7 Tips for How To Reduce Anxiety Before Giving a Presentation

Summary

This video offers seven practical tips to alleviate the anxiety associated with public speaking. It begins by defining anxiety and distinguishing it from nervousness, emphasizing the importance of mindset, positive affirmations, and visualization to foster confidence. The speaker also advises on avoiding caffeine and sugar, ensuring proper rest, practicing breathing techniques, and thorough preparation to manage pre-presentation jitters effectively. The tips are designed to be implemented well in advance to ensure a smooth delivery and potentially reduce anxiety in other life aspects as well.

Takeaways

• 😌 Anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future.
• 🎢 The feeling of anxiety before a presentation can be similar to the nervousness felt before going on a roller coaster.
• 🔄 The difference between being nervous and anxious is that nervousness usually ends after an event, while anxiety can persist even after.
• 🤔 Everyone's anxiety is triggered by different factors, and understanding what triggers yours can help in managing it.
• 💡 It's important to address severe anxiety by talking to someone, as it can affect other areas of life.
• 🌅 Mindset plays a crucial role in managing anxiety; focusing on the motivation and outcome of the presentation can help reduce anxiety.
• 🗣️ Positive affirmations can boost confidence and help in managing the feeling of anxiety by instilling a positive self-image.
• 🎥 Visualization is a powerful tool for reducing anxiety by mentally rehearsing a successful presentation.
• 🏆 Drawing from past positive experiences can provide strength and reduce anxiety by reminding you of your capabilities.
• ☕ Avoiding excessive caffeine or sugary foods before a presentation can prevent energy crashes and jitters that can exacerbate anxiety.
• 💤 Getting enough sleep is essential to ensure you feel rested and ready, which can help in reducing anxiety levels.
• 🌬 Learning and practicing breathing techniques can help in focusing and relaxing before and during a presentation.
• 📚 Thorough preparation is key to reducing anxiety; knowing your material well can boost confidence and ease nerves.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is about reducing anxiety before giving a presentation.

What are the different emotions one might feel before giving a presentation?

One might feel super stressed, have major doubts, or even feel excited before giving a presentation.

What is the definition of anxiety according to Webster Miriam Dictionary?

Anxiety is defined as an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future.

How does the speaker differentiate between nervousness and anxiety?

The speaker differentiates nervousness and anxiety by stating that nervousness usually ends after the event, while anxiety can persist even after the presentation due to continued worry about the performance.

What is the speaker's first tip for reducing anxiety before a presentation?

The first tip is about mindset, focusing on the motivation for giving the presentation and using positive affirmations.

What is the purpose of using positive affirmations according to the video?

Positive affirmations are used to boost self-confidence and help oneself feel better, which can be beneficial in reducing anxiety.

What is the second tip mentioned in the video for dealing with anxiety?

The second tip is visualization, where one pictures themselves giving the presentation and seeing a positive outcome.

Why is drawing from past positive experiences helpful in reducing anxiety?

Drawing from past positive experiences helps reduce anxiety because it leverages the strength and confidence gained from previous successes, applying it to the current situation.

What advice does the speaker give regarding caffeine and sugary food and drinks before a presentation?

The speaker advises avoiding excessive caffeine and sugary food and drinks before a presentation to prevent jitters and sugar crashes, which can exacerbate anxiety.

Why is getting enough sleep important before giving a presentation?

Getting enough sleep is important because it helps maintain energy levels and performance, reducing anxiety by ensuring one feels rested and ready.

What is the speaker's advice on breathing techniques for presentations?

The speaker advises learning and practicing breathing techniques well before the presentation to help focus, calm down, and relax the body.

What is the final tip the speaker gives for reducing anxiety before a presentation?

The final tip is to prepare well, ensuring thorough knowledge of the material and ample practice, which can boost confidence and reduce anxiety.

How can the tips provided in the video be applied in other areas of life?

The tips provided can be applied in other areas of life where one might feel anxious, helping to manage and reduce anxiety in various situations.

Outlines

00:00

😨 Understanding Presentation Anxiety

The paragraph delves into the common emotions experienced before a presentation, with a focus on anxiety. It clarifies the difference between nervousness and anxiety, using the definition from Webster Miriam Dictionary. The speaker likens the feeling of anxiety to a roller coaster ride and emphasizes that anxiety can persist even after the presentation due to lingering worries about performance. The paragraph also acknowledges that anxiety triggers are unique to each individual and suggests that if one feels severe anxiety, they should seek help. It concludes by advising viewers to start implementing the tips provided well in advance of their presentation to effectively manage anxiety.

05:00

🌟 Strategies for Reducing Presentation Anxiety

This paragraph outlines seven strategies to reduce anxiety before a presentation. It starts by discussing the importance of mindset and positive affirmations, encouraging the audience to focus on the motivation behind their presentation and to repeat positive statements to themselves. Visualization is introduced as a powerful tool to imagine a successful outcome. Drawing from past positive experiences is suggested to leverage previous successes to boost confidence. The paragraph also advises against consuming excessive caffeine or sugar before the presentation to avoid energy crashes and nervousness. It recommends staying well-hydrated and eating a good meal beforehand. Adequate sleep is emphasized for maintaining energy levels and reducing anxiety. Breathing techniques are highlighted as a method to stay calm and focused during the presentation. Lastly, thorough preparation is stressed as the key to building confidence and reducing anxiety.

10:02

📝 Applying Tips Beyond Presentations

The final paragraph invites viewers to share their experiences with anxiety, particularly in relation to presentations, and to discuss their coping strategies in the comments section. It also encourages viewers to explore additional videos on the channel for further assistance in improving presentation skills. The speaker expresses gratitude for watching and looks forward to connecting in the next video, hinting at a future where the viewer is less anxious.

Keywords

💡Presentation

A presentation is a formal discourse or show typically used to convey information, ideas, or results to an audience. In the context of the video, presentations are the central activity that triggers anxiety for many individuals. The script discusses various strategies to reduce anxiety specifically before and during presentations, indicating their commonality in professional and academic settings.

💡Anxiety

Anxiety, as defined by the script, is an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something happening or that might happen in the future. It is the main theme of the video, with the entire narrative revolving around understanding and managing this emotion in the context of giving presentations. The script uses examples such as the feeling before a roller coaster ride to illustrate the experience of anxiety.

💡Mindset

Mindset refers to a set of attitudes and beliefs that shape an individual's perceptions, judgments, and actions. In the video, mindset is highlighted as a crucial factor influencing anxiety levels. The script suggests focusing on the motivation behind the presentation and using positive affirmations to foster a constructive mindset, which can help reduce anxiety.

💡Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations are statements that individuals repeat to themselves to encourage a positive outlook and boost self-confidence. The script emphasizes their utility in mitigating presentation anxiety by suggesting phrases like 'I'm going to do well on the presentation' to reinforce self-assurance and counter negative thoughts.

💡Visualization

Visualization is the act of creating mental images or scenarios to foresee and prepare for future events. The video script recommends using visualization to imagine a successful presentation, including positive audience reactions, as a method to alleviate anxiety by mentally rehearsing a successful outcome.

💡Past Positive Experiences

Drawing from past positive experiences involves reflecting on previous successes to build confidence for current challenges. The script encourages leveraging the strength derived from overcoming anxiety in the past to reduce current anxiety levels before presentations, using personal history as a source of empowerment.

💡Caffeine

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant often found in coffee, tea, and energy drinks. The script advises against excessive caffeine intake before a presentation due to its potential to increase nervousness and shakiness, which can exacerbate anxiety and negatively impact performance.

💡Sugar Crash

A sugar crash refers to the drop in energy levels following a spike caused by consuming sugary foods or drinks. The video script warns of the temporary energy boost followed by a decline that can occur after sugar consumption, suggesting that it could lead to a loss of energy during a presentation, thus increasing anxiety.

💡Breathing Techniques

Breathing techniques are methods used to control the breath, often to promote relaxation, focus, and reduce stress. The script highlights the importance of learning and practicing breathing techniques to manage anxiety during presentations, emphasizing their role in maintaining calm and focused delivery.

💡Meditation

Meditation is a practice of focusing the mind and achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. While not the primary focus, the script briefly mentions meditation as a complementary practice to breathing techniques, suggesting it can increase body awareness and potentially improve control over anxiety.

💡Preparation

Preparation in the context of the video refers to the thorough planning and practice of a presentation. The script concludes with the importance of being well-prepared as a key to reducing anxiety, as familiarity with the material can boost confidence and decrease nervousness when presenting to an audience.

Highlights

Anxiety is defined as an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future.

Anxiety before a presentation can be similar to the feeling of going on a roller coaster, with nervousness that may persist even after the event.

The difference between being nervous and feeling anxious is that nervousness usually ends after the event, while anxiety can continue post-event due to ongoing worry.

Everyone's anxiety triggers are different and may be rooted in past experiences or thoughts.

Tips provided may not apply to everyone but are intended to help reduce anxiety levels to some extent.

Severe anxiety should be discussed with someone to address its potential impact on other areas of life.

Anxiety during presentations may indicate anxiety in other areas of life as well.

Implementing tips well before a presentation is more effective than last-minute scrambling.

Mindset is crucial in managing anxiety; focusing on the motivation and outcome of the presentation can help.

Positive affirmations can boost confidence and help in managing anxiety by reinforcing positive thoughts.

Visualization is a powerful technique to imagine a positive presentation outcome and control the narrative in one's mind.

Drawing from past positive experiences can reduce anxiety by leveraging past successes to build confidence.

Avoiding excessive caffeine and sugar before a presentation can prevent energy crashes and nervousness.

Being well-hydrated and having a good meal before a presentation can provide steady energy levels.

Getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining energy levels and reducing anxiety before a presentation.

Breathing techniques can help focus, calm down, and relax the body before and during a presentation.

Practicing breathing techniques beforehand ensures readiness to manage anxiety during the presentation.

Thorough preparation is key to reducing anxiety, as knowing the material well builds confidence.

These tips can be applied to other areas of life where anxiety is felt, not just presentations.

Engaging with the comments section can provide personal insights and shared experiences regarding anxiety management.

Transcripts

Giving a presentation can bring up all kinds of emotions, right?

You can either be super stressed, you can have major doubts about what you're

doing, you can maybe even be excited.

Who knows?

Some of those people get excited.

But one of the big things that people feel is anxiety.

So in this video I'm gonna talk about that, how to reduce anxiety

before giving a presentation.

I'm gonna have actually seven tips.

But first I wanna start with what exactly is anxiety?

What is the definition of anxiety so that we actually know

that you're experiencing it?

You probably already know, but just in case you're not a hundred percent clear.

I actually had to look this up as well because I thought nervousness and anxiety,

they're the same thing, aren't they?

But according to Webster Miriam Dictionary, anxiety is an uncomfortable

feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening

or might happen in the future.

If that's the definition of anxiety, then I'm sure that that is what you're

feeling before giving a presentation.

In fact, it's probably a little bit like going on a roller coaster, right?

You feel really quite nervous and worried about what it's gonna be

like, and then afterwards you're okay.

But that's the difference.

Being nervous and feeling anxious are differentiated by that fact there, that

when you're nervous, the nervousness usually ends after you are done.

But in terms of presentations, a lot of people still feel anxiety even after,

because they're still worrying about what happened during the presentation.

They're still concerned about, oh no, I did a bad job, or I looked really

bad, or whatever it might be, they'll probably still be very worried about it.

But in this video we're gonna talk about some tips for dealing with

anxiety before a presentation, because hopefully if you are not

as anxious before the presentation, you won't be as anxious after the

presentation or for future ones as well.

One thing I want to point out here though, is that everyone's anxiety is going to

be triggered by something different.

Your anxiety towards giving a presentation may be triggered by something that

happened to you before; it could be something that you think about.

They're all different reasons why you might be feeling anxiety

before giving a presentation.

So I realize, of course, that my tips here, they may not exactly be for

you, but I'm sure they'll help you whether or not you feel a little bit

of anxiety or even some severe anxiety.

However, if you do feel severe anxiety, definitely have a talk with somebody.

Chat with somebody about that, because it could be affecting

other areas of your life too.

And that's one thing I wanna point out, is that if you're feeling some anxiety

when giving a presentation, before giving a presentation, during giving

a presentation, whatever it might be.

If you are already feeling anxiety, it probably is in

other areas of your life too.

So have a look at where else you might be feeling anxiety.

Maybe the tips that I'm gonna give you will help in those situations as well.

One thing I wanna say before I start giving you these tips is that it's not

gonna help you as much if you do these immediately before giving the presentation

or even a couple hours before.

It's probably helpful to start practicing these things or implementing these

tips well beforehand, so that when you are going to give that presentation,

you won't need to suddenly scramble to figure out what are those seven

things that Carl was talking about?

All right, so let's get started.

Here are my seven tips for how to reduce anxiety before giving a presentation.

Number one is your mindset.

Believe it or not, this is probably one of the most important

reasons why people feel anxiety.

It's their mindset.

So what I want you to do is I want you to think about what is your

motivation for giving this presentation?

Why do you need to do it?

What is the big payoff?

Is it because you'll be better off in terms of your career,

in terms of your schooling.

Whatever it might be, think about your motivation for giving the

presentation and keep that in your mind as you are preparing and even

as you are giving the presentation.

That way you'll be focused on the outcome of the presentation, why you're doing

it, instead of just what you're nervous about and what you're anxious about.

One other thing you can do in terms of your mindset is

to use positive affirmations.

If you're not sure what a positive affirmation is, it's something

that you say to yourself to kind of

give yourself a boost, to help yourself feel better.

It could be I'm going to do well on the presentation, or I'm a confident speaker.

It could be something like that that you say over and over to yourself.

I'd advise talking to yourself like that in the morning when you get up, maybe

during the daytime as well, just when you have some quiet time to yourself.

Use that kind of positive affirmation to help yourself feel better.

Believe it or not, it does work because what you think about all

the time usually will come true.

So if you're thinking about things in a positive way, that can help you

when you're giving your presentation.

Number two is visualization.

This is when you picture yourself giving the presentation,

seeing a positive result.

Seeing how the audience is going to react, seeing maybe a good score on your

test result or whatever it might be.

Using visualization is incredibly powerful.

You essentially are like a director.

You control the movie in your mind's eye of how your presentation is going to go.

So make sure it is a happy ending and also a happy story as well.

This can also help you to just have that positive feeling going through

the presentation even before you do it.

Number three is draw from past positive experiences.

You've likely done something really well in the past, maybe recently,

maybe really far back in the past.

However, you've probably done something where you felt great,

where you were maybe feeling anxious or nervous, but you overcame that.

Think about what that situation was, and use the strength that you

have from knowing that you could accomplish whatever that was to help

you when you're giving a presentation.

This will help you reduce your anxiety because you know that you've been able

to succeed in another area of your life.

So having that success somewhere else can translate into success

when giving the presentation.

Number four, avoid excessive caffeine or sugary food and drinks

before you give the presentation.

Now, this might seem a little bit counterintuitive because you want

the energy in order to get through the presentation, but if you have

a lot of caffeine and you're jacked up on caffeine, you're gonna be

like this during the presentation.

That's not gonna help you.

This helps nobody when you're shaking and you are already nervous, and that

caffeine's just gonna make you feel worse.

When it comes to sugary food and drinks, definitely consider

cutting that back because there is such a thing as a sugar crash.

So you might feel great at the beginning, but then you might crash during the

presentation and you don't want that.

You also don't want to feel all jacked up on sugar before you give

the presentation, and then just be completely down with no energy

just before you're gonna go on and start talking.

What I recommend is making sure that you're well hydrated, that you've

eaten a really good meal well before the presentation, so that that

food has had a chance to process.

Your body has been able to get that energy into your, into your system so that you

can feel great before the presentation.

Number five, get enough sleep.

Make sure you actually get a good night's rest, or maybe even take a nap before

you go and give your presentation.

If you're not feeling good, the energy level is not gonna be good.

You're not gonna feel like you can perform your best when you're

giving the presentation, and all those things are going to cause

your level of anxiety to just

ramp up.

So make sure you get enough rest.

Number six, breathe.

This is one that a lot of people struggle with when they are giving presentations

because they are so anxious and so nervous, they forget to breathe during

the presentation and they talk like this and they get through it and they're very.

Learn some breathing techniques.

This will really help you to focus, to calm down, and just to overall relax your

body before you give the presentation.

Now, as I said at the beginning of this, it's really important that

you are learning these techniques and practicing them well before

you give your presentation.

So same thing here.

Make sure that you are practicing the breathing techniques well beforehand

so that when you're actually going to give the presentation, you're

already ready with your breathing.

Try some deep breaths.

Focus on something calm and quiet.

Oftentimes I'll focus on the breathing itself.

You can close your eyes and just focus on the slow breathing in and out.

Nothing fancy.

Don't have to take any meditation.

But if you do decide to take meditation, that could be really

helpful because that will help you to be aware of your whole body as well.

So you know where the anxiety starts.

You'll know how to maybe control it a little bit better.

So I highly recommend learning some breathing techniques.

And remember to breathe as well.

And finally, number seven, prepare well.

This is the one that I usually start these kind of tips with because

most presentation problems are related to not preparing well, but

in this case, I left it to the end.

And the reason why is because you need to do all those other mental, physical

things in order to reduce anxiety, but at the end of the day, you gotta make sure

that your presentation is prepared well.

You also wanna prepare well in advance so you have time to practice

so you really know the material.

When you know the material, when you've prepared really well, you'll

have a level of confidence that I can give the presentation no problem.

I can do it at home to myself no problem, it's only when I have to speak in front

of other people that I become nervous.

So that's when you can use the other techniques and other tips I've given

in this video to help you reduce that anxiety when you're giving a presentation.

You can use these techniques and these tips in other areas of your life

where you're feeling anxious, where you're feeling that sense of anxiety.

You can use them anywhere.

So hopefully you'll apply those in other situations.

Also, I wanna know, when do you feel anxiety?

What have you done to reduce that anxiety?

And do you feel anxiety before giving a presentation?

And what do you do?

I'd love to hear about those in the comments section below.

In the meantime, check out some of these other videos as well, because

I'm sure those will be helpful for you as well if you're trying to

improve your presentation skills.

Thanks for watching, and we'll see you in the next video, when you're less anxious.