Battling Nerves and Anxiety Over Presentations

Battling Nerves and Anxiety Over Presentations Nearly everyone experiences nervousness when they perform in some way, whether in giving a speech, taking a test, offering a presentation, or teaching a class. Its something everybody deals with. But some people hide their nervousness more than others. Some people simply understand that nervousness is self-perpetuating. Here is an alarming little equation: Signs of Nervousness Leads to Increased Nervousness In other words, one sign of nervousness can cause other symptoms to pop up. To clarify this cruel little formula, just think back to a time when you were speaking in front of a group. If you noticed that your hands were shaking or your voice was cracking, you probably became distracted and unnerved by these signs. They probably embarrassed you and made you even more nervous, which made your heart beat faster. True? Theres good news: This formula also works in reverse. If you can prepare ahead of time to prevent and disguise the normal causes for nervousness, you can avoid a chain reaction of symptoms. Types of Fears That Cause Anxiety The best thing you can do is to over-prepare when youre facing an intimidating situation that makes you nervous. The number one cause for nerves is feeling inadequate about the topic. Fear of Looking Stupid: Whatever your topic may be, from phases of the moon to Internet safety, you must research it thoroughly. If you try to skimp or slide by with a little knowledge, youll start to feel insecureand it will show. Prepare ahead and go way beyond the parameters of your specific topic. Find out all you can about the how and why of things, especially if you will be answering questions about your topic. Fear of Forgetting Information: When giving a speech, its normal to forget details if youre nervous, so you should take steps to avoid this. Make an outline of your topic or make several note cards to use as prompters. Practice with the note cards and re-make them if they confuse you in any way. Make sure you number any note cards so you can keep them in the right order. Fear of Freezing Up: You can avoid the appearance of freezing up during your presentation, discussion, or speech by having props on hand. These can include a drink of water, a notepad, or a visual aid. Anytime you feel like you might go blank, say Excuse me for a moment, and take a drink or pretend to jot something down. This will give you an extra moment to gather your thoughts. Its also a good idea to have one note card prepared that you can go to in a moment of panic. This card could contain a space filler like an anecdotal story that goes along with your topic. If you need to go to this panic card, you could simply say, You know, this reminds me of a story. After you complete your story you can say, Now where was I? and someone will tell you. Types of Symptoms That Increase Anxiety You can reduce some nervous symptoms by scoping out the room where youll be speaking or presenting. Find out if youll be standing still, sitting down, walking around, or using a microphone. Educate yourself as much as possible about your situation. It will give you a greater sense of control. Dry mouth: Prevent dry mouth by carrying a glass of water with you. Also avoid drinking carbonated drinks before you speak, since those tend to dry out your mouth.Shaky, nervous voice: The more you know your topic and the more confident you feel, the less trouble youll have with your voice. If you start to feel short of breath or shaky, just pause to consult your notes or take a sip of water. Breath slowly and give yourself a moment to re-group. It wont look odd to the audience.Rapid heartbeat: Its not a good idea to eat a big meal before an event. The combination of jittery nerves and a full stomach can create a strong heartbeat, which will make you feel short of breath. Instead, eat a small but healthy meal before you speak. More Tips for Battling Nerves Prepare transitional phrases ahead of time to help you flow from one idea to the next. If you dont have a good transition, you might get nervous as you struggle to change from one topic to another.Practice your speech, presentation, or argument out loud and in front of the mirror several times. This will help you fix any awkward segments.If you have a microphone, concentrate solely on it as you speak. This helps you block out the audience.Dont think about underwear. Some people suggest that you imagine your audience wearing underwear. You can do that if you really want to, but it might not prove very helpful. The real idea behind this trick is to think of your audience as ordinary people just like you. They are ordinary, and chances are, theyre all impressed at your courage and very supportive.Move around the room if you have the opportunity. This sometimes helps distract you from the eyes of your audience and it can make you look professional and in control.Start out your presentati on with a great quote or a funny line. For instance, a good line to use as an icebreaker is I just want you all to know that I am not picturing you in your underwear.

Become a Better Student With These English Study Tips

Become a Better Student With These English Study Tips Learning a new language like English can be a challenge, but with regular study it can be done. Classes are important, but so is disciplined practice. It can even be fun. Here are some guidelines to help you improve your reading and comprehension skills and become a better English student. Study Every Day Learning any new language is a time-consuming process, more than 300 hours by some estimates. Rather than try and cram a few hours of review in once or twice a week, most experts say short, regular study sessions are more effective. As little as 30 minutes a day can help you improve your English skills over time. Keep Things Fresh Instead of focusing on one single task for the entire study session, try mixing things up. Study a little grammar, then do a short listening exercise, then perhaps read an article on the same topic. Dont do too much, 20 minutes on three different exercises is plenty. The variety will keep you engaged and make studying more fun. Read, Watch, and Listen. A lot. Reading English-language newspapers and books, listening to music, or watching TV can also help you improve your written and verbal comprehension skills. By doing so repeatedly, youll begin to unconsciously absorb things like pronunciation, speech patterns, accents, and grammar. (Scientists call this phenomenon indirect learning). Keep pen and paper handy and write down words you read or hear that are unfamiliar. Then, do some research to learn what those new words mean. Use them the next time you are role-playing dialogue in class. Learn the Sounds Separately Non-native English speakers sometimes struggle with certain word pronunciations because they do not have similar sounds in their native tongue. Likewise, two words may be spelled very similarly, yet be pronounced quite different (for instance, tough and though). Or you may encounter combinations of letters where one of them is silent (for example, the K in knife). You can find plenty of English pronunciation videos on YouTube, such as this one on using words that begin with L and R.   Watch Out for Homophones Homophones are words that are pronounced the same way, but are spelled differently and/or  have different meanings. There are a number of homophones in the English language, which is one of the reasons why it can so challenging to learn. Consider this sentence: Pack your clothes, then close the suitcase. Both clothes and close sound the same, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings. Practice Your Prepositions Even advanced students of English can struggle to learn prepositions, which are used to describe duration, position, direction, and relationships between objects. There are literally dozens of prepositions in the English language (some of the most common include of, on, and for) and few hard rules for when to use them. Instead, experts say, the best way to learn prepositions to memorize them and practice using them in sentences. Study lists such as this one are a good place to begin.   PlayVocabulary and Grammar Games You can also improve your English skills by playing vocabulary games that are related to what youre studying in class. For example, if you are going to study English on topics that focus on vacations, take a moment to think about your last trip and what you did. Make a list of all the words you might use to describe your activities. You can play a similar game with grammar reviews. For example, if you are going to study conjugating verbs in the past tense, stop to think about what you did last weekend. Make a list of the verbs you use and review the various tenses. Dont be afraid to consult reference materials if you get stuck.  These two exercises will help you prepare for class by making you think critically about vocabulary and usage. Write It Down Repetition is key as youre learning English, and writing exercises are a great way to practice. Take 30 minutes at the end of class or study to write down what happened during your day. It doesnt matter whether you use a computer or pen and paper. By making a habit of writing, youll find your reading and comprehension skills improve over time. Once youre comfortable writing about your day, challenge yourself and have some fun with creative writing exercises. Choose a photo from a book or magazine and describe it in a short paragraph, or write a short story or poem about someone you know well. You can also practice your letter-writing skills. Youll have fun and become a better English student. You may even discover youve got a talent for writing.