Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Written By Colēgia

Communication skills are one of the cornerstones to a healthy life. They give us the ability to express ourselves around others in a manner that can make us be more comfortable with who we are. Today we want to go over some ways to help improve your public speaking skills and why it's important.

Slow Down Your Thoughts

A common feeling during public speaking is nervousness. This can often occur when we feel that our mind is racing at the thought of how we are being perceived while saying something. This is normal and can happen to anyone. Rather than letting these feelings get to you, there are several ways we can help with this. The first step is to take a deep breath and acknowledge how you feel. Being nervous is perfectly fine and in some cases, it can help you stay focused. After taking time to breathe and focus on your body, try to slow down your thoughts. This can be something as simple as trying to stick to the topic at hand rather than all of your emotions at once. Different methods work better depending on the person and learning what works for you is essential. It could be something as simple as visualizing a calm background or viewing your environment as a safe space for expression. The key is to slow down and embrace the moment.

“The first step is to take a deep breath and acknowledge how you feel.”

Focus on What Your Message is

Similar to slowing down our thoughts, another way to improve your public speaking skills is to try and focus on your message. Having an index card written down for example is a good way to help with this since it gives you talking points to work with. Small reminders can go a long way when it comes to staying focused. Practicing a speech beforehand is another way to help with this since it can make it that much easier to deliver your message. You can also opt to visualize yourself presenting a speech in the best possible manner which can build up confidence in yourself. While it may be tempting to let your feelings get the better of you during a presentation, often the best way to manage them is to acknowledge them, move on, and then focus on your task. This way we are being authentic with ourselves while also being in the moment.

“Similar to slowing down our thoughts, another way to improve your public speaking skills is to try and focus on your message.”

Keep Doing it Until You Feel Comfortable

Confidence is a key element when it comes to public speaking and it can take a while to get to the point where we feel comfortable. It's essential to recognize this since we can only improve when we consistently do something with the right amount of practice and effort. Like any other skill, the more we do something the better we feel about it. Communication skills are unique in that they revolve around many different variables such as our audience along with who we are as an individual. Being mindful of your current abilities while also making an active effort to improve can improve your public speaking and contribute to your overall happiness.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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