How to Tame Your Nerves When Speaking in Public.

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Your heart pounds. You breathe faster. You begin to sweat. Your blood pressure increases. Your face gets flush. Your mind seems like it's going a mile a minute and can't stop. You forget what you were going to say. Do any of these things happen to you when you speak in public? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, you'll learn why you get nervous, that it happens to everyone, and — most important — how you can tame it.

Why Your Brain Works Against You

Every presenter, novice and veteran alike, gets nervous when speaking in front of others. The difference from one presenter to another is how well they manage that anxiety. Some don't know why it happens. Others understand it — and know how to turn that nervous energy into positive enthusiasm.

Here's a simplified but sufficient explanation. Your brain's primary objective is to protect you. It's always on the lookout for things that may cause harm. Speaking in front of others, according to the brain, qualifies as a stressful situation. To understand why, let's travel back roughly 800,000 years. You're in your cave, drawing pictures on the wall. Suddenly, you see your tribe gathered at the entrance. They're not there to wish you well. Odds are, you've done something to anger them — and they'll either banish you or kill you right then. If it's not your tribe but another one, or wild animals, the outcome is similarly grim.

As a result, the brain has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to treat eyes looking at you as a potentially dangerous situation. When your brain's limbic system senses that stress, it signals your adrenal glands — sitting atop your kidneys — to release adrenaline throughout your system. That's what produces the pounding heart, the faster breathing, the sweating, the elevated blood pressure, the flush face, and the spinning mind.

And forgetting what you were going to say? That's also connected. When fight or flight kicks in, the part of your brain responsible for memory doesn't function at full capacity — because you don't need memory to fight or run. What you do need is heightened awareness of your surroundings. In a presentation, that awareness makes you acutely conscious of every face in the room, what people are doing, and what they might be thinking. And because you're not actually fighting or fleeing, the limbic system doesn't understand why — so it demands even more adrenaline.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

The first step to taming your fear is simply understanding that it's normal. The next is recognizing the difference between fear and danger. By no means are you in danger when speaking in public. The third step is a change in mindset.

Here's why the distinction matters. If you fear public speaking, you're likely thinking things like: What if I make a mistake? I hope I don't forget what I'm going to say. What if they don't like me? Notice the pattern — I, me, I, me. Your focus is in the wrong place. How could even the most experienced speaker handle that kind of self-imposed pressure? The fact that you were chosen to give the presentation means something. You didn't win a lottery. You earned the opportunity. Be proud that you get to share your knowledge, experience, or vision. Take the onus off yourself and put the focus where it belongs: on the audience.

Techniques to Calm Your Body and Mind

Whether you're incredibly nervous or not, there are several things you can do before you speak to prepare your mind and body. Take what works for you and experiment with the rest.

Diaphragmatic breathing. Also known as deep breathing or belly breathing, this is a powerful calming tool. Breathe as deeply as you can — you should notice your belly extending an inch or two. That's when you're doing it right. Two cautions: don't hold your breath (it tenses the body rather than relaxing it), and exhale slowly (exhaling too quickly can cause lightheadedness).

Meditation. Regular meditation lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, slows the heart rate, reduces perspiration, and slows your respiratory rate — all the exact effects you want before stepping in front of an audience.

Exercise. Regular exercise produces many of the same benefits as meditation. Some speakers run a few miles just before taking the stage.

Rituals. Many presenters develop pre-speaking routines that help get them into the right frame of mind. When possible, I walk — even if it's just pacing back and forth in a small space. Whether or not I can walk, I practice diaphragmatic breathing and visualize my opening and closing. Just before I speak, I perform a brief personal ritual — something so quick and subtle no one ever notices. And for many years, my wife has slipped a note into my bag before every talk. It started with "Knock 'Em Dead" before what became one of my breakthrough talks. She's done it ever since. If you follow sports, you see rituals everywhere — the batter who tightens his gloves before stepping into the box, or takes the same number of warm-up swings between pitches. Would he be any less capable without them? Probably not. Would his head be in the right place? Maybe. Maybe not. Call them rituals, routines, or superstitions. If they work, they work.

Visualization. Athletes do this constantly. Just like a sprinter who pictures herself crossing the finish line first, you can picture yourself grabbing the audience's attention with your opening words, see people making eye contact and nodding as you speak, and visualize yourself delivering a conclusion that genuinely impacts your listeners. Give it a try — it's incredibly effective.

The Magic Pill

All of these techniques take some time to develop. But I believe there is a magic pill. I've seen it work too often to think otherwise — including at a time when I was so nervous I was nearly paralyzed with fear. The trouble is, most people don't want to take it. Just thinking about it is about as appealing as a teaspoon of cod liver oil. The pill is called rehearsing.

If you think rehearsing makes your presentations look rehearsed, you're not rehearsing enough. Take a cue from stage actors — they rehearse until their performances appear completely natural. They know their material so well that they can relax and genuinely connect with the audience. This doesn't mean memorizing word for word. That's a recipe for frustration and failure. Your goal is to get familiar with your concepts and how you'd like to share them. But make no mistake: to be calm and confident when presenting, rehearse until you can deliver your content naturally.

Even after you've gotten comfortable with your material, your brain may not let you sleep the night before. That's because your brain dislikes the unknown. If you're not familiar with the venue, or unsure of when you'll be speaking, solve those mysteries. Knowing the logistics gives your brain less to worry about — and makes a good night's sleep far more likely.

What to Avoid

A few things work against you, and they're worth naming directly. Don't procrastinate. You may think you're delaying the anxiety that comes with preparation, but you're actually adding to it — and setting up a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you don't give yourself time to develop your message and rehearse your delivery, you're guaranteeing a weaker presentation.

On the day of your talk, avoid caffeine. You want to calm your body and mind, and caffeine does the opposite. Your adrenaline will supply all the energy you need. Avoid sugary items as well — they can trigger a sugar rush or a crash at exactly the wrong moment. And avoid alcohol the night before and the day of your talk. The argument that it calms your nerves doesn't hold up. If your surgeon was nervous before operating on you, would you want them to knock back a couple of shots of vodka before asking for the scalpel?

Now that you understand why you get nervous, that it happens to everyone, and how to tame it — you're on your way to becoming more effective every time you speak. Public speaking is an art based on science, and that means you can overcome your apprehension and confidently share your knowledge, experience, and ideas with others. Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.