Neck flush
When I did my Tedx talk, I wore 2 pairs of underpants so I could tuck my shirt in safely.
I also knew that, when my name got called out:
I knew this because, having done countless talks, my adrenaline is a familiar visitor.
Do you experience adrenaline when you are public speaking?
It can look like:
Sound familiar??
You’re not alone. Approximately 70% of people would rather do anything else (get a divorce, quit their job), than speak in public. So, you’re in good company.
Adrenaline is like a sneaky balloon.
I like to think of adrenaline as a helium balloon that sneaks into the room with you when you’re about to do something new, or exciting.
The air in the balloon needs to get out, for it not to get in the way or steal the show.
If adrenaline knows where to go, it can actually be useful.
Instead of fighting my adrenaline, over the years, I’ve come to accept it and create ways to work with it, instead of against it.?
When we expect adrenaline, we can lower any judgement we might have about experiencing it, and instead find creative ways to work with it.?
Instead of ‘shutting it down’, we can start thinking about ways to use that energy to actually power our presentations.
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For example, instead of saying ‘Goddammit, not now’, we can quietly and slowly say to ourselves before and during our presentations: ‘Hello, I’ve been expecting you’.
Here are some examples:
When I walked out to that Tedx stage, my mind went blank.
My heart was racing. My throat got tight.?
What feels like about three hours in our mind is usually about 10 seconds on stage, so I knew that my sense of time was warped. I knew I could take a minute to just breathe and look at my sneaky note written on my hand to get me started if I needed to and about 1.5 seconds would go past, looking like I’d planned it.
Back up plans were activated.
And you know what I said to myself??
“There’s no hurry. Take your time.”
What I did was just smile, and wave, and ground my feet on the ground for a little bit. When the applause stopped, I just grinned.
I had no idea what my first word was. But, by having my own back, at that moment, I gave my hand a sneaky little look with the first words of my speech on it, and started talking.
I have no memory of what happened next. But, that’s the beautiful thing about adrenaline: it has your back, too. It gets the job done.
Having our own backs not only makes life easier, but it’s a nicer experience, for us, too.
Did you know we teach a course called Presenting with Confidence for workplaces? Bring these tips to your team, today.
People Executive at Spirit Technology Solutions who is passionate about employee experiences in a modern workplace
2 年Fantastic Rachel! I love your posts; real, authentic and wise.
Enterprise Sales & Growth Leader | Customer Success Strategist | Fundraiser Who Turns $0 into $50K+ | Growth Marketer & Culture-First Founder | Scaling Businesses, Movements & Impact from the Ground Up
2 年Thanks for sharing Rachel Service There are moments in life when everything seems to align, and you're presented with an opportunity for growth. For me, these moments always seem to involve some level of risk. But it's in these moments that I feel most alive. When the adrenaline kicks in and my heart starts racing, I know it's my opportunity to take a step out of my comfort zone and see what I'm really capable of. In those moments, I don't feel fear, I feel excitement. I know that it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm grateful for the chance to experience it. It's in those moments that I grow the most as a person.
Senior Design Researcher
2 年I know this mind going blank experience Rachel Service. Great article and advice - you're the best!
Director of Ruby Assembly, Author of 100 Days of Brave, Co-Founder of Good Axe Workspaces, Founder of the Serious Women in Business Awards
2 年Two pairs of undies! The BEST.