anxiety when i’m about to present

justin899 wrote: Is there any way to get myself to stop feeling so scared about presenting?

Yes and no.

The more we do an activity the more comfortable we become. Therefore, a speaker that has given the same lecture 10 times no longer doubts how the presentation will be received, anxiety is therefore reduced. But, ask this same individual to present foreign material to a larger crowd and anxiety naturally returns as once again the speaker is thrust into the unknown.

Uncertainty naturally increases anxiety. The more we do the same activity under the same conditions the more certain we become and therefore the less anxious.

I imagine you are a novice speaker that does not speak frequently and the material you are asked to present also changes.

Therefore, reducing anxiety is difficult, but you still do a few things that can help. Give the presentation to yourself. Then give the presentation in front of a trusted friend or family member. Then give the speech in front of a small group of 3 to 5 people. This will help reduce anxiety prior to the actual presentation.

A barrier for most of us is we procrastinate and fail to practice sufficiently in front of smaller groups. It takes time and effort to ask friends to listen, so we skip that step.