Hello! I hope you enjoyed Halloween and indulged in some candy and horror flicks. I know I binged  the Halloweentown movies this week.

This week I’ve been dealing with continuous family-related stress, and if you want to know more about that, hop on over to my post where I described my journey on The Dr. Phil Show.

I don’t know if any one else has personally experienced this, but my neck turns red and splotchy when I feel anxious. I’ve understood this for years, and it can be embarrassing at times. For instance, when I was a sophomore, I was presenting a speech to my English class on Marxism and The Communist Manifesto. At the time, I had done my best to read the book, but my brain could not wrap around the context. Needless to say, I did not feel comfortable in what I was talking about.

Speaking in front of an audience already gives me anxiety, and it did not help me calm down when my teacher interrupted me, mid-sentence, to ask me if I was going to pass out. I was confused, but then she pointed out that my red marks on my neck had crept up to my ears and the side of my face. I lost my place in my presentation and felt even worse because now I was aware that everyone knew I was nervous. 

You guessed it, with some upcoming speeches in mind, I thought I would give some tips to avoid feeling anxious with a crowd.

1. Practice Makes Perfect

The best advice I could give my past self, my high-school self, is to NOT “wing” an assignment. I used to be a much worse procrastinator than I am now, and at the rare occasion I would prepare note cards, I would never rehearse the speaking portion. Grab a buddy, go to a quiet space where you feel comfortable talking, and just go for it. Set an internal goal each time you present your speech. You’ll have it down in no time, and friends are your support system.

2. A Friend in the Crowd

In most of my high-school classes, there was at least one person I was close friends with. This way, when I’d give a speech, I could pretend I was presenting for that person. It’s just like having a scholarly conversation with them, and it really helps if they were the one you practiced with.

3. Breathe

Sort of unrelated, but when I used to compete on my high school’s color guard team, I would forget to breathe during a performance. I later found that I do the same thing when I am speaking in front of an audience, only not as severe.

Remembering to do some calming breathing exercises before speaking is important, but remembering to take a deep breath before getting up in front of the group is key, too. Breathing naturally while you’re presenting is important in keeping the conversation smooth, and will keep you calm while you’re speaking.

Keep these in mind if you have a speech coming up. Feeling calm is crucial in confidently executing your points and these are some ways my anxiety is put at ease.

Also, for anyone interested, I will be uploading my clips from Dr. Phil on a post here, and I will try to put them in order. Mostly everything on YouTube was on the show.

Until Next Time!