***Stomach in Knots When You Stand at the Lectern?

By Nancy Daniels The Official Guide to Public Speaking
The official guide to Public Speaking

See all Articles by Nancy DanielsSee Nancy Daniels's Expert PageGet Updates on Public SpeakingGet Updates on Nancy Daniels

Does this sound familiar? Your knees are shaking as you face the audience, your white-knuckled hands are gripping the lectern, and your feet are nailed solidly in one spot on the floor. Perhaps your lips shake or your voice quivers as you attempt to speak while your heart races and sweat beads form on your face and neck.

These are all symptoms of nervousness in public speaking. The good news, however, is that you are not alone. While man’s greatest fear is public speaking, you don’t have to let it take control of you – you can take control of your nervousness and allow it to work for you, not against you.

Nervousness is wonderful. That rush of adrenaline is an incredible bonus but part of the secret in learning how to control it is determined in three stages: what you do before you walk on the stage; what you do while walking to the podium; and, what you do once you reach the lectern and acknowledge your audience.

In simple terms, it is called breathing: breathing with the support of your diaphragm. Breathing in itself is the single most important thing you can do to control your nervousness in any form of public speaking.

Unfortunately for most people, breathing is the one luxury we never think to do when we face an audience which is why breathlessness is such a common problem at the lectern. We tend to speak too fast in order to get our presentation or speech over with as quickly as possible; and, in the process, we not only continually run out of air, but we can never seem to catch up on it. It is like a vicious cycle.

There are many things you can do to help in the control of nervousness which I will be discussing in my next article, but the most important thing you should is to learn to breathe with support. The majority of the population is renowned for being lazy or shallow breathers, using only the upper portion of the chest for respiration. This type of breathing actually increases your stress. Deep, supported breathing, which is typical of opera singers, newborn babies, and all other mammals, decreases stress and anxiety because it is your body’s natural means of ridding itself of toxins. Shallow breathing, on the other hand, increases those toxins.

1. Learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm. While it is the best means of controlling nervousness, you will discover numerous other benefits that have nothing to do with public speaking.

2. Before you walk on the stage, breathe.

3. While walking to the lectern, breathe.

4. When facing your audience, breathe (a smile wouldn’t hurt either)!

What is amazing about this advice is that it is so simple – so easy – so natural – so normal.
It is only the most intelligent of the mammals that doesn’t make use of one of the best means of decreasing, and in many cases, eliminating the tremendous amount of stress with which many of us are plagued on a daily basis.

It is the first thing we do in life. It is the last thing we do in life. Shallow breathing is one of the worst things we do in life. Why not discover your diaphragm and make it one of the best things you do in life!