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It’s time to
get up and give that big speech. Your heart is pounding.
Your palms are sweating. You’re starting to feel faint.
And your
immune system loves it!
That’s the
conclusion of a 30-year study of stress research published
recently in Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the American
Psychological Association. The analysis culled through 300
studies involving over 19,000 participants.
The study
determined that certain short term stresses have a significant
impact on your immune system. It turns out that public
speaking is one stress that can double your blood’s ability to
fight off infection and heal wounds.
Of course, a
jolt to the immune system may not be much consolation for the
anxiety that many people face when giving speeches. Here are
a few tips to help you deal with your nerves next time you
have to give a big speech.
Rehearse:
The most important thing that you can do to calm your nerves
is to know what you’re going to say cold. Nothing calms
nerves more than extensive practice. We worked with one
executive who conquered her nerves simply by practicing
extensively. She went from being a fearful presenter to being
one of the best in her business.
Schmooze
before the speech:
Introducing yourself to as many people in the room as possible
before the speech helps turn a room of strangers into a room
of friends.
Walk around
the block:
You can blunt the impact of the stress-driven adrenaline rush
by doing some light exercise shortly before your speech. We
know one speaker who walks around the hotel every time he has
to give a big presentation. Billy Crystal says that he does
pushups before going on stage.
At
Speechworks we help our clients learn how to give communicate
in a way that connects and persuades. If you’re interested in
becoming a great communicator give us a call at 404-266-0888
or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net |
