Do you get nervous when you speak?

I would think most people get nervous when having to speak in public , I am a memeber on the board of my local Church and my son Ross is an Elder of the same said Church , WE both had to do a reading a while ago , I was so worried I would pronounce some of the names wrong as there ave very hard to say name in the bible , Ross on the other hand stood up there quite confident ( I was so surprised at this as he has Cerebral palsey and when nervous his speach is much worse ) we are all friends there and all know each other well , this was alright and worked for Ross but I was visiting the toilet all morning lol xxx

Baby, you know I'm a very shy bunny. I prefer to stay behind the curtain rather than stand facing a crowd. But I don't know if what you're suggesting will work on me or not. I may be a good visualizer but not about stripping, LOL. I remember I was personally handpicked by my teacher to join the speaking contest during my elementary days. I hated it and told my teacher repeatedly that I didn't want to join. She told me I have good English diction. I kept practicing on my speech for days and nights. Guess what happened on the rehearsal day, I got tongue tied. Nary a word came out of my mouth and my whole body was shaking. My teacher was so mad at me that she replaced me with her second choice. I felt a huge relief afterward. I will give this stripping a try though. I'm already working on it now that I'm chatting with someone online. I wonder what he looks like with his undies. "nasty grin" :)

I get very nervous when I am speaking or singing in front of a large crowd...But on a one on one type situation I am as calm as a cucumber....Wether I am singing on talking I try to pick a foctual point on the walls and that helps sometimes...or I will stand with my hand clapsed together....

Public speaking has not been and still is not one of my strong points. I am generally plagued with nightmares the night before I am to give a speech of any sort and just thinking of the words "Public Speaking" make my palms get all sweaty and my heart pounding hard enough to where it seems at any moment it is going to leap out of my chest. I don't do speeches in front of large crowds often enough to find a method to get rid of those things that pester me so during such episodes, but I just sum up all the courage I can to get through what I must face or feel a bit foolish for letting such a thing get to me so bad. The only time I was nervous talking to a bank teller was the very first time I ever set up a bank account. Other such simple things or speaking to a group of two or three people don't get me nervous either, it's just like talking to friends in those cases, but get any larger than that, and I become a mess.

I am not a fan of public speaking. I get very nervous, which sometimes leads to my voice shaking (very embarassing) mad I think I might ven go a little red in the face. That said, I realize that public speaking is a pretty important skill and that it's something I have to work on, especially for my job. Persentation skill and being able to effectively communicate is pretty important. I will often force myself to make accouncement or small presentatations at staff meetings. There are about 50-60 people in attendance at those meeting so I figure that's a pretty good start. To deal with my nervousness I just try to be prepared with what I want to say and to take a deep breath before I start.

I used to be terrified to speak in public. I never had a problem talking in a group or one-on-one with anyone. The only time I got nervous was when I'd have to stand up in front of a class and give a speech. Last semester, I took a public speaking class for college and I've learned to cope with it. It's not such a big deal to me anymore, especially since when you do it in college your talking to smart people, not obnoxious high-schoolers that are very judgemental. Not only did I learn to look past any judgements in the class I took on it, but learned how to give a well thought out speech and how to do it in a professional-looking way. I learned that you need to scan the room before you start your speech (to ensure everyone is ready and listening)and to scan the room when you're finished (to see everyone's reaction to the speech). Also we learned that we can't sway back and forth, that you need to use hand gestures, that you need to command the room with your voice and not be monotoned, and to walk a few strides between each new topic. We also learned about "attention getters" and how you need an ethos, a statement of signifcance, and a thesis statement for an effective introduction.

Yes. I always get nervous and I hate doing presentations of any kind =) I do not mind talking alot in a gropu of people I feel comfortable with about general stuff, but presentation ifor a not known crowd almost makes me panic =)

Yes I do get nervous sometimes. But If i know the subject well and what I am talking about, I won't get so nervous in that case. I really think that people need to learn how to speak in front of big crowds.

Interesting tips you have out there. Too bad I have no chance to try it out. I work alone in a big enclosure. I do not have to speak to anyone unnecessarily or give presentations. I just need to answer questions, mostly via emails or machines. I do not deal much with humans. So in a way, there is no nervousness when I speak. Out of office, I am a mute. Over at mylot, it is writing, so to speak... and I choose not to speak if I do not want to. How can I get nervous to come to me?

For someone who chatters away incessantly in every day life wizzy it is quite ironic that in formal situations or speaking to large groups of people I do get very, very nervous! The nervousness shows itself in extremes - I get the butterflies we all get in my tummy, get hot, clammy, sweaty, I cannot see properly and iget very lightheaded - bet that surprises you about old mummymo huh? I have tried imagining the people with no clothes on but that one just makes me giggle uncontrollably as I imagine their wobbly bits bouncing around - I have even tried imagining them in their underwear (saves thinking of the wobbly bits!) but somehoe they are always wearing dingy grey underwear and I want to tell them to buy decent underwear! I have tried breathing exercises but then I tend to get hooked on the breathing and forget what I have to say, so I have to accept the fact that I just turn into a quivering wreck while speaking in public! I will take a look at your blog though wizzy , my lord, it may help! xxx

Leave it to Wizzy to start a disussion about people taking their clothes off !!! ;P No, I do not get nervous. I was in a program in school called Toastmasters. They taught the art of public speaking, and it was very useful. i was also in the debate club (shocking I know) and even involved in mock trials. I have never had trouble speaking in front of crowds. I don't have any particular "tricks" other than knowing what I am talking about and being prepared to field any questions people may have. :)

Hi, This is a problem I have had my whole life. I used to fake sick on certain days I knew that I would have to speak in public. I ended up letting a lot of people down. The nerves were so bad they made me physically sick. Now I am in a job where I have to speak in front of people all the time. It is strange how these things happen. The way I have coped is through old fashioned practice. The more I do it the less nervous I get. On weeks where I have a lot of public speaking to do, I barely even notice it anymore. The advice I would give to someone who wanted to beat this fear...is to face it! cheers,

Ya i get nervous when speaking in front of public. It takes time for me to get stable when I am on mic. I used to shiver in front of the public for a few seconds earlier. I am now bit comfortable with that, but not fully. Still I feel bit nervous with that. I think this is the problem with most of the people. Can anyone suggest a solution to that?

Yes I also fear public speaking.. that was before. I was fortunate enough to get a lot of opportunities to practice public speaking which made me more comfortable with it. From experience incorporating jokes, if appropriate would get rid of most of the nervousness. Being prepared also helps. If it is a presentation, have a script written down, you should practice it with an audience, let them ask questions. Develop your FAQ's. Get feedback from audience. Make a lot of visual aids so you'll have something to focus on. If appropriate ask and let audiences discuss with you. Use activities or situational learning exercises. Once they enjoy the discussion your nervousness would dissappear.

I am a Lector at my church. I read at least once a month. I love doing it but after 6 or so years I still get a little bit nervous. I keep thinking that the altar servers beside me, or the priest and deacon behind me can see my skirt or pants shaking. When it is a big crowd, like Christmas Eve, I find myself really nervous and I talk to myself and take deep breaths. Why am I nervous? You've done this a million times before. Nothing to be nervous about. The kicker is that I really love doing it and would read every week if given the chance. When someone calls and asks me to cover for them I don't hesitate. I am a member of a committee with the church and I was very nervous speaking up in front of this small group, but when I got positive feedback I felt better. When you mention the bank teller my thought is this may be more of a confrontation rather than speaking to people. I am terrible at confrontations, arguing a point like a mistake that the bank made or an unfair charge. It's easier to do on the phone than in person, but that is hard too because it takes forever to get a human being on the line. I try and take on my father's demeanor. He was always joking and friendly with people he encountered whether in line at the bank or at the grocery store. I try and make small chit chat with grocery clerks, make jokes about my own stupidity when I'm fumbling around. I usually get some young girl with no sense of humour. Wouldn't they rather have someone with a good demeanor than some grumpy person complaining about everything? Off topic, I know. Overall, I do get nervous speaking in public but I won't let it stop me. I will do the best I can. There might be an occasion when I will decline, like if it is something coming from my own head rather than reading something someone else wrote, or reading from my own notes. I want to be a published author. I know that if and when that happens I will have to speak in front of people, so I must try and get through it. I don't get so nervous that I might throw up. I just get shaky and a little weak. Deep breaths and talking myself down help me.

I was getting nervous before. But I started participating in extempore speeches and discussions. Slowly I overcome that fear. Now i think I am free of stage fear.

Nerves are a part of any kind of public speaking. It doesnt matter if it is in school or business. I loved acting and did some community theater years ago. Butterflies are common. Even the most competent actor or speaker has them. When I was acting I learned to become my character. That way I really felt that what ever happened it was to the character. In public speaking it is good to pick out a friendly looking face up close and then to also look over the crowd to the back. This seems to help. Also relaxation expecises help. If all else fails, so what make a joke of it!

I used to be really bad when I was in school...I hated doing the dreaded oral reports. I always managed fine but I really hated them. Once I got out of school and on my way in my career, I conquered the nervousness when I became an instructor. Knowing I had a lot of good information that I not only wanted to share, but I wanted them to learn it just as well as I did made it a lot easier to teach. When you are teaching something you know and love you are not as nervous. I am happy to see that a lot of the ones that I taught are still working and using the knowledge that I showed them. I am frequently asked to be a guest instructor just to provide different viewpoints and ideas. I find that if I know something really well I can speak, instruct, or debate without any fear of being nervous. I have also found that very often people will change their outlook if you have confidence and sincerity when presenting yours and well and making sure you can back your points with both facts and logic. Intelligent people make intelligent decisions when given enough factual information, and that doesn't necessarily mean that their decision will be the same as yours, but it will be the best decision for them. Giving any kind of presentation, if you have the facts to support your reasoning and can answer any question that comes up rationally and logically, then you have no reason to feel nervous.

Hey wizard, I do get very nervous when speaking in crowds but once I start the presentation or whatever I relax and am ok. I am not even sure what happens I just start to enjoy myself until it is all said and done. Then I get off the stage or wherever and start to shake! LOL. Will take a look at the article and let you know what I think. Hehehe :)

of course i am getting nervous if i have to speak in public.that's why i didn't do it too much,more than was necesarely.i can't control my butterflies,maybe i am complexed thinking i'm not good enough,and the others are stronger than me and i am just a nobody talking to them which are just waiting for me to make a mistake.so i fight by refusing talking in public