Do you remember your first days without the training wheels on your bike? Were you nervous? Were you even a little bit afraid? Did that fear make you hyper-focused? Was there someone holding on to your bike’s seat, guiding you and cheering you on?
When it comes to public speaking, Read More→
The fear of public speaking is one of the top fears that individuals have. Statistics show that over 41% of people have some level of fear or anxiety with regards to speaking in front of a consultation. This fear often manifests as excessive sweating, sweaty palms, increased pulse rates, blanking out (memory loss), nausea and often times trouble breathing. There are many speakers who Read More→
Does the very thought of giving a speech cause you stress and send shivers down your spine? Have you ever wondered why, when you give a speech, your words come out fast and furious? Or when you’re describing an accident, your words come quickly? So quick, in fact, that you have to repeat yourself because you’ve left words out — and sometimes even entire sentences! Stress causes the rhythm of your speech to speed up and the space between your words to shorten.
This is a sure sign of being anxious. If you’re experiencing anxiety, it’s likely to have a negative impact on your presentation. While you may realize that this negative effect will only make matters worse, you’re usually not in a position to alter your state of mind. The negative effect then becomes even stronger. It’s not until you find a way to break this negative cycle that you can gain control of your speech.
The results of this quick anxious speech pattern will find you making the very mistakes that you’re desperately trying to avoid. This anxiety is unnecessary but can’t be avoided when you obsess about looking and being perfect. The harder you try, the more unnatural and strained the presentation, and more mistakes you’ll make.
Six signs of stress before and during a speech:
1. Becoming confused and jumbled when giving a speech
2. Feel constant fear of forgetting what you prepared to say
3. Breathing faster just before starting your speech
4. When you make a mistake, finding it hard to concentrate
5. You feel your heart beat faster when presenting
6. Feeling so nervous while giving a speech that you forget what you know
So how do you remain calm? It may not be easy but it’s doable. Here are 7 calming tips.
1. Prepare thoroughly for your presentation and speech by knowing your material well
2. Eat properly don’t be excessively hungry or full
3. Short personal routine just before the speech, such as a short prayer, 1 minute of meditation and set your intention to be a conduit of information
4. Take deep breaths and smile just before you begin to speak.
5. If you get confused, catch up with your thoughts by taking a sip of water and smiling and saying something simple like “lets go on.” This is an easy way to relax and catch up with your thinking.
6. Focus for a moment on a friendly face
7. Let yourself off the hook. Remember people are rooting for you, and they know we are all human. So don’t beat yourself up for any mistakes. There are no mistakes — only learning experiences.
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Would you like more stress relief techniques that get results? Learn how to dramatically improve your stress relief results by claiming your FREE 5 Part customized home study course. Get instant access at => http://www.transitionyourlife.com
From Linda Hampton RN, MSN A Wellness and Stress Management Coach
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Hampton
Don’t Panic.
Coming into a Toastmasters club for the first time is hard. There are a lot of new people you have never met before, they have titles like VPE and they want you to get in front of a group of people and do what?
Don’t worry. Just sit in on your first meeting, listen to the speeches, do a table topic, and get an information packet from the first person that hands you one.
Now jump ahead two weeks. Thinking back on your experience, you enjoyed yourself at the first meeting; so you came back to the meeting and turned in your application…now what?
For many new members, you are at a loss for what to do. The person who gave you the application wants you to do an “Icebreaker” and some other person wants you to be the timer. Then there is this guy in the corner who keeps thinking you are a guest and wants you to sign the guest book. What are you supposed to do?
Deep breaths… that’s it… don’t panic. It will all be OK.
Day 1 as a Member
As a new member, you are going to get a lot of information thrown at you rather quickly. It is good to take a look at the books and manuals that Toastmaster sends you. Don’t worry about knowing all of it now, but really start to look at Project 1, “The Icebreaker” in the Competent Communicator manual. This is the first prepared speaking project and it would be beneficial to ask when you can get signed up to give that speech.
Ok..ok..don’t panic. It is not as hard as it looks. Just take a few deep breaths, talk to some of the other members and find the person that is the Vice President of Education. We will talk more about officers later, so for now look for the person that is prematurely gray, has a ton of paperwork stacked in front of them, and keeps babbling incoherently about needing one more CC by the end of the year or something similar. Don’t worry, it is not a drug reference… but it should be.
Once you locate the Vice President of Education, he or she will help you get speeches and other roles scheduled, find a mentor, and learn more about the educational tracks in the program. I encourage you to talk to each officer in the club, ask them what they do and how they can help you figure out what this Toastmasters thing is all about.
Now that you have gotten you first speech scheduled, it is time to learn what Toastmasters is, how the club works, and then give that first speech…all topics to be continued in part two of this series.
Do you want to know the secrets of public speaking?
Visit http://chris-elliott.com/resources to learn my #1 public speaking secret.
About the Author:
Chris Elliott serves as a leader for supply chain and international non-profit organizations. He has an unshakable habit of lifelong learning and uses his knowledge and experiences during his speaking engagements, workshops, consulting projects, and one-on-one coaching sessions. The result…connecting people and empowering change.
In his presentations on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott at http://chris-elliott.com/contact so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
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