In so many cases, the anticipation of an event is the most emotionally charged part of it. The “athlete” analogy is a good one. If you allow yourself to think too much about the bad things that might happen, it becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do not go into the meeting or conference room with a sense of foreboding and a strategy of damage limitation. All that this will do is invite problems – problems which do not need to be there.
You have already done most of the work – actually delivering the presentation is no more than the final ten per cent. Once you are in the “zone”, momentum will take you to the end.
What many people actually do, and it is something that can be destructive if you allow it to be, is anticipate being nervous. The more you think “Oh, the nerves are going to get to me”, the more they will. Accept that nerves are a part of public speaking, and channel those nerves into making your speech come alive.
Anyone who claims not to have been nervous the first time they spoke in public is almost certainly lying. It is something that is very hard to pre-imagine accurately, and in most cases, the nerves dissipate after the first few minutes. Accept that you will be nervous, and concentrate on delivering a good presentation. You will learn to love those nerves.
Some advice for participants on mental preparation:
- Like an athlete preparing for a big game, you need to keep yourself positive as you prepare for your own important contest. Think of all your successes in life – all the worthwhile things you have done. Remind yourself that you have prepared for this presentation, that you know what to expect.
- Think about similar experiences you have had. How have you responded in similar situations in the past? If you’re like most people, your feelings of anxiety will gradually go away as you work your way through your presentation. You have probably been through things like this in the past – an initial period of nervousness and anxiety that lasts only a short time.