Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Nervous Speaker

What should you do if you suffer from nervousness every time you are assigned to speak in public? It sounds almost threatening to even admit that public speaking has become so essential nowadays. In other words, you just can't ignore or avoid it.

Particularly for students, oral presentations and speeches make up a handsome portion of the assessment. For working adults, the talent and ability to speak eloquently in public may promise promotions, popularity and influence. Hence, experts advise handling this phenomenon with care as it may impinge your reputation, career and future.

Some people claim that nervousness is a normal experience for beginning speakers. I agree. With adequate exposure and practice, things will look better. Maturity and experience in life mould composure in public speakers.

When I started public speaking, I remember the painful jitters and tremors. I told myself that I should find strategies to prevent the audience from noticing my nervousness. I memorized my speech and presented it with proper modulation of voice and eloquence. Later, I developed the habit of reading so that I could talk and argue on almost anything, with conviction. Some topics may be difficult, so I took the trouble to prepare and do sufficient research.

There are loads of advice on how to handle nervousness in public speaking in the market. Nevertheless, you must select the most appropriate for your personality and oratory skills.The list can go on, but does any of the tips to combat nervousness work for you? Do you actually need 'prescription' or does the remedy actually develop with age and familiarity?

Whatever your public speaking experience entails, please remember that nervousness shouldn't impede determination to explore this realm of elegance. I wish you all the best in your future speaking endeavours.

Would you like to reflect and share your encounter with 'nervousness'? The last time you were nervous in public, what did you do? What did you tell yourself? What was the secret ingredient that gave you the strength to conquer your nervousness in public speaking?

446 comments:

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deathshadow47 said...

Good evening and good day to all,

In my opinion, nervousness will be felt by any speaker, whether the dilettante or an aficionado in the art of public speaking. In fact, nervousness is scientifically proven to be related to our instinctual sense of danger. It is a reaction to a stressful situation. Therefore, a it is normal for anyone to be nervous prior to giving a speech. What makes the experts different from amateurs is the way they counter that bout of butterflies in the stomach, or at least conceal it.

The methods on how to improve yourself as a better speaker are already highlighted by Mr. /Mrs. Ritz Chewan (link: http://speakup-avenue.blogspot.com/2009/12/nervous-speaker.html?showComment=1261713585723#c5132345161897646095) in a previous comment. The comment highlights all the major do’s and don’ts on public speaking in general. Among them, I would like to stress on the need of preparing before the speech. As a quote from the movie The Mechanic (2011) goes, “Victory Loves Preparation (Amat Victoria Curam)”. The more prepared you are for your speech, the less you fumble during it.

Nevertheless, one should also know on how to handle unforeseen circumstances. If you are not sure on a certain topic, pretend as if you do and try your best to steer the speech away from said topic. To give an example, let’s take a look at the movie The Wedding Ringer (2015). In one scene, the main lead (played by Kevin Hart) teaches the soon-to-be groom on how to divert conversations away from troublesome topics. He said when said situation occur, you have to “boomerang” it. He then goes on to explain that to “boomerang” a conversation, one need to give a compliment or pose a question to divert the train of thought. While the effectiveness of such tactic is questionable since it is a movie, this strategy, in moderation and when catered to the occasion, it can work quite well. In addition to that, in the movie, the fake groomsmen also are taught to use what is called party trick distractions (PTD). According to the movie, PTDs should be employed when one is cornered into a situation whereby he or she cannot give adequate explanations. The PTDs serve to divert the listeners’ attention from the topic at hand. In speeches, PTDs may include your gestures and the gait of your walk, as well as the visual cues you implement (slides, pictures, etc.). All In all, the key is to just be yourself (as much as the social occasion permits anyway) and believe in yourself.

Thank you,

Ahmad Firdaus

Unknown said...

Yes it’s true, nervous speakers, I’m one of them in fact, I will become very nervous once I’m trying to talk in English, and especially in front of a lot of peoples, my brain will become empty and can’t think of anything. I like this sentence from nurul fatin jahaya on October 28 2011, (for some reason, even though i practiced and prepared a lot, i still cannot deliver my speech well. standing in front of a crowd with all the eyes watching directly into me will definitely make my tongue tied.). This sentence totally reflected me. But there’s one way to overcome this nervousness, I will try to look at the wall behind of audiences instead of audiences’ eyes when I am giving a speech in front, it really helps a lot. The last thing I would like to say is maybe we are nervous now, but I trust that time can change everything. Just grab our chance to speak up as frequent as we can.

Mohamad Ezwan Zainudin said...

Everyone will always be nervous when they have to give a speech or talk in front of groups of people. It's how people manage those nervousness prior to speech that would separate a good speaker and a normal speaker.
First and foremost, you need to prepare. The more you prepare and the better handle you have on the material you are presenting, the better it will go. Once you have prepared, you MUST practice, early and often. Rumor has it that Churchill practiced for one hour per one minute of speech content he was delivering. when giving speeches, just assume that all of the audiences is on your side. That would help a lot for a lot of people to counter their nervousness.The more interactive your presentation, the less pressure you will feel, as the presentation becomes a true conversation, and most people are much more comfortable in a conversation than delivering a presentation.

Ikmal Hakim Latip said...

I get nervous every time I have to speak in large crowds. That's the truth.

Ever since I was small, my mother had always told me to be bold, and speak my thoughts although with certain limitations. When school started, I was always picked to be the class monitor for my vocal nature. Though even if I am vocal, having to present in large crowds causes me to experience anxiety and nervousness. I keep telling myself, "This will all be over soon. Just get it over with."
What gave me the confidence and the strength that made me conquer my nervousness, was going through total immersion in an English-speaking society. I had stayed in Virginia, United States of America from 2004 to 2007. I was a nervous wreck when I started staying there, and came out a confident adolescent. The culture in American society make students and people in general voice their opinions without being judged. There are no right or wrong opinions, and we in Malaysian culture are so used to being prejudged and made fun of if we were in any way different, that it causes us to keep our thoughts to ourselves and bottle it up inside.

This, I can assure you. When speaking in public, more people are rooting for your success rather than your failure. Almost every one wants you to excel in your presentations, we want to listen to you, we want you to succeed.

So, shed that outer shell of shyness and nervousness. Prepare, build your vocabulary, and practice makes perfect.

Unknown said...

Assalamualaikum Dr.Zue

The nervous speaker.....this topic attracted me haha its remind me when my first presentation,i thought
i can impress them with my word,even try to make me become their idol but that was dream.
Since it was my first presentation,without experience sure
thing getting worse and when the gigantic feel came that is nervous everything was ruin.
Your idea flying freely like bird released from the cage.Here is my opinion,that thing should not happen,
is just you lack of confident.Although you got the idea,you mind sure getting confused that affect the way you thinking then the word you say
will go out without arranged properly.So start to build the confidence...keep smile :D
Other than that,try to act friendly so it will make you more comfortable. It's a fact,
when you talk to someone you know we'll never felt awkward instead of talking to someone we dont know.
It's weird when you had the idea and know the audience very well even they was your close friend, then you can't speak good.
Than it was your fault for not being practice before presentation unless you really expert in that topic.Herm...the most
important is presenter must know about the topic, otherwise you talking nonsense.

Wan Nur Anis said...

nervous to speak up, it is a normal thing that happens to every individual, even if he is the one who always speak in front of people, so here I want to share you a few tips based on my experiences for those who always nervous when speak up in front of others. we need to make early preparation before the talk. If we are the type of person who is too nervous speaking in front. Grab something while we are talking so that the uneasy feeling will be decreased and that feeling will be channeled to the things that we are touching . In addition, we need to memorize the important content before we debate. that's it from me, for those who would like to try, you can try out, who know these tips may help you to know better. Thank you.

Mohd Hanis Bin Mohd Sani said...

Nervous? Well this kind of feeling never escaped from anybody. Everyone have this kind of

feelings and me as well. Nervous for me is just like something that bothering and make me feel

so stress at the same time because when I have to speak in front of crowded people or in class

for example, and this feel will affect what i'm going to say as well as my reaction. When that

feel comes i just feel awkward and stress even my brain processing nothing. I'm not a shy person

but lack of confident and mega-nervous.

Not ready or prepared also the reason, preparation must occur when or before we want to speak,

without preparation then I will be like, N/A ..... and speak with no meaning. So, from that

situation i know, before doing something need to do preparation except you are really master the

topic or subject if you need to briefly to give a speech about that.

Nervous Be Gone.

Unknown said...

When it's come to communication ,surely involve other than you.
What kind of language you use it doesn't matter as long as you use the correct language.
So be careful language can effect someone expecting, their thought and they also can judge us.
If you ask me, language is powerful or not?yes...it is.
Just a few word can influence the hear. Even you good at education, when it come to interview,
do you think you can get a job easily?Of course not. So what are you waiting for start using language with good
fluently then you have no problem.Here i want to said and maybe i should advice that english is important since
it was medium language.Don't get mad with the language, soon you will see opportunity come straight to you.

Unknown said...

Siti Nur Alia

Nervous Make Speaker Mind Blank.

Good day Dr. Zue,

Nervous is a normal feeling for first time experience. People tend to be nervous toward new things but the feeling tend to disappear when the person gets used to it.
It is best for beginner to practice talking themselves toward the mirror. This will make you more confident and have faith to yourself. You can learn English by playing word search book, typing game and crossword. Get familiar with the words and try to find out the meaning .For more complex words, you should watch education shows for example national geography, animal planet, travel and living. These shows are good as you can gain a lot of information and learn new word. That is all for now.
Thank you.

Unknown said...

Well, public speaking is really really scary thing for human being.Mostly for me . Because for me, I've confident to speaking in public but when I came infront to speak, suddenly all the points and all what I'm want to says all of it GONE ! HAHAHA, that really not funny you know. I'll be like, "what on earth I'm gonna to talk next" not because I'm afraid, No but I dont know why suddenly all the points and all what I'm gonna says gone. Maybe its because of I'm not really good speaking in english but I'm not gonna lose like that, Of course, I'll already had started to improve my english speaking . Why I'm not nervous or afraid talking infront of people? Okay, here is the recipe's from me...

1- When you infront of lot of people, just imagine that you were talking by yourself , like you were talking at the mirror. Maybe look like funny funny thing but this will make you lose your nervous and less afraid.

2- Ofcourse, you need to prepare and CALM YOUR MIND.

3- Talk to yourself, when you have a shower or infront of mirror, talk to yourself with full of confidence.

4- If you really can't calm and shy and afraid to look at the audience then LOOK AT THE WALL, pretending you were talking at the wall.

5 - Practice more and improve your english language.

6- Tell yourself, IF SOMEONE ELSE CAN DO IT, WHY NOT ME ? I'M BETTER THAN THEM OR EVEN BETTER !

Its like you learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving. To acquire knowledge, one must study but to acquire wisdom, one must observe and push yourself because no one is going to do it for you.

amirahsuhaila said...

Hello Dr.Zue!
I totally agree where some people claim that nervousness is a normal experience for beginning speakers. As for my experience during my secondary school,i have to be an emcee for weekly official assembly . The day before the event, i am really nervous until i lost my appetite and almost cant think straight because of too nervous and afraid if i'm doing any mistaked during being an emcee eventought it is my second time beimg an emcee. The first speech i make i am still shaking and full with nervousness and i even sweating a lot. During the event i'll try my best to beat my nervousness so i would not make any mistaked. Luckily, after awhile the nervousness that i felt since the day before slowly decreasing and make me feel confident. After finished my job as emcee for that day, i feel like i wanted to be an emcee again for next week official assembly but unfotunately i can't since we already have duty roaster for it.

Nurul Fazila Ibrahim said...

Hello everyone. The nervous speaker? Sometimes I am one of the nervous speaker. It depends on environment and situation where I have to speak up. When I make a preparation to speak up, there are many ideas come into my mind. But, when I came in front and want to speak up , all my idea have gone. I believe that all of us is a nervous speaker. Some of other people know how to control their nervousness. Some of us did not know how to handle it. I think it is a normal things for human. It is depends on us how we want to handle it. When I am nervous , I try to calm down , take a deep breath, and speak up. However, it is not enough to practice . Sometimes I forgot my idea and not really confident to share my opinion. However, good luck to all my friend and try your best to overcome your nervousness. Hopefully we are not forever become the nervous speaker. Thank you.

Puteri Ainaa Jazlan said...

Hi All,
I bet all of you must be nervous when someone asks you to speak up at front right? Ya me too. I am the one who easy to get nervous when i need to do something in front of crowds.

First of all, just dont expect perfection from yourself.
None of us are perfect.  We all know that.  Yet when it comes to public speaking, some of us tend to kick ourselves over every little perceived mistake we make.  We magnify our imperfections, while ignoring all that’s good and well.  The truth is, even the best, most experienced speakers make many mistakes.  When they do, they recover, keep going gracefully, and all is well.  This is one of the keys to public speaking success: to keep going gracefully.  The audience will never know most of your mistakes, unless you halt your speech, break down, and confess them.  Carry on with poise.  Give yourself permission not to be perfect. 

Another tip is avoid reading your presentation word for word from a script. There's a big difference between reading and speaking. Actually reading and speaking at the same time make you feel more nervous because you cannot focus on both of them simultaneously.

Thank you.

Unknown said...

THE NERVOUS SPEAKER???i cannot believe it
huhhh..
assalamualaikum dr.zue.
yes i am .i am a type person who'll get a nervous.not just really nervous but not confident and lack of knowledge.so when i stand in front of class, nervous and me never split up .haha
but its okay...maybe i'm not always stand in front because of that i'm lack of confident.
i will keep try and try until i achieve and get wht i want to be.i will practice everyday to improve myself,language and english skills..so that i will do better in my future. insyaAllah

LOH CHEN KAI said...

Experiencing nervousness when you’re speaking in public is certainly something inevitable. This is part of human nature, we feel unease and worried about what others might think of us when we are standing in front of others and voicing out our opinion. However, this will not last forever. If we continue to train ourselves and participate in public speaking, the nervousness that we often felt would be gone, confidence will be build and we will no longer be shy and anxious when we’re speaking in front of other people. This is why we should always grab the opportunity when given the chance to speak in front of others.
When speaking out in public the first thing that we must do is to calm ourselves, more often than never we are too tense and anxious that resulted in us forgetting our lines and become frozen with fear. One good advice to overcome this problem is to change your perspective. Imagine you’re just speaking in front of your peers, and don’t worry too much about your fluency in the language.
A good step to take in order to overcome nervousness is to participate in as much public speaking activity as possible. We should grab the chance when it is presented and don’t worry about other parties judgement because with sufficient practice over time, all this problem will go away because you have already build up your confidence as a speaker.
Lastly, I would like to point out that sometimes a person who is inadequate in the English language can be more entertaining and is able to grasp the audiences’ attention better than others who is eloquent in English, so people assert yourselves and don’t think too much.

Unknown said...

Nervous to speak in front is the normal problem for people who want to be a speaker for the first time. Public speaking is the biggest fears among the student. There are many way to overcome this nervous problem. First is, you need to be well prepared. Base on my experience, I used to make a script for my presentation. I train myself to speak louder so that the audience can hear what I have to say. But when it comes for my turn to present, I realize that I actually not really follow my script. It became a spontaneous speaking. Then the second ways are the script and practice. For the script, don’t make an essay to memorise it. Just make a point and then elaborate it spontaneously. Always practice to speak. Ask your friend to be your audience before the real presentation begin. A lot of practice will make you ready enough to present. When you ready enough to present, you will not feel nervous at all.

Unknown said...

Hi Dr.Zue
I don't see myself as a great public speaker but as good as any of my friends , however I have become aware when I get nerves which are directly related to how prepared and excited I feel about the material I'm presenting. So here is some tips to be confidant.
First, understand that what you're feeling is what every performer and speaker feels. Nerves are a natural reaction and will never be eliminated.

Second, know that it's a physical reaction. The parasympathetic nervous system triggers a number of powerful physiological reactions designed to protect our ancestors by getting them ready to run the heck away or beat the crap out of perceived danger. It's inevitable, but also lessened by other physical preparations such as breathing exercises (e.g. diaphragmatic breathing).

Last and perhaps most importantly, the greatest advice ever given is: "You are enough."
This is absolutely at the heart of all great actors' and speakers' performances. There's a deep sense of their commitment to what they have to share with the audience but a distinct detachment from how the audience receives it.

Faizuddin( Faiz ) said...

Nervous Speaker ... Nervous is like a "Blood" that always flowing inside my body no matter what condition it is. I have tried a million ways to overcome it, but still it is king of myself.
When i need to present in front of many people or to be specific is more than 5 people, i suddenly felt cold n my body part will start shivering like no way to stop. When we are nervous, we will face another problem too, that is our brain will goes blank suddenly. Being blank is a more terrified things that we had to face during the presentation.
So my suggestion is, just do and say it what comes in your mind. Im sure, if you has a lot of preparation then you will successfully convey what you must during your presentation.

Nurrahimah Abdullah said...

Assalamualaikum, Dr Zue.

The topic this, I want to share my experience from first about come to UNITEN. When some lecture give group random to presentation, my group want to second me still heart very fast like ' berdebar' to want presentation. What should you do if you suffer from nervousness every time you are assigned to speak in public? It sounds almost threatening to even admit that public speaking has become so essential nowadays. In other words, you just can't ignore or avoid .

Some people claim that nervousness is a normal experience for beginning speakers. I agree.
I known me must to learn to speech very slow to want lose my nervous speaker...
I hope someone give be spirit to me for when I get speaker in front I will use to be practice for me...
Thank You ,Dr zue...

yusnisyahmi said...

Obviously, nervousness are common for all students to face up when doing any public speaking either presentation or during interview but as always there are must be a solution to overcome nervousness when facing nervousness issues.to overcomethis situation obviously students needs to practise because the more practises has been done,take action,and put yourself in situation that make you nervous the more you confident to become,self -esteem and students need to study their notes and what you are about to say before stepping up on a stage.on the other hands, i would choose an interesting topics/article to bring up in case the conversational flow hits an awkward silence.besides that,on my previous presentation,i took a wonderful 30 belly breathing that could vanquish my negative feeling.

Khalisha said...

For me making a public presentation can be nerve racking. Theres a few things that i usually do to reduced my nervousness. Drink plenty of water before you speak. I find the more nervous I am, the more water I need. Sometimes we don’t realize we’re nervous until just before it’s our turn to speak. I may feel calm and prepared until just before my name is called. If Im out of view, I try methods such as looking at a baby photo, smiling big, telling yourself a joke or taking big deep breaths. If Im in plain sight, I used my brain to calm myself. Try visualization or discreet, deep breathing. I kept a smile on my face and try to look relaxed. I’m not sure what it looked like to the audience, but to me it felt violent and uncontrollable. I had no idea what to do, so I suffered through it.

Unknown said...

Hi assalamualaikum. Nervousness is a common problem for people when it comes to speak up even for professionals. So in my opinion, the only thing to overcome this problem is by preparing all the things early and practice a little bit. So that we will be able to control the nervousness and be able to speak in front of others. In my experience, I am so afraid and shy to speak in front of crowded people, because I used to think that they will pre-judge me. But everything changes when I entered Dr. Zue's class. Alhamdulillah, time by time, I learned to calm myself down and get some useful tips to speak up bravely. For me, I will prepare everything and try to calm myself first, as I am so nervous, so time by time, I will get immune and be able to speak up even I'm not that excellent. So that is my thought. Thank you.

Faidhil Azrai b Zakaria SN093292 said...

Shyness and nervous always be haunted every first timers speaker. I'm also nervous when stand in front of people and try to give my idea. It not like im not ready, it just hard to outcome those feelings when it came to you. The shyness that almost grew in me always take over my head. But i must try to overcome this obstacle. This is not the first time im doing this. But everytime i'm doing this, those feeling is unshakeable. Pray for me Puan Zue.

Unknown said...

HI Dr Zue....
nervousness when speaking...it will lie if I say I'm not nervous...my first speech when I was 11 years old..but its not like speech but its only like competition for giving a poem...actually it was l have to do it...this is because of my friend...it just giving a name to my teacher without I knowing...but after that I get a spirit to giving a speech...yes...since that I get a motivated that was just nervous before you want to start it..after that...you will enjoy it...so nervous is normal but you must handle it and don't make nervous control yourself :)

Unknown said...

Hello Dr Zue! by reading this article i realize had this experience. When i was always called to give a speech i also fell nervous because to talk im front of many people. Makes me more to be scared and forgetting my ideas.Thank you.

Chandra hasan

NF said...

Hello Dr. Zue

I’m really nervous about giving a presentation, like seriously my face would blush, and my voice would quaver but i know it’s completely normal to fear speaking in public, when a room full of strangers are focused on your every move and word. I've always wanted to figure out a good way to practice. Some people make public speaking look effortless or like it’s a natural skill. I do respect them so much for those who are really comfortable speaking in public in such a good way.

One thing that I do to minimize discomfort. I choose a person in the audience that I focus on and give the presentation to that person. As I am going over various points, I tend to change my focus to different audience members. This tricks my mind into thinking that there isn't a huge audience. In a huge auditorium, where i have lights on me. I tend to just pretend that the auditorium is empty. I focus on giving my presentation and what I need to say. Once I am talking, I tend to forget how large or small the audience is.

Last but not least, the great part is, skill in public speaking really snowballs. The more confidence you develop, the better you will speak.

Thank you.

Sarah said...

It is normal for every each one of us to feel nervous each time we were given a task on public speaking because to be honest, I feel the same too. Even if you have already speak up in public many times, the nervousness and the anxiety will always be there. But we can actually overcome it. By practicing before your turn is up can actually help you to overcome it. You can practice speaking in front of the mirror. Not only that, you should not think about what other people might think about your presentation. Just give it your best shot and in the end, you'll feel so relieved that you had done it very well. As what Mursalina said, we should not memorize an essay. Just remember the main point and try to elaborate it spontaneously. So that when you forget, you won't get panic or get major anxiety. We can also try to participate in any event or contest that involve public speaking so that we can slowly remove the nervousness and can build our self-confidence. So, just try to speak up more and practice more to overcome the nervousness because I believe everyone can do it! Just need to push yourself a bit and you're ready to go! Go everyone! Thank you.

Norfaizah Badaruddin said...

everyone must have experienced nervousness. I believe with enough practice, the nervousness can be reduced. I love dancing and back then when i was a beginner, i experienced nervousness a lot especially when i was on stage. i dont have any particular ways to reduce the nervousness but then i realised as i continue dancing without hesitation, the nervousness just disappeared naturally. And same goes when i speak in public. So, if you want to overcome the nervousness, my advice is, practise makes perfect.

Najah Mustapa said...

Salam Dr. Zue,

First of all, I really pleasure to read this post. It’s because your writing made me to think deep about myself. Nervousness. One simple word but gives us a lot of challenges and pressures. Not only for English presentation but it also show up during other type of presentations. As what Dr mention in the post that nervousness is a normal experience for beginning speakers. I totally agree with that but in other words, I would to say those expert speakers were also facing this kind of feeling at their level. The different is they can manage their nervousness better than beginner. They know how to hide and control it in front of people.

So, I think we should find ways to hide or at least decrease our nervousness. For example, if we feel better hold our pen during our presentation then hold it. If we feel other ways are better to decrease our level of nervousness then do it. But at the same time we should be under control. Don’t do something which can humiliate you or out of control.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

up…that’s me, I’m so nervous that could shake my whole body and I cannot think of anything or come out of an idea, like make me blurrrrrrr…. Something like that. This take me time to overcome from it and I kind of know how to overcome of it. Try pictures, Visualization, Laughing Just Before You Speak, You may feel calm and prepared until just before your name is called. If you’re out of view, you can try methods such as looking at a cute photo, smiling big, telling yourself a joke or taking big deep breaths. If you’re in plain sight, use your brain to calm yourself. Try visualization or discreet, deep breathing. Keep a smile on your face and try to look relaxed. Cool hahahx. Anything that’s is worth doing, is worth doing better. And one last thing that I want to say is being nervous isn’t bad, it just means something important is happening.

Farhah Amaliya binti Zaharuddin said...

Palms are sweaty, stomach is queasy, hands and feet start to fidget and minds gone blank in seconds.

Above are some common situations faced by us when we are presenting in public. So I am. Just minutes before the presentation, I tend to have stomach ache due to nervousness.

Nervousness is not a serious problem. Being nervous is a part of human being. We can never get rid of this feeling because public speaking is not a daily routine; even regular emcees will get nervous every times before an event starts. The point here is, instead of worrying on how to get rid of the never ending nervousness, why don’t we try to reduce the level of anxiety so that we can use the energy for the positive talk.

Personally, I believe that there are three main strategies to control anxiety; first, prepare yourself, second, control your breath and third, think positive. These are my secret ingredients that gave me the strength to conquer my nervousness in public speaking.

The first point is prepared yourself. I can say that this is the master key to a successful presentation in public. Get yourself ready with the situation of the event by knowing your audience and your materials. Make sure you plan your speech well. Once you know what you are going to say, practice it as the way of the actual delivery. Keep on practicing until you get the feeling.

Next point is control your breath. A few minutes before you step into the situation, take a breath through your nose. Take a little deeper breath than usually you do with your belly, not with your chest. Focus on slow in - and – out breaths for a few minutes. This technique will calm you down, make your mind clear and gain your focus. Control your breath so that it will be at the ordinary pace. Walk slower to the stage or even stop for a minute if you like and stand still for a few seconds before you begin the speech.

Last but not least, think positive. Never scare of what others perception on you. Just be yourself and feel confident. You may feel like everyone is watching, judging and thinking about you a whole lot. And so you get nervous or hold yourself back a lot in life. But a sobering realization I have had over the years is that people simply don’t care that much about what you do. Think positive and positive things will happen.

As a conclusion, being nervous in front of public is normal. As the time passes, the butterfly in the stomach will fly away. Find the ways that suit you well in order to decrease the level of nervousness. Control your mind, and you will conquer the world.

Bahar Zz said...

My first public speech was a total disaster for me. I had to speak up in front of nearly 400 people. I wasn’t really prepared because I was thinking that I can handle it , but it was not easy at all! The speech was held in a big hall and of course I had to speak through a mic. I remember when they called my name and asked me to go in front my whole body was shivering. When I looked at the crowd I wished I could vanish from the world and never come back to that hall again. Luckily one of my good friends was standing close by and she started to whisper in my ear that don’t worry just imagine you are talking to me like always ,so I closed my eyes ,took a deep breath and then started with my speech. Actually the fact that I was not prepared helped me quite a bit, because I had to talk naturally without thinking too much. After that speech I realized that the key to reduce the nervousness is applying your imagination in that specific moment and of course breathing deeply and focusing are helpful as well. These factors are what actually helped me a lot throughout my life and every time I had a speech.
“Some people claim that nervousness is a normal experience for beginning speakers. I agree”. I do agree with this statement too, I know a lot of people who face the same problem that I faced during my first public speak. But I do believe that practicing is the solution to this issue.

Nurulaina Amran said...

Assalamualaikum and hi Dr. Zue and friends.
That feeling when your heart beats become faster and it feels that you can hear the sound that comes from it. And your palms become extremely cold and sometimes your hands shake out of nothing. Yeah, these are my syndromes when it comes to speak.In front of the crowd.And they never seem to be cured until now hmmph.
With much practices of course, little by little you can slowly tone down the nervousness but as for me,to take the first step,as to practice speaking in front of people is hard enough.
I really want to improve it somehow.Being in your class somehow brings the confidence in me haha.Thank you :)

Unknown said...

Assalamualaikum dr.Zue

Nervous?? nervous to speak in front its normal to everyone. i'm also nervous when to talk in front. there are many ways actually to reduce the nervous. First we should have good prepared. What i can see from my experience it's my self very nervous when to speak in front in the class it's because not have a good prepared. and i see my friend that have prepared to talk it's so different both of us when present in front. so prepared well and you will get good present .

Muhd Izhar Isyafiq (GM095759)

Unknown said...

so wei qiang
nervous speaker .
how i overcome ,keep practicing .
nervous is one of the emotional that only need mind control to overcome it.
first, mind focus is an critical issues
second ,technique is the way you speak .third ,is critical thinking skill .
dont let emotion control your mind and body but the critical thinking.
besides ,practice is also important always get a chance to speak in public instead of wait the chance

Fatin Atiqah said...

I am proud to say that I'm included in the community of nervous speakers on earth.

It occurs almost every time. Whenever I need to present in front of the class, or give a short speech or even when I'm asked to explain things in front of everybody else, my hands will automatically go as cold as ice, like all the heat is drawn from inside me. Basically I will experience all the symptoms a nervous speaker will go through.

However, eventually when all of these occur to me, my mother's reminder to recite the surah Al-Insyirah will quickly spring into mind. It is actually something that my mother told me to do when sitting for the examinations and reciting this does help to calm me down.

Over time, I think this nervous speaker syndrome is something that we can overcome. I believe all of us can become better speakers if we practice continuously and without realizing it, perhaps one day we can stand in front of the crowd and deliver our speech with full confidence.

faiz said...

Salam Mdm Zue,

Nervous is a common feeling that happened everytime you are gonna face a big change in your life.Everytime I though that I have make good preparation, it's always that nervousness,lack of confidence,shyness and lack of knowledge that always screw up my preparation. But the mysterious thing is,after I gave my speech, there's always that feeling of satisfaction that tells me you have finally overcome it. Its kinda mixed feeling you know. The feeling of satisfaction is combined with "next time, if you can, don't do it again. Run from it."
I still remember the first time I was told to conduct public speaking, I was very...very nervous(has to emphasized that) and I remember feeling my legs shaking. But there was this cool guy who tell me, "It's alright to be nervous, but don't let that nervousness screw you or you will regret it".I still hold unto his word until today.
For the people out there who also has that feeling of butterfly in the stomach, I got some advice I am gonna share with you.Trust in yourself. Whatever gonna happened, we deal with it later.For now, make way for progress.

Tharshaalani said...

While in school I was never accustomed to this public speaking furor but the moment I started university, everything became different. The need to do presentation every other week became a norm. In the beginning, I was extremely nervous to this but soon I learn to handle it better. I just cant recall exactly when it began to improve. The overcoming factor has to be preparation. The more I prepare the more confident I attain and thus producing an equally confident speech. I am still nervous now when I have to do some sought of public speaking but I prepare to reduce the effects. t

tharmenthiran tharumaseelan GM094889 said...

Good day Dr.Zue,

I still remember the first time i encountered this particular feeling of nervousness to speak up in front of an audience during my first class after I enrolled myself into UNITEN.
We were required to come in front to introduce ourselves to the whole class. How I overcame this feeling?
Though I was feeling very nervous, I convinced myself that I am here to study and prove myself to be a good student. Besides I also kept reminding myself that each and every student sitting in front of me are my friends and not my enemies. This helped me overcome my nervous feeling and now I am prepared to present myself or speak up in front of a reasonable sized audience any moment I am required to do so.

Thank you.

ikram(gm09480) said...

Assalamualaikum Dr zue

Nervous speaker?

yes i am not just nervous,fear,shy and lack of confidence.
Actually, I love to speak and for your information,speaking of nervous speaker, actually i still cant overcome my nervousness in public speaking. i am actually a nervous speaker for your information, but i try to push my self n do it something that can give me the way to share some experience n knowledge.

J.K.Mercy said...

Most people battle their nerves at least a little bit before presenting a speech. When you don't handle these nerves properly, they can negatively affect your speech by making you seem unsure about what you are saying. While it may be difficult to get rid of these nerves entirely, learning how to reduce your speech anxiety will help you present a more effective, credible, and authoritative speech.

Firstly, get to know your audience beforehand. This not only allows you to tailor your speech directly to this specific group of people, but also helps you feel less nervous about who will be watching you as you make your presentation. Speaking to a room full of strangers can be scary.

Secondly, get to know your topic. The more you know your topic, the less nervous you will feel when you talk about it in front of others.

Thirdly, take control. We tend to fear things that are out of our control. Though you cannot control every aspect of your presentation, you can reduce speech anxiety by controlling the situation as much as possible.

Next, take care of yourself. Getting a good night's rest before you present your speech will ensure that you are clear-minded and not tired when you present. Eat a healthy breakfast to give you energy. Dress in a way that makes you feel confident.

Anonymous said...

Making a public presentation in your community can be nerve racking. Learn the Public Speaker's some tips for calming your nerves before speaking in front of an audience .
First of all, try pictures, visualization, laughing just before you speak . Sometimes we don’t realize we’re nervous until just before it’s our turn to speak. You may feel calm and prepared until just before your name is called. If you’re out of view, you can try methods such as looking at a baby photo, smiling big, telling yourself a joke or taking big deep breaths. If you’re in plain sight, use your brain to calm yourself. Try visualization or discreet, deep breathing. Keep a smile on your face and try to look relaxed.
Make a change to calm down during the speech. Have you ever had a case of nervousness hit you right in the middle of a speech or performance? Early on in my career I was in the middle of a presentation, and my leg started to shake. I’m not sure what it looked like to the audience, but to me it felt violent and uncontrollable. I had no idea what to do, so I suffered through it. This would have been a good time to take a couple of quick deep breaths, to find a place to pause, and to make sure I was smiling. It’s better to take a quick second to regroup than to let the symptoms build. Breathe deep, change your position, focus on looking audience members in the eye, and if it seems appropriate make a small joke that lets you and the audience laugh and takes the focus off of you.
Embrace the energy. Nervous energy isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, research has shown that good stress helps us focus and helps us think more clearly. Getting the blood pumping sharpens your senses sand makes you more aware of what’s going on around you. Use that extra energy to engage your audience, and to show your passion. Turn that negative energy into positive energy and your audience will sit up and pay attention. They’ll be more eager to interact with you. If you feel like you’ve got too much energy, some people like to purposefully on the stage. Just be careful not to pace back and forth like a caged tiger!

By Jeevendran s/o Shanmuganathan
SW096011

jeyraj maran said...

Nervous?that's been like part of my life when I face the situations to speak up..I was never happy about going up the stage and delivering a speech but I realised the importance of bringing up our self to speak as it will also improve my writing skills.
Being nervous actually can bring our points down as we won't be confident enough with our points.a speaker is declared good when his message is delivered clearly to the audience.
I handle this situation by giving the best look and approach of mine.I find this is the way to get the attention of the audience despite showing the nervousness in me.a good speaker should also be presentable..that's one of the most important criteria for us stand for whom are we.
business English has definitely improvised my writing skills through academic blogging and speaking skills through the impromptu speeches in class.I strongly believe that the skills I've learnt here to overcome my nervousness will help me I'm achieving my ambition to become a successful entrepreneur.Thank you Dr.Zue..

Nimaal said...

Hi fellas.
as a normal human, one will feel nervous when he speak up in front of everyone because that's natural for all of us. In my personal experience whenever I feel nevous before and while Im presenting, I can feel my palm will sweating, can feel my stomach grumbling and my voice tone will change a bit. So this are the thing I face whenever I speak in front of the class. But I don't feel less motivated or whatever because I know all of them will feel the same too. So guys there's nothing problem with that. But became too nervous until speechless and cry are the bad thing and please try to avoid that because it can damage your professional image as a educated person.
To conclude this I would like to share my advice to all. Just assume that nervousness is a challenge for you and try to find a proper way to overcome the challenge.
tq ;D

Syahmirul said...

Assalamualaikum Dr. Zue,
As I read about feeling nervous while we want to make presentation, make speech or debates, I also have that feeling too. For me, its normal as a human feeling when we want to do something in front of many people. But today I would like to share how I overcome that feeling nervous when do something, such as make a presentation. First, we must be prepared before make a presentation. Knowing you stuff helps ease the tension and make you more confident. Second, take a deep breaths. It can make you feel calm and better. Third, think positively ! You know better about yourself. Dont easily give up and show you can do better than what audience see. By this 3 steps, you can overcome your nervous easily. Trust me. I already try it, and it give me good result. Why dont you try and share your result later. Thank you.

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