***In Public Speaking, Nervousness Is a Stumbling Block Only If You Allow It to Be!

The angst, the agony, the sleepless nights. The overwhelming dread that pervades your life knowing you are scheduled to speak, either for your business or personal life. It could be toasting the groom at your best friend’s wedding or giving the quarterly budget report for your company. It might be a 3-minute summary at your leads meeting or maybe you are introducing a speaker at your Rotary Club. The reason nervousness is such a stumbling block is because you allow it to be. Instead of recognizing its benefits, you fight it ‘tooth and nail.’ When that happens, your nervousness is in control of you. I would like to suggest a different approach.

Accept the fact that you will be nervous.

Learn how to take control of it and put it to good use.

Nervousness is good. Nervousness is a bonus. Nervousness is indeed a blessing. For many people, however, their fear has the upper hand; and, that is where the difficulties lie. Let’s look at what happens when you are nervous. To quote ehow.com, “your body's airways and large blood vessels dilate to funnel larger amounts of oxygen, glucose and blood to the respiratory system, muscles and brain. This hormone release also increases your heart rate and blood-sugar levels, improving the body's performance for the short term. Those experiencing adrenaline rushes typically feel temporarily stronger, faster and more tolerant of pain.” What this means for you, the speaker, is that you will be sharper, more alert, and more focused on your delivery if you can work with your nervousness instead of fighting it. The secret is to learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm. In doing so, you will be getting rid of the toxins in your blood that your shallow or lazy breathing is unable to do. In fact, upper chest breathing actually increases those toxins. Add that to the physical reactions happening in your body and it has the opposite effects of what is so beneficial about that marvelous rush of adrenaline. There are certainly other factors involved in creating ease when addressing an audience; however, I have found that diaphragmatic breathing is the most important thing I can do physically to allow me to put my nervousness to good use. And, it is because of the breathing that I am able to treat my audience as if I were having a conversation with them in my living room. Learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm and your nervousness will no longer be a stumbling block but, instead, an exhilarating experience that can take your delivery to new heights.