow yourself a quick moment
to slow down, make eye contact and continue.
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THE EDGE WINTER 2024