i just wanna know what you people do to releave stress before making a speech?
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well, i'm kind of a perfectionist when it comes to things like this...i make sure know my material, and have all my note cards in order. then, about a 1/2 - an hour beforehand i start doing deep breathing and stretching...it really works. practice your speech while looking in a mirror so you can see your facial expressions...practice reciting it to friends/family and get their feedback. while you're giving your speech, focus on ppl in the audience you know, and look at them from time-to-time. if you don't have to stand at a podium, move around a bit as you give your speech. try not to say "um" a lot...it makes it sound as if you don't know your material. try to smile at specific points in your speech material...if it's appropriate. that will make you look comfortable to your audience. i'm sure you will do a great job!! best of luck.
81318
Slow down and don't say the first thing that pops into your head.  Think before you speak and think before you act.  Learn about and talk about serious matters.
135686
u need to sit down and think about it.  think of something dat u would do that will calm ur nerves and help u relax.  and if u can do this, w/o expending too much energy.  dats a gift that u have that u can keep doing, and w/ that gift.  that should help u reach contention.  and once ur content, share ur gift to the world!  then u can be happy ;)
808945
1) Don't read off your notes (or Powerpoint presentation or overhead transparency)\n2) Don't dance around or ring your hands or play with your hair\n3) Talk loudly and clearly (without shouting) and make sure your voice doesn't go too high-pitched\n4) Make sure you look left, right and straight ahead for about 3 seconds each (otherwise people won't feel included and will start chatting amongst themselves, which will make you even more nervous)\n\nThese are the basic guidelines I give my students.\n\nGood luck.
426571
Do some deep breathing.\n\nTake stretch breaks no fewer than once an hour apart. Sitting for long periods of time puts enormous physical stress on us.\n\nIf you can listen to music, put on something soothing that doesn't have a fast beat.\n\nTake your shoes off under your desk. (It does work!)\n\nGo for a brisk walk on a break or lunch.\n\nPut in a full sprectrum light. Being under flourescent lights all the time isn't good for our bodies.\n\nMeditate.\n\nThe second link below is 52 steps to reducing stress. Some of the things you do before you go to work can reduce your stress before you get there, and during the day while you're working.
1131576
You will look more calm and collected. For myself, if I know I will be speaking, I will think through what I need to say and plot out the order I will say everything. In public speaking contests, I memorize what I am going to say until I can say it as fast as I can, that way I know I know it and won't have to worry about forgetting it. Or, I will learn information about different points I was to make and remember the order of those points, instead of trying to memorize something at the last minute. Also, if questions are asked you will feel comfortable because you know the subject.
212291
Laugh! It's what works better for me,always.Walk,sleep(when I can...),listen to classic music,many things help,but a good laugh works miracles,instantly!  :)\n\nOh,there is one more thing,I love to sing and this makes me feel good,but I must be alone! I sing all the time,all day,even when I'm writing!
1002817
First, realize that every one of them would be just as stressed as you are.  Make sure you know your subject very well; the source of some discomfort is fear of failure... if you know your stuff, you will be speaking from knowledge instead of notes.  One thing that works for me is to view this as a discussion more than a presentation and invite interaction from the audience.  This is one time where you will be able to say what you have to say and likely not be interrupted...  so take advantage of the situation and say what you need to say.  It helps if you believe in the message you are conveying.  \n\nOne technique you can use before starting:  take a very deep breath, then let it out very slowly... do this 3 times.  This will force your body to relax, which will help you to relax.\n\nYou'll be great.... no worries!
682573
Going to the park, or just taking deep breaths.\nJust, sit back and relax like they say.\n\nOr driving also helps me relax until a stupid ass comes along.
354403
I had to do this and was terrified. This worked, and I actually relaxed enough to enjoy doing the presentation! Got compliments. So:\n\nKnow your subject inside and out. Develop a passion for it. Start really wanting to get this info you are presenting out to others--feel a need for them to know and understand it.\n\nPractice, practice, practice! To a mirror for a little while, then to everyone you know. Over and over. Eventually, you'll be so familiar with your presentation you won't feel totally dependent on your notes, you'll just roll. Take the criticisms offered by those you practice to, and use them.\n\nAfter you know your stuff inside and out, you can start concentrating on the audience, as in making eye contact, smiling, what words to emphasize. Practice all of that too. Over and over.\n\nTime each trial run if that's at issue. After a while, know within 30sec. of how long you need. That erases worries during the actual presentation of watching a clock.\n\nKnow your audience. Will there be someone there whom you know well? Who might have been one of your practice audience and knows the drill? Who might give you nods and smiles during?\n\nThat day, wear a favorite outfit that you know looks great and is comfortable. Look your best. Get there incredibly earlier than need be. Walk around the room, know where things are, begin to feel at home. If there's chitchat in the room before things start, mingle. If you're talking to a stranger about the day, if it feels right you might mention that you are a presenter, and a little new at this. Any sympathy drummed up ahead of time from the audience helps, as they sort of send warm vibes to you while you're speaking. And it helps you to feel that they are more understanding of your position. (Just don't whine.)\n\nWhen you know it all inside and out, go practice about 25 more times! Be able to do it in your sleep! Be so bored with the whole thing by the time you get there that you just want to do it, get your warm fuzzies, and move on. Just don't, after awhile, let monotony creep into your voice.\n\nGood luck! Have fun with this, it's actually an amazing growth and confidence-building exercise.I hope my suggestions help a little.
203394
Pray.\nTake something for anxiety.\nBring a headset and listen to calming music.
603734
(m)\n\nOvercoming Stress \nYou Can Fight Back And Win\nWhen you are under extreme amounts of stress, you may feel like there is no way you can overcome your problems. You believe you'll just have to cope until the situation improves. The good thing is, you don't have to put up with the negative effects of stress. You can fight back and come out on top. It's not hard to do. Here are several ways to make yourself a winner when the pressure starts to mount.\n\n\nGo with H 2 0\nAmazingly, drinking water can greatly improve how you feel. Water is often overlooked even though it is the most essential nutrient. You know how it feels when things get tough. Your mouth gets dry, you start to sweat and your heart begins to palpitate. Sometimes when under stress, you may also forget to drink. This can lead to dehydration and even more severe symptoms. Get some water and help your body return to its normal state. \n\n\nSet it aside\nSometimes it is actually best to put aside a stressful problem until a later time when it can be dealt with more effectively. This isn't procrastination if used in a proper manner. Maybe you are having problems with a co-worker or family member. You may want to confront them, but you also know that they aren't ready to discuss the issue. Waiting another day or two could help both of you be better prepared to handle the problem. \n\n\nAvoid snack attacks\nYour first reaction to a stressful situation may be to reach for a candy bar. Unfortunately, this can do more harm than good.\nAlthough you may get a quick high from the sugar, you will probably send your blood sugar on a roller coaster. After the initial good feeling of indulgence wears off, you may experience even more tiredness and anxiety. Try healthy snacks like fruits or fresh vegetables instead. \n\n\nFind an outlet\nThere is usually pent up energy building inside you during a tough situation. What you may need to find is a way to release it.\nHaving a good cry or laughing with a friend may be just the cure you are needing. By dealing with your stress in a positive manner, you can turn around a negative situation. Keep these tips in mind the next time you feel pressure or anxiety. As with any problem, in order to feel better, you have to take care of yourself.
758238
Public speaking is a common source of stress for everyone. BELIEVE ME!!!!!  Many of us would like to avoid this problem entirely, but this is hard to do. Whether we work alone or with large numbers of people, eventually we will need to speak in public to get certain tasks accomplished. And if we want to be leaders or achieve anything meaningful in our lives, we will often need to speak to groups, large and small, to be successful.\n\nThe truth about public speaking, however, is IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE STRESSFUL! If you correctly understand the hidden causes of public speaking stress, and if you keep just a few key principles in mind, speaking in public will soon become an invigorating and satisfying experience for you.\n\nPurpose Of This Report\nThe purpose of this Special Report is to help you overcome the fear of public speaking. It begins by discussing ten key principles to always keep in mind. If you approach any problem in life with the right starting principles, everything else will fall into place. On the other hand, if you start with the wrong guiding principles, you can try all you want, but there is little chance you'll improve.\n\nThis Report also reveals eleven "hidden" causes of public speaking stress. I have summarized these eleven causes, along with the ten key principles, at the end of this Report, so you can easily review them.\n\nKey Principles\nPrinciple #1--Speaking in Public is NOT Inherently Stressful\n\nMost of us believe parts of life are inherently stressful. In fact, most of us have been taught to believe that life as a whole is very stressful!\n\nTo deal with any type of stress effectively, you first must understand that life itself, including public speaking, is NOT inherently stressful. Thousands of human beings have learned to speak in front of groups with little or no stress at all. Many of these people were initially terrified to speak in public. Their knees would shake, their voices would tremble, their thoughts would become jumbled . . . you know the rest. Yet they learned to eliminate their fear of public speaking completely.\n\nYou are no more or less human than they are. If they can conquer the fear of public speaking, so can you! It just takes the right guiding principles, the right understanding, and the right plan of action to make this goal a reality.\n\nBelieve me, it's not difficult. I'm a good example of someone who conquered the fear of public speaking. And while I didn't do it overnight, it wasn't difficult. All it took was approaching the problem in the right way.\n\nPrinciple #2--You Don't have to be Brilliant or Perfect to Succeed\n\nMany of us have observed public speakers and thought to ourselves "Wow, I could never be that smart, calm, witty, entertaining, polished . . . or whatever." Well, I've got news for you-- you don't have to be brilliant, witty, or perfect to succeed. That is not what public speaking is all about. I know it may look that way, but it's not. You can be average. You can be below average. You can make mistakes, get tongue-tied, or forget whole segments of your talk. You can even tell no jokes at all and still be successful.\n\nIt all depends on how you, and your audience, define "success." Believe me, your audience doesn't expect perfection. I used to think most audiences did, but I was wrong! Before I discovered this, I used to put incredible pressure on myself to deliver a perfect performance. I worked for days to prepare a talk. I stayed up nights worrying about making mistakes. I spent hours and hours rehearsing what I was going to say. And you know what? All this did was make me even more anxious! The more perfect I tried to be, the worse I did! It was all very disheartening (not to mention unnecessary).\n\nThe essence of public speaking is this: give your audience something of value. That's all there is to it. If people in your audience walk away with something (anything) of val
764161
Put yourself in the moment.... think pleasant thoughts and feel the emotion of every word......  RELAX
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You don't indicate whether this anxiety occurs when you are speaking in public, in front of a large audience, or if this is an everyday occurrence which happens no matter what the situation.\n\nYou also don't indicate who these people are: Strangers?  Friends?\n\nThere are different courses of action to take depending upon your situation.\n\nIf you fear speaking to strangers and to the public, don't worry, most people share that anxiety.  The key is to remember that it's not the end of the world- your bills aren't going to multiply and your health isn't going to deteriorate if you don't speak perfectly. \n\nTake your time and slow down your speaking.  Listen to what you are saying.  If you find you are injecting what I call "verbal commas" (sounds such as "um, ah......, uh, like,) that is an indication that either you are speaking too fast, or you don't know your material.\n\nIf you don't know your material, then how can you be confident with your delivery?  Also, while making eye contact is critical, it can be very difficult to do when you have anxiety.  Simply look at random points through out the room- it will look to everyone as if you are making eye contact with everyone else. \n\nIf you have difficulty speaking with ANYONE in general conversation, there could be some underlying issues you need to uncover.  More than likely there is a confidence issue at hand.  If you don't want to seek professional help, I suggest simply remembering that no matter what you say, it's not the end of the world.  Slow down.  Breathe, and be cognisant of your body- are your muscles tightening?  If so, pause your speaking, breathe, and relax, then continue.  \n\nThere isn't a time limit when you have a conversation with a friend or a stranger, so don't feel rushed or pressed.  Also remember that no one is making any sort of character judgements about you when you speak.  It's not how you speak, it's what you say that effects your character.\n\nIf you're worried about what you say, then I again say- know what you are saying.  Don't speak if you know nothing about the subject at hand- rather, don't speak as if you have knowledge about it.  \n\nAnother technique is to ask questions- rephrase what you want to say so that others have to do the speaking, and use their answers as a base for what you will say next.\n\nInstead of saying, "I really liked that movie" and being too nervous to list your reasons why, for example, ask- "Did you like that movie?"  The ball is in the other person's court- they will answer, "Yes" or "no", and then YOU are in control- you can now ask "Why?" Then again, the ball is back in their court.  You are having a conversation without really doing much speaking. \n\nAbove all, remember that we are all capable of fear and anxiety, and we are all capable of conquering it.  Everyone has different methods; it's up to you to find yours.  You're not going to find it if you're too afraid to try.\n\nGood luck to you.
46855
practice and know what you are going to say. The more confidentand comfortable you are, the easier it is to speak in public. \n\nremember almost everybody - even the smoothest of speakers has some anxiety when talking in public - it is only natural.
830419
It's hard to fight stress while you are in the stressful situation. At home I read, clean and do artwork. Try hiding in teh Br for a few minutes or just plain tuning out.