So the answer to last week’s question is clear, isn’t it? First of all, don’t try and fight off the physical symptoms of stagefright by tensing up your body even further. That will only make the symptoms escalate! Even though stagefright symptoms can make us feel as if we’re out of control, try to accept them for what they are: a part of your survival mechanism! By accepting that they are normal when you feel fear, and by just getting on with your presentation assignment despite them, you will give those symptoms a chance to calm down. Fighting them will make them worse. If you have really severe symptoms (I used to be so scared that my knees would knock together visibly because I was tensing my legs so much!!), physical exercise before your performance will also help. Taking a walk, or even running up and down some stairs for a minute or two, will help calm things down. Try not to hold your breath. I don’t mean by that that you should now start to take in big breaths, though, as is sometimes erroneously recommended by trainers or other speakers. You actually need very little air to speak, and big breaths just end up blocking your system even more. Normal breathing is all that is required unless you are making special vocal effects in your presentation.

Next week we’ll be leaving our discussion of stagefright and moving on to other presentation issues. Join us then.