What are common presentation mistakes that increase anxiety?

Self doubt or imposter syndrome. We all somewhat feel a sense of nervousness at some point either before or during presentations. Having self doubt can create a ripple effect on our presentations affecting our tone and audience engagement. To conquer this, it’s important to try to stay calm. You can start your presentation with an ice breaker or make your presentation in relatable stories or situations. Practice also helps in effective presentations.

This is at the core of presentation anxiety. I think the other biggest mistake is when someone tries to be somebody they are not. Just act the way you would in a meeting, friendly chat or at luch - that’s your signature style. Also, think about what makes you feel comfortable and try to reproduce as many elements as you can. Oh, and don’t forget to practice :)

This is a fun discussion.... Having a talk is funny, not stressful. Going on stage is a fantastic feeling, talking in front of 1 or 10 thousand people is actually amazing. Yes I know, if you are too junior or you are not confident with the content you want to explain, that's difficult, but I am sorry, these are just excuses. Work, perform and do your best to give a great deck. That's all..... Bon courage ??????

When prioritizing presentation preparations focus on polishing the introduction or first 5 minutes. You will not always have the time to create a perfect presentation end-to-end. Focus on have a strong start with professional slides and practiced verbal presentation. This will encourage audience engagement and boost your confidence from the beginning.

Creating a logical flow for your presentation should be the first and foremost thing that you need to work upon even before creating the presentation. Once, you are convinced that your audience would be able to follow the flow that you have decided, only then you need to start making your presentation.

When developing your presentation outline, ask yourself, "Does a preceding topic naturally lead into the proceeding topic?". It can be tempting to outline the primary key points and begin building, but this can lead to transitional information or slides being left out, which can leave the audience with a gap in line of thought with what you are trying to convey in the overall message. Put another way, you need to get the horse in front of the cart; however, the cart will not go far without a bridle, bit, and reins in place. If a transition from one slide to another seems rough, it probably is. Consider adding in a transitional item like a specific verbal phrase, bullet point, or transition slide depending upon the context.

Aim for one key message. Only one. The one message that you want them to still remember one week after the presentation. We all don’t have great memory despite us thinking so. So no need to be ambitious with many key messages. Just one key message that you want them to still remember next week

No matter the content of your presentation, audience participation is key! By creating an interactive component, attendees have the opportunity to engage with your content through collaboration, peer feedback, inquiry, and FUN! When they leave, they will have connected in ways that will benefit them personally and professionally (and as a bonus, it takes some of the pressure off of you as the presenter).

One of the main things to keep in mind while presenting is the storyline. No matter the type of presentation, even if it is an extremely serious and professional presentation, the story is key. It helps remove dull moments and allows your audience to better understand. For example, if you are studying a certain disease: Why this disease? What does this disease do? How do you plan to treat it? What happens inside the body of the patient before and after treatment? etc... Always introduce everything you are talking about with an anecdote, a picture or a visual explanation. Change the tone of your voice throughout the sentences, don't be monotone! Nobody enjoys that!

Combat negative self-talk in presentations by preparing thoroughly, practicing mindfulness, and using positive affirmations to boost your confidence and focus on your message, not self-doubt." To use positive affirmations effectively, choose relevant, positive statements, repeat them regularly, visualize success, and make them part of your pre-presentation routine to counter negative self-talk and boost confidence!

When presenting on stage, definitely go on stage at least once beforehand. Get a feel of the stage. How big is it? How’s the lighting? Where should I stand? How big is the slide behind me? Do all the checks so that you know what to do on the actual day of the presentation

Practice is key, but remember not to practice a text. Start practising with bullet points, then practice without any text. The biggest mistake you can make is to try to memorize an exact text: This will stress you out during the presentation, and if you forget a single word (which is most probably going to happen), it will end up messing with your flow and will lead you to stress even more!

Poor visuals. If you feel the need to introduce your slide with "I know this is too small to read" Or "I know this slide is too busy", then don't use that slide! Find a way to make a slide you can be comfortable with and use that!

Whatever you do, if you are stressed about a presentation do not drink too much coffee. Studies have shown that caffeine increases the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol in those undergoing mental stress. By fueling up on caffeine you will only make things worse.

Taking care of your basic needs can go a long way in calming presentation nerves. Take a moment before you present for body awareness. Close your eyes take a few slow deep breaths and concentrate on how you are feeling. A bit shaking and nerves feeling tense? lay off the coffee. Is your stomach feeling empty? Have some water or a bite of a protein bar. I like to have a protein bar or nuts in my bag for this reason. In that hour prior take a moment to excuse yourself to the restroom. A quick moment for body awareness will improve your presentation performance as it removes small basic distractions.