Dealing with Nervousness

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Dealing with Nervousness

• Doris L. W. Chang

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Presentation Outline

• 5 Basic Understanding of Nervousness
• 11 Tips by Verderber (26-31)
• 8 Specific Behaviors (Verderber 31)

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5 Basic Understanding of Nervousness

• 1. Despite nervousness, you can make it through
  your speech
• 2. Listeners are not as likely to recognize your
  fear as you might think
• 3. The better prepared you are, the better you
  will cope with nervousness
• 4. The more experience you get in speaking, the
  better you can cope with nervousness
• 5. Experienced speakers learn to channel their
  nervousness
• (Verderber 26-31)

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Dealing with Nervousness 11 Tips provided by
Fletcher (2-12)

• 1. Nearly everyone suffers nervousness about
  giving a speech
• 2. Experience reduces nervousness
• 3. Realize that you appear more confident than
  you feel
• 4. Visualize yourself succeeding
• 5. Occupy your mind with what you want to say

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11 Tips

• 6. Understand that nervousness can be controlled
• 7. Settle into a routine for relaxing
• 8. Nervousness needs an outlet
• 9. Enjoy Speaking
• 10. Stop fighting your nervousness
• 11. Simple Key PREPARE!

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8 Specific Behaviors to Handle It

• 1. Pick a topic you are comfortable with
• 2. Take time to prepare fully and practice,
  practice, practice
• 3. Try to schedule your speech at a time that is
  psychologically best for you
• 4. Control your food and beverages
• 5. Visualize successful speaking experiences

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Specific Behaviors

• 6. Give yourself positive affirmations before you
  approach the stand
• 7. Pause for a few seconds before you begin
• 8. Approach persistent nervousness with
  systematic desensitization or cognitive
  restructuring ( Verderber 31)