Advice for public-speaking anxiety

Youdon_tsay
Sun, 20 Feb 2011 09:55:25 +0000

I’ve heard good things about Toastmasters. I considered it for myself but just never signed up.

I just forced myself to be in situations where I would have to speak and gradually became more comfortabble. People who know me IRL would be surprised to learn what a nervous speaker I was – my voice would shake as well as my hands. Conclusions wouldn’t make any sense because I would leave script and say anything to get off stage. But I knew it was something I had to overcome. I began by taking on PTA positions where I would have to give a speech – scholarship chair, where I would have to talk about the award-winners at a meeting, things like that. Eventually, I upped the ante and now am much better at it. At least I no longer have a pit in my stomach when I take the stage.