Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Oh my gosh! That's so flattering! You're so sweet. I am just glad that I could give you a boost in your confidence about it! You've got the right attitude! Attack those classes and don't let your fear conquer you! Once you get through a few speeches without passing out, vomiting, crapping your pants, having a heart attack, getting attacked by wild dogs....you're going to realize it's not as bad as you've built it up in your mind to be. So much of the turn-off with public speaking is the imagined fear we create about the whole ordeal because it's so foreign to our normal daily routine.

One thing you can try that works for me (and which all my professors strongly advocated we do) is to practice in front of a mirror numerous times before the actual presentation. Watch your gestures, your facial expressions, etc. and get it all down the way you want it to look. Create a good road map in your brain and stick to it. But don't memorize! You want to be able to speak on the fly and ad lib a bit so it sounds natural...conversational, if you will. I usually practice enough so that while it's not memorized or looking "acted out," my mind and body are in sync as to where I want to go next with my speech. It sorta becomes automatic.

Best of luck to you!! Let me know when you do a speech

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