It’s easy to say. But hard to do. And, therefore, a pointless exhortation to anyone suffering a bad attack of nerves immediately before getting up to speak.
So how to cope with that rising sense of fear that threatens to derail high stakes presentations, interviews, evidence giving or cross examinations?
Say nothing.
That’s right. Keep your mouth shut. Not permanently, of course. But for at least five seconds (count down silently in one thousand chunks – five thousand, four thousand…). Even if you already know exactly what you’re going to say or how to answer, don’t start speaking straight away.
Why? Because asserting this small measure of control over what I call the speaking out loud on off switch can help you feel more in control of the wider machinery of communicating. Think of it this way: stilling the body, even momentarily, stills the mind.
If and when the panic starts rising again give yourself a pause of, say, three seconds at the end of spoken sentences and paragraphs. Punctuate your performance with silence. I can guarantee it’ll impress the audience too.
Struggling to see how this will work? Stand in front of a mirror. Imagine you’re about to address the scariest audience imaginable. Visualise that panic rising from the pit of your stomach to the back of your throat like mercury rising up a thermometer as things get hotter. Then as you count down from five use your hands to push the mercury slowly back down your oesophagus. By the time you hit zero that panic has, in effect, cooled off.
Try it. I did before giving evidence at a particularly stressful court hearing. Worked a treat. I’ve been passing on the technique ever since. Five thousand, four thousand, three thousand…
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acmtraining April 2, 2025 10:38 am