Heart racing. Palms sweating. Mind suddenly blank. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Around 70% of people are afraid of public speaking.

At Apolitical’s recent online event, Nerve-Busting Tactics for Confident Presenting, public servants from across the world came together to tackle that fear head-on.

The headline insight: Confidence isn’t about eliminating nerves, but about using them.

Here are the six biggest takeaways from the session.

1. Don’t fight your nerves

“Nervous” and “excited” feel surprisingly similar in the body, but the difference is the story we tell ourselves.

Drawing on psychology research, speaker Marius Möhler explained that a moderate level of anxiety actually boosts performance! It sharpens focus, heightens energy and signals that what you’re doing matters. Too much anxiety, and your mind spirals.

Meanwhile, too little anxiety can mean you’re flat. So the goal isn’t to calm down completely, but rather to reframe and regulate.

Next time, instead of focusing on the feeling “I’m so nervous", try reframing to “I’m excited.”

Or even, “I’m nervous, and I’m excited.”

That subtle shift can change how you perform.

2. Prepare smarter

If you want confidence, your prep needs to start long before you open your mouth.

Expert speaker Maria Rincon shared the 50-25-25 rule. It was coined by Terry Saltzblatz, a speechwriter for Barack Obama, and it breaks down the ideal prep time as follows:

  • 50% of your time spent researching
  • 25% structuring and drafting
  • 25% practising out loud

This formula leads to deep familiarity with your material that builds trust in yourself. When you know your content inside out, you’re far less likely to freeze or ramble.

And when it comes to practising out loud, though you can practice in a mirror, Maria always recommends recording yourself to see how you're doing.

If that fills you with dread, you can hold off watching it right away and then come back a couple hours later with observing eyes rather than harsh judgment.

3. Breathe. Shake. Reset.

When the amygdala, the brain’s “alarm system”, kicks in, your body goes into fight-or-flight. That’s when voices wobble and thoughts scatter.

Our speakers shared two quick resets you can try if this happens:

  • 4–4 breathing: inhale for four, exhale for four.
  • Shake it off: literally. A quick physical shake can help discharge excess adrenaline.

It may feel awkward. It works anyway.

4. Set the tone in the first seven seconds

First impressions are fast. And filler-heavy openings chip away at credibility.

Avoid starting with:

  • “I’m just going to…”
  • “This might be obvious, but…”
  • “I’ll briefly talk about…”

Instead, lead with value:

“Today I’m talking about X because it will help us…”

Strong posture matters too. Standing tall improves breathing, vocal control and perceived authority. Shoulders back. Feet grounded. Walk like you’re on a mission.

Because you are.

5. Connect with your audience

Presenting has two levels: your inner state and your outer technique. But there’s a third element many overlook: the audience’s experience.

We learned about three small moves to build connection with audience participation:

  • Activation: “Think of the last time you experienced this.”
  • Self-awareness: “What stands out to you right now?”
  • Choice: “Would you prefer an example or a method next?”

Even in a formal setting, small moments of participation transform a monologue into a shared experience.

6. Don’t be afraid of mistakes

If you start to ramble or lose your train of thought? Catch yourself. Breathe. Then, use an anchor phrase to get back on track:

“The key takeaway here is…”

And summarise your point before moving on.

Most importantly, try not to panic about how you’re coming across. Though self-consciousness is a large factor in presentation anxiety, that’s just the spotlight effect. Others notice much less than you think they do!

Public speaking nerves aren’t a personal flaw. They’re a human response. With the right tools, they become fuel rather than friction.

If you’d like to see these tactics in action, watch the highlights video below. You can also visit the event page to access the full recording and resources, and read full speaker bios for Marius Möhler and Maria C. Rincon.

Continue developing your presentation skills

Take our online course on Presenting with Impact in the Public Service. It’s free, self-paced and takes less than 2 hours to complete.

By the end, you’ll learn how to give presentations that have an impact, from identifying your purpose and audience to landing your message to communicating with clarity.

This article was written with the help of AI using an anonymised transcript and edited by a human before publishing.