How do you get your mind and body ready to speak in public?

Focusing on your purpose also helps get you out of that mindset of "I’m nervous" to "I’m focusing on how to help the audience". In my experience, that mindset shift lets you change nervousness to excitement.

I agree; but for me, it’s about getting into the right mindset. Sometimes this can take years. Reframe your fear of public speaking by embracing the opportunity to share your gift (message/performance.) Prepare. Practice. Then, try not to care too much. Have fun. If you’re still nervous, create a character of a great speaker and step into it. Over time, you can get comfortable being uncomfortable.

No matter where you're speaking, who you're speaking to, and what sort of last minute hiccups came up, speakers always benefit when they focus on getting in a positive mindset. After all, you're AWESOME! The people in the audience all WANT you to succeed. This is going to go swimmingly ?? If you need practice with positive self talk before something you're nervous about, the best way to get it is by hyping up friends or family. The days I drive the kids to school are hype momma days ??

Preparation is key to delivering a good preparation. It helps with timing, tone, delivery and definitely helps to improve confidence. The idea of keeping in mind the purpose of the presentation is valuable. It will help to stay focused on the main goal throughout the delivery of the speech.

I agree. It's important to know your purpose, etc. This can guide you when writing and compiling your speech, ensuring that one thought flows over and links to the next. This makes it easier for the listener to follow and understand.

It's helpful to know the one sentence main point for each topic you're bringing up, as well as some additional tidbits about each point that you want to say but aren't planning to include. That way if you're running ahead of schedule (and not taking questions!) you can bring in additional helpful info. If you're running behind (much more common), you can bring up your succinct points without feeling like your audience missed out on the reason they came to hear you in the first place.

I totally agree. Once you are fully prepared, the delivery will flow so much better. Noone knows what you were going to say so even if you detract slightly from your script, that's OK.

Let me tell you why you should never practice and memorize your speech. Picture this: I've seen countless folks stutter and stumble when they forgot their lines or took a wrong turn in the speech maze. You can do better! Embrace the fun of freestyling with an outline, key points, and epic stories to back them up! Memorize your outline of key points and then practice telling stories that go with each key point. You’ll have the power to change the order or adapt your speech in the moment. Your audience will be on the edge of their seats, and you'll be like a storytelling wizard, weaving magic with your words. You’ll shine brightest when ditching the script. Trust yourself, and enjoy the marvelous journey of speech storytelling!

Practice can be good, especially when you are uncomfortable with making a speech. Maybe it will settle your nerves. I never practice a speech to memorize any of it. I practice to ensure the cadence is acceptable and to double check the pronunciation of certain key words or concepts. I believe it's important to leave space for improvisation, based on your audience.

When you calm your mind, magic happens. How do you calm your mind? Ensuring your prepared, that tech has been handled, that you know your audience, and that you know your content inside and out. When you have little to worry about, the brain relaxes.

You can also calm your mind by saying a short prayer and trusting that everything will go well. Breathing exercises are very good.

I agree and disagree. If you’re feeling anxious before a speech, do what you need to do to relax and center yourself. Imagine that calming brook. But before going out on stage (big or small), psych yourself up so your energy level is where it needs to be. Tell yourself how you’re going to rock your speech, engage, and entertain. When it’s go time, it’s like WWE — get ready to rumble! If you listen to music, the sound track for meditating quietly and pre-speech confidence booster are likely to be very different soundtracks. Choose accordingly.

I couldn't agree more with Mr. Wang. I have always considered a speech to be a bit like a performance. You need to bring the correct energy to your performance, based on the audience. I often move quite a bit and interact with the audience, which helps me to focus less on myself. This helps me keep my energy levels up and calms me down at the same time. Also, hydration is key.

In my experience, it’s important to stay hydrated by sipping on water throughout the day – your vocal cords will thank you! Prior to your speech, find a quiet place like a green room or stair well to do vocal warm-ups: hum like a happy bee, do gentle lip trills, and roll your tongue like a champion. Stretch those facial muscles with exaggerated expressions, and finally, practice some tongue twisters to keep those speech gears oiled and ready to dazzle the crowd. Finally, be sure to make a quick pit stop at the bathroom before heading onstage to avoid any awkward bathroom dances mid-speech!

Warm up your voice and also find your rhythm. Change the volume of your voice as well as the pitch when necessary. This helps to keep the audience engaged.

Visualization of the process from scheduling the opportunity to completion is helpful. Visualize preparations, prompt arrival at the venue, an engaged audience and successful completion. The process allows opportunity to expect the unexpected and configure solutions.

Before I speak, I always like to tell myself, "Every person in the audience is now my friend." They're rooting for you, willing to be let in on your inside jokes, and listening to you! What better kind of friend could there be?

Creating positive feelings as you visualize the end of your speech creates the pathways to your desired outcome and anchors it into your reality.

Smile! A big wide smile relaxes you and the audience. It allows your body to relax and your voice to flow effortlessly and you'll exude warmth and confidence.

I agree. A smile, good energy, interaction with your audience and maybe even a joke or two - make it an enjoyable experience for yourself and the audience will follow.

The best way to get better at public speaking is to do it! I once did a public speaking presentation with someone who was really nervous speaking in front of others, and we practiced for hours. Little did we know, he was EXCELLENT off the cuff! His microphone unexpectedly wouldn't work, meaning he suddenly had to worry about our presentation AND projecting. This unexpected hiccup actually got rid of all of his nerves. He took it as a sign that there was nowhere to go from here but to crush it (which he did!)