Jitters

I don’t think most speakers can get through every speaking engagement without some level of nervousness. In fact I think it helps me to stay focused and deliver my best presentations.

Years ago I attend several Chi Gong classes and learned a couple of techniques that will help you over come the jitters.

The first technique is to balance your weight on your left foot. That will engage your right brain. Your right brain is your creative side and you literally can not be nervous when you are focused on the creative. When your weight is equally balanced or more focused on your right leg, you are engaging your left brain which is the critical thinker. When you are focused on your left brain you will think about “what are they thinking of me? “am I keeping their attention?” “do they like me?” or the worse one speakers do to themselves is “what if  I don’t  remember what I want to say?” Which is of course what will happen according to the Law of Attraction. Whatever you think is what you will attract.

Another technique is to press your fingernail to the end of either of your thumbs and it will stimulate your brain to give you more focus.

The plain and simple fact is that no one knows what you planned to say, so if you forget something or forget the order in which you intended, no one will know.

But when you let your audience see the real you and you can be vulnerable enough to let them relate to you, they will be more than generous. Typically they will assume you have to have expert status in your field or you wouldn’t be their speaker.