90% of college students report moderate to high levels of
anxiety around public speaking. As teachers and researchers, graduate
students frequently find themselves in public speaking situations. Here
are a few tips to help with public speaking anxiety:
- Plan and practice your movement for during your talk
- Don’t begin until you’re ready
- Practice concepts, not words
- Exercise before your talk
- Do deep breathing exercises
- Warm up your voice
- Drop your hands when you aren’t gesturing
- Acknowledge your anxiety and address any unrealistic fears
- Have a gimmick in each part of your talk
- Mingle before your talk to increase your comfort level
- If maintaining eye contact makes you nervous, look at the audiences ears instead.
