Mental Health Moments: Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking

⌛  By Kaylin R. Staten ⌛

As someone with a very public position in the community, you may be surprised to know that I used to have a terrible public speaking phobia. I knew going in that I would have to speak publicly for my job, but still, I dreaded every moment leading up to any presentation.

In college, I over prepared to the point of incredible bouts of anxiety. This was more than stage fright. It was utter chaos for the pathways of my thought processes. I would wreak havoc on my very being until the point the presentation was over, and I could finally breathe easier knowing that I reached “success,” AKA completion of said presentation.

This Thursday, I will give you more tips on how to create an effective presentation — at least how I do it. There are so many ways to craft a presentation, but I will help you find a method that works best for you.

In this week’s Mental Health Moments blog post, I want to talk more about presentation anxiety. So many people I know have it or have experienced it in the past, so I want to share what works best for me.

I know I have many miles to go in terms of proficiency, but I have come a long way with being able to speak in front of crowds.

Fake it until you make it.

This is the most cliche thing for me to ever tell you, but it does help to act confident until you reach your own level of confidence. I never feel 100 percent confident when I get up in front of a crowd, whether it’s a small group or a gathering of more than 100 people. The nervousness remains the same: I’m afraid I will flub something so major that it will go viral and affect my reputation for all time. Chances are, you likely do have some level of expertise with what you are talking about, so use that to help guide your thoughts and emotions throughout the presentation. When you act more confident, confidence will follow. You just have to be sure to take that initial and then the subsequent actions.

Make necessary preparations.

I always feel better when I prepare for a presentation, but there are some times in which off the cuff remarks make more sense. Assess the situation and what it calls for. You don’t want to be too formulaic when you’re expected to give a more emotional response and vice versa. I always prepare more for a client presentation, whether it’s the initial proposal or a monthly analysis of what’s working and what’s not. Being prepared in those situations will lessen the anxiety because you will have your facts and content organized. Of course, you cannot prepare for each question that will be asked, but you can always say something like, “I don’t know the answer to that right off, so let me research it and get back with you.” If it’s a more relaxed presentation, like a best man or maid-of-honor toast or even a brief event announcement, you can go more with the flow of the event. Use notecards, an outline, a script — whatever works best for you in these moments.

Bring something that comforts you during the presentation.

This could be your fourth cup of coffee of the day or an item you can wear to help bolster your confidence. What works for me is wearing something red. It can be anything red, from shoes and dresses to my signature red lipstick. Red is my power color, so I automatically feel more comfortable in my skin and feel more in presentation mode. In college, I wore my Fearlessness necklace to channel my inner Olivia Benson from “Law and Order: SVU.” There’s something about wearing something empowering that will allow you to feel empowered as well, especially during your least-favorite career aspects.

Don’t avoid the process or how you feel.

Often, if you subvert your true feelings for long enough, you will implode. I still do this on a regular basis because I get in the zone and want to compartmentalize my emotions to do the most efficient job I can. If you become anxious when preparing for your presentation, allow yourself to feel however you feel. Once you have that panic attack or bout of self-doubt, it will be over. Then, you can get back to writing your outline or practicing in front of a mirror. Try with everything you have to push through your fears as you give your presentation, whether it’s in front of your coworkers or live on the news. My voice still quivers from time to time, but once you get into the flow of the presentation and receive feedback from the audience, it gets easier. Then, you can decompress after it’s all over. As a natural introvert, it takes a lot out of me to be in front of people, but I do feel fulfilled after it’s over!

Please note: These blog posts are not clinical, although we will provide symptoms and other information. These posts are based on my experiences with anxiety and mental health in general. If you or someone you know needs help, visit a website like Mental Health America to learn more.

Mental Health Moments blog posts are every other Tuesday of the month. Our CEO and contributors highlight what it's like to live with a mental health disorder and continue to fight the stigma through storytelling.

Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning, accredited public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV with 18 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, Luke’s mom, cat mom, and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.