I was at a conference last week and I was in awe of how comfortable the presenters were on stage, how it seemed as if they were talking personally to everyone in the room. Like it was a one on one conversation between them and each member of the audience.
The fear of public speaking outranks the fear of death in just about every study conducted on the topic. Whether it’s talking to a small group of people, doing a business presentation or training event, or doing the headline gig at a large conference. A very high percentage of people would approach such events with trepidation.
Watching these professional’s showed it doesn’t need to be this way. What superhuman powers of the mind do these people have that we mere mortals don’t?
Now I have mumbled and bumbled my way through many a work presentation or training event in my younger years. But through preparation and practice, and with the help of mindfulness, the whole experience of public speaking in whichever form it comes is now something that no longer holds such fear. Still some nerves, but I am able to manage them so much better.
Here’s what I’ve learnt using mindfulness with public speaking and presenting:
- It’s about being in the present moment. Connecting with people in that very moment and not worrying about what people will think about me afterwards. The reality is that if I am there, present with the aim to help people as much as I can, that is all I can do and the audience will appreciate me for that. Meditation more than anything else helps me to focus on the present moment.
- It’s about having composure. And by composure I mean staying cool calm and collected at all times no matter what the circumstances. My best tool for this…controlled breathing. Using meditation breathing techniques before kicking of any presentation has made the world of difference. It calms any nerves, helps me focus on the content and just generally puts me in a positive frame of mind. And if anything throws me of my game during a presentation, a few nice deep breaths always helps get me back on track.
- And confidence helps a lot. Which is something I thought I’d always had plenty of. But when it came to public speaking it somehow deserted me. Through my meditation practice I’ve come to realise that some of my self-confidence wasn’t really that at all. It was more like bravado. Meditation has given me more self-awareness through time that I spend with my own thoughts. It gives me more comfort with who I am and gives me the confidence to share the real me with the people I present to.
If you are afraid of public speaking, don’t worry, you’re not alone. But if you want to present to an audience, small or large, why not try some mindfulness, meditation or breathing techniques to help you along the way.
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