You’re up there, ready to speak. You’ve rehearsed; you’re prepared; you open your mouth, and your voice sounds nothing like you were expecting it to! It’s shaky, or too breathy, or overly pinched, too high or too low. Hello, nerves!
“Reframe any known nervousness as excitement. You are about to play, and your heart races, your palms sweat, you may have to run to the restroom. In sports, it is known as excitement – anticipation to play hard and do a good job. In presenting, reframe the same physiological reactions as excitement and play to win. Presence of nerves indicates that you actually care. They are good sign. Make friends with them – use them. Don’t fall prey to assuming you are scared to speak in public when you might just be nervous. You might actually enjoy it, and that is not an admittance that you are an attention seeker, but simply someone who enjoys sharing information or ideas with others.” – An Attitude Adjustment For Presentation Skills
