Public Speaking Once Terrified Me. These 5 Simple Strategies Helped Eradicate My Anxiety

Talking to a crowd seemed completely impossible until I was forced to learn on the job.

There was a time when public speaking scared the pants off me.

You only needed one look at David in his early twenties to understand why. I was (and, I think, still am) about five-five, bespectacled, and unathletic. Throw in an already-receding hairline and tendency to trip over my own words while you’re at it, and you start to get the picture.

Saying words in front of a crowd was not my forte.

And yet, from 2013 to 2018, I did it a lot. Every week, multiple times.

As a youth worker for the local churches, I regularly found myself standing on a school stage with typewritten notes in my sweaty hands, facing a swarm of young people scrutinising my every move.

School assemblies are not for the faint-hearted.

In those early youth-workery days, I stumbled my way through bad analogies and unrequited jokes, red-faced and a little breathless. The teens judged me in weary silence; the Primary School-aged kids met my gaze with blank stares. The teachers lined the benches to one side, fixed smiles on their faces while they pretended to listen at 9am.

Those first few assemblies were a baptism of fire for someone who struggled to read aloud in class during his own school days.

But it didn’t stay that way forever.

I learned.

With each passing assembly and youth “talk” (as we refer to them here in Northern Ireland), I improved. My confidence inched up. My skill set grew.

I became good at public speaking.

If you’re an introvert like me, you’ll know how monumental such a change can be, even if it’s drawn out over the course of several years. Looking back on it, it’s mind-blowing that I was able to do it at all, even by the end of my time in the youthwork game.

But it wasn’t just a simple matter of slow-flicking a switch from bad to good, from incoherent to (some extent) eloquent. I had to learn, and learn on the job.

You don’t, though. You can just read this article.

If you’re introverted and ever find yourself in a public speaking situation, here’s what to do.

1. Write like you talk

In any public speaking scenario, you’ll want to sound natural. The last thing you need when you’ve got eyes and ears on you is to have to navigate words on a page in an unfamiliar rhythm. Your speech will come off like it was written by ChatGPT.

When preparing, start by free-writing everything you have to say then structure the copy as necessary. Write single sentences on individual lines. Make it as easy on your eye as possible. I like what Brian Honigman says about it:

Writing with the tone that you’re most comfortable with and that best suits the audience you’re trying to reach will make your writing far more effective. In the end, you want your writing to stand out for the right reasons and convince your readers you can be trusted, while speaking directly to their specific needs.

If your words sound fluid and natural, your listeners will engage more easily. Write like you talk.

2. Release nervous energy

This is a big one for me.

I quickly discovered I hate delivering speeches while sitting because I can’t move my feet without looking like a weirdo. If I can, I always choose to stand. I also like to keep my hands free if possible so I can add EMPHASIS to my words with gestures. Jim Folk explains:

Many people find that as their stress increases, so does the excess energy and the desire to do more.

Get that nervous energy out of your body before, during and after your speech.

3. Don’t worry about memorising anything

If you can memorise your speech, great. If you can’t (like me), that’s totally ok.

Your audience won’t care if you have to glance down at your notes, as long as you don’t stare at them the whole time. I never memorised any speech or “talk” I ever delivered, and I was good at it by the end.

Notes are your friend.

4. Be self-deprecating

I portrayed myself in a fairly negative way in my story earlier. That was entirely intentional.

If you can let your walls down and be vulnerable in front of your audience, you’ll immediately garner more of their trust. They’ll see you as the big ol’ human being you are. You’ll relax, they’ll relax. Everybody is relaxed. Brad Bitterly and Alison Wood Brooks explain:

Individuals are seen as warmer and more competent when they disclose negative information about themselves using humor than when they disclose it in a serious manner. When they add humor to a disclosure, counterparts view the negative information as less true and less important.

That’s the kind of atmosphere you want when delivering your speech. Don’t be afraid to poke fun at yourself and your audience will happily connect with you. Tell a funny (and preferably embarrassing) personal story. Let them know you’re all in the same boat.

Nobody likes — or wants to listen to — someone who feigns perfection.

5. Look at your audience without really looking

I’ll wrap it up with this neat little trick.

I learned this one early on. When you place your notes on the podium and look out over the sea of faces in front of you, think of them as exactly that: a sea.

You’re not looking at people. There’s no eye contact to be made. You’re simply gazing out at a general blur of skin and hair.

Toss your words into that ocean and smile the whole time.

Public speaking isn’t easy for most people, especially those like me who hate the limelight.

But like anything in life, practice makes perfect. Each time you do it, you’ll learn a little more about yourself. You’ll get to know your strengths and weaknesses, your quirks and foibles. You’ll get better at it, even if it never comes easily.

Try taking my suggestions on board, if you like. But more importantly, do whatever works best for you.

After a while, you might even start to enjoy it.

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