Dealing With Anxiety Attacks When Conducting Presentations

Posted by Kym on May 12th, 2010 at 12:46pm

One of the most common places that people suffer anxiety attacks is when they are going to speak or present in front of a large group of people or meet new people. The stress and anxiety can be so great that a person will suffer from nausea, dizziness, and many of the other symptoms that are associated with these attacks. Having some easy steps will be helpful with overcoming anxiety attacks and reaching the state of calm needed to achieve your goals.

In some cases, when a person is well prepared for their presentation they find that they can’t remember what they are supposed to do when they meet the expectant eyes of their audience. Working through this issue is important for many people to advance in their careers and in life.

Many people who are getting ready to do a presentation or meet a large group of people experience fear. While some individuals are able to use this fear effectively, others are immobilized by it. In many cases the fear is a result of the unknown. Not knowing the people or the reaction to a presentation can cause a lot of anxiety. One way to alleviate this fear is to spend some time meeting and networking with the group that you will be presenting to.

Learning about the group that you will be meeting or talking to will help to “humanize” them. By spending some time learning about your audience, you will be able to personalize your presentation to more effectively address them. Getting to know people greatly reduces the fear of rejection that often comes from entering unknown situations.

One of the most common causes of anxiety before a presentation or group meeting is forgetting to breathe. Taking a few moments before entering the situation to breath slowly and focus on the positive outcome that will result from the presentation will greatly help to calm anxiety. An individual will often become anxious when they begin to think about all of the things that can go wrong during the presentation. However, focusing on the positive, while breathing deeply, will replace the anxious feelings with calm.

Creating an atmosphere will be very helpful in addressing anxiety when doing a presentation. Most people make the mistake of wearing tight fitting clothing or items they are very uncomfortable in. Discomfort often adds to anxiety and creates an extra level of worry when trying to concentrate on an effective presentation. Wearing clothing that you are familiar with and comfortable in will have a positive impact on your ability to present effectively.

In preparing for your presentation, it is important to eat properly and get enough sleep. Hunger and lack of sleep are contributing factors to anxiety and can have a negative effect on presentations. By eating healthy foods and getting enough rest for several days prior to your presentation, you will be refreshed and able to concentrate on the task at hand.

Taking a short walk prior to your presentation will help to relieve stress and providing a calming effect prior to presenting or meeting a group of people. When a person does some type of exercise, such as walking, the hormones that are produced which create the fear are greatly alleviated.

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