This article is written by Moira McArthur, Executive Programme Support, States of Guernsey.

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A silent and invisible sensation; the quickened heart rate, the racing thoughts, the insurmountable feeling of anticipation. Shallow breaths, restless hands, it can cloud your focus and manipulate your senses to betray you.

This is what happens to the human mind and body when we face an intense emotion, like fear. And fear is what some of us feel when we have to speak in public.

Nervousness, a by-product of that fear, can and does affect those who are addressing groups of people, from a small group to an entire auditorium. In my job as a Programme Support Officer, I don't have to address auditoriums or even large groups of people but what I do have to do though, is attend and participate in meetings which can be equally daunting.

The fear of public speaking

I find that the close proximity of being in a meeting room and having a number of faces focus their attention on me terrifying.

The meeting environment has as much a part to play if not more so than the premise of the meetings or the attendees themselves

No matter how much I have prepared, I always feel like it's not enough, that my knowledge of the agenda items must be absolute and that I need to be well versed in them, in order to field any questions which may come my way. I feel that in order to exude competence, I need to maintain an air of authority and control even though I falter inside and try to not let it show.

During these meetings, I steal glances around the room to gauge how my fellow attendees are finding the meeting, if they are engaged in the topic of discussion, how they may react, or if their faces reveal a glimpse of what is going on beneath the composed surface. The fear of making a fool of myself or saying the wrong thing, indeed simply feeling inadequate in front of a group of people even though I have no reason to, may seem irrational but it is very real for a lot of us.

Of course, at this very point in time, the format for meetings is rather different with webinars and conference calls taking place from kitchens, dining rooms and home offices instead of meeting rooms and auditoriums. This I have found, brings me to the realization that the environment has as much a part to play if not more so than the premise of the meetings or the attendees themselves. With Covid-19 dominating the world stage and how we go about our daily lives, we have been pushed to run our operations remotely.

Go to the bathroom or a quiet place beforehand, stand tall and tell yourself that you can do it. Say it to yourself until you start to believe it

This has proven to be quite a turning point for some of the more traditional ways of working and communicating. The pressure has eased somewhat, the meetings have become more succinct and perfunctory with delegates opting to have smaller one on one discussions before being brought to a wider audience for decision making. Could this be a possible solution to the fear and the nerves? Not having to be confined in a bland space with strip lighting and an austere atmosphere?

A pre-presentation checklist

I have long thought of ways to alleviate the nerves and anxiousness, one is as mentioned above — by being more flexible in terms of physical attendance. It shouldn’t matter in what capacity delegates are present in the room, just so long as they are present. Embrace this 21st-century technology and integrate it into everyday practice, long after lockdown and social distancing.

To add to this thought, I have a small list of things that I personally find rather useful to combat nerves before a meeting or public speaking event:

  • Preparation is key: Schedule time for yourself 15 mins before a meeting/event to refamiliarize yourself with the meeting content. It may sound arbitrary but the knowledge that you are ready to be engaged and participate fully and gather yourself beforehand provides some peace of mind.
  • Go to the bathroom or a quiet place beforehand, stand tall and tell yourself that you can do it. Say it to yourself until you start to believe it. Walk tall and sit tall, keep your head up and eyes focused on the people talking. This enables you to be both seen and heard.
  • Think about the meeting agenda/topic of discussion and what value you are adding and also what value you wish to see from others in the room. Having a purpose and having a purposeful discussion provides clarity.
  • If you are particularly anxious about a meeting or public speaking event, speak to your line manager or even the meeting Chair/Event Manager who will be able to prompt when necessary or understand to let you be.
  • If you are leading a meeting or you are the speaker, maybe ‘buddy up’ with a colleague who can assist and provide some relief if you feel you may become overwhelmed.

There is no shame in being nervous or a little bit anxious to participate or speak to a group of people, whether that group of people is large or small or if you know them or not, it just goes to show that you are human. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. — Moira McArthur

(Picture credit: Unsplash)