You're facing self-doubt before a big speech. How can you conquer it and shine on stage?

Self-doubt whispers 'you're not prepared,' but confidence reminds you 'you've got this.' Take a deep breath, focus on your message, and shine on stage!" By incorporating these strategies we can conquer our inhibitions: Deep breathing: Calm your nerves with slow, deep breaths. Positive self-talk: Focus on your strengths and accomplishments. Visualization: Imagine yourself delivering a successful speech. Physical warm-ups: Loosen up with stretching or a short walk. Reframe nervousness: View it as energy and enthusiasm. Focusing on your message: Share your passion and expertise. Connecting with your audience: Engage with their needs and interests. Speaking from the heart: Share personal anecdotes and stories. Own the stage!

Be authentic. Trust in what you know. Believe in what you say. Say stuff that feels authentic and true. You’re up there for a reason, so align with that reason. Then, you speak from the heart and a place of authenticity.

"Fake it till you make it". That thought has helped calm my nerves many times before a big presentation. It may sound counter-intuitive, but there's something about acknowledging your nerves, validating that it's okay to be nervous, and telling yourself that EVERYONE gets nervous before these things! I also can't emphasise enough how important breathing is. I've started so many presentations without having done a few simple breathing exercises only to find I'm talking too rapidly and can't catch my breath. So take a moment a few moments before you start and do some simple deep breathing exercises.

It's okay to be nervous, just remember to build yourself up. If you are prepared, an expert in your field, your presentation is on point and you know your audience, there is no need to doubt yourself. Do these steps before you step onto that stage: * Breathe in through your nose as slowly and as long as you can, then pull in that little extra air into the tips of your lungs * Hold for 4 seconds * Release that air slowly and deliberately, in about 8 seconds * Repeat 2-3 times This US Navy SEALs method is renowned for reducing stress effectively. Now step into the spotlight and shine away!

Self-doubt before a big speech? Flip the coin—choose self-development over self-doubt! 🎤✨ First rule: Know your subject inside out! If you don’t have depth, don’t take the stage. Even as an expert, 4% will judge—ignore them. Speak for the 96% who are there to learn and grow with you. A powerful speech isn’t just words; it’s a performance. And performances need rehearsal. That 5-minute magic on stage? It’s built on months of practice. Preparation is your secret weapon. Own it, embrace it, and when the moment comes—deliver like you were born for this! 💪🔥

Stepping onto the big stage can be intimidating. These tips build confidence: 1. Prepare Extensively: Rehearse your content until you know it inside and out. Speak your material aloud to ensure you're comfortable with the words in their spoken form. 2. Clear Your Biggest Hurdle: Identify what makes you the most nervous and find a technique to conquer it. Personally, I get the most nervous during the first few minutes. To tackle this, I memorize and practice the first paragraph of my presentation until it's second nature. Having those opening sentences down pat helps me ease into the flow. 3. Humor Helps: Incorporate a few jokes into your content. Smiling releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which help reduce anxiety.

I don't know if 'relentless' is required, but until you are honed and polished, you do not want the stage to be your first pass. In my early days speeches and presentations gave me a lot of angst. Then, one day, one of the best speakers I personally knew asked if he could step into my office and rehearse before a company wide meeting. Seeing him practices, rehearse, refine, play with enunciation was an eye opener for me. At that point in my career, I believed that he was charismatic... and I was not. I thought it was something I didn't have and didn't know that like any other skill, it can be developed

Practicing also helps figure out the correct speech patterns and help eliminate words that may sound good on paper but might be harder to pronounce either due to stress or longer speeches. Helps me make my presentation easy on both sides, the speaker and the listener.

I do a lot of speaking and what I've found helpful recently is to record my practice through dictation (I use Word). Then I run it through ChatGPT to summarize, provide insights, give me an outline, and act as coach. I then have a nice outline, or insights to make changes. If you also state your slide number it makes it even easier for ChatGPT to recognize your place and help with organization.

This could go either way. For some practicing can make thing sound formulaic and stiff. For others its a form of refinement. You have to know both yourself and your material. Practice until you are comfortable. As long as you are familiar with the topic you should be able to deal with any curveballs from technical difficulties to someone sneezing loudly. Sometimes too much rehearsing can feed your doubts rather than alleviate them.

This is such an underrated step, but it is actually very important. One always needs to visualize the outcome of their vision, even if it seems impossible. This helps train your brain and program yourself to achieve such goals.

One of the most transformational classes I ever had was a Professional Presence class - they took improv and stage techniques and used them for everyday social settings. We had a list of 14 critical interview questions - at the beginning of the semester, we had to type out our answers, then memorize them but the real beauty was when you read them so much that you actually forgot the words but internalized your key points. That way, you didn't come off stiff or formulaic but you always hit the central tenets of your answers. This has been an indispensable approach for me over the years when I prepare for public speaking.

Definitely this I would say do this every day actually just change it to whatever event you’re doing but visualize walking out there being successful, sold out, etc. everybody loving you in full round of applause standing ovation. But visualize that every day not just the day of or just about that event

Mental preparation is as crucial as physical practice. Close your eyes and picture yourself delivering a powerful speech. See the audience nodding, hear the applause, and feel the confidence radiating from you. Visualization helps condition your mind for a successful performance.

Simple breathing technique is to count the duration of your inhale and double that duration for your exhale. Minimum of 3 times. This is a quick technique to feel grounded.

Before stepping on stage this is your chance to take time to calm yourself in knowing you have prepared for this moment. The “why’s” for why you keep going are perhaps a great thing to reflect on in this moment. You have gotten this far in doing what you do for your success in all things you contribute to your respective field. Remembering what you do what it for is a honest and rewarding reflection moment. Whether you want to get to the top of your field, which can come with more events that require you to speak, or you are fighting to make sure your family is in great financial standing which will require the same most likely, you will want to make sure you can accomplish your goals. Knock that presentation or speech out for your “why’s!”

I love this one, but I wanna throw in an opposite as well. Put on some powerful upbeat music. Rock pop something that really gets you going every time you hear it put that on dance around your nerves go away. Your excitement goes up and you forget about being nervous and technically, you are deep breathing if you’re singing along and dancing, lol

Nervousness triggers shallow breathing, making anxiety worse. Before stepping on stage, take slow, deep breaths to calm your nerves. Relax your shoulders and unclench your jaw. A composed body signals confidence to your brain, allowing you to appear and feel more self-assured.

That nervous energy is fuel. It's excitement. Use it! Reframe it as good. Excitement and fear feel just the same in the body. You decide what you call it.

Find a way to harness that nervous energy that might be holding you back. Instead, use the energy to boost your presence on stage, when it’s your turn to shine. This comes with practice. Don’t become hyper-critical of the body language in the crowd if things start to go sideways. Keep calm and carry on!

One little trick I’ve learned is I need to go on stage before anybody gets there. I need to walk out on stage and look at the seats in the audience. For some reason that helps me so when I go back out, it’s not a cold walk out.

Nervous energy is not your enemy it’s fuel. Even experienced speakers feel jitters. Instead of resisting them, reframe nerves as excitement. Channel that energy into enthusiasm and passion for your message. Your nerves mean you care, and that passion makes you a compelling speaker.

Self-doubt can be due to lack of confidence / preparation / experiences. Simplicity is the keyword to embrace nerves. Tell ourselves, "I'm nervous and that's okay." Practice. Prepare. Present There's no overnight success without efforts. One step at a time. Go slow when in doubt. 🍃

Prepare several questions and jokes for audience, at least you need to understand who they are, how to explain better way, which topic from your presentation is more relevant for them. Connection with audience and feedback from it could help to better organise your speech and increase your motivation.

Confidence isn’t something you wait for — it’s something you step into. Before your speech, remind yourself: the stage isn’t about proving yourself, it’s about sharing something valuable. Shift your mindset from “Will they like me?” to “How can I help them?” Connect with just one person at a time through eye contact and presence. The more you focus on impact over image, the more naturally your voice will rise above doubt.

Great speeches aren’t monologues; they’re conversations. Engage your audience by making eye contact, asking questions, and responding to their reactions. When you focus on connecting rather than performing, you’ll feel less self-conscious and more natural, creating a memorable and impactful experience for your listeners.