Presentation Phobia - Please Help
Discussion
Hi,
Sorry for not posting under my usual login but I'd rather remain unidentified as a few of my work colleagues frequent these forums...
Basically I’m looking for help and advice regarding what I feel to be a very serious work related issue – I’m absolutely terrified of giving presentations. My career so far has been very technical and as such has prevented me (thankfully) from taking part in presentation activities. Recently I offered to help out my department and manager by taking a role that has elevated me into a more managerial / technical position. I love the role, find it challenging and have been told by a number of people that I respect that I ‘have more than stepped up to the task in hand’. Now I discover I have a major problem, I’m expected to present to the management team, including the director of my department, the options for the issues that I have stepped in to help out with.
My basic problem is that I’m terrified of this. I not just a bit nervous, I have had very little sleep since yesterday when I found out about my forthcoming presentation. I have a steady feeling of nausea and feel incredibly angry and frustrated that this problem is still dragging me down. My problem is not around preparation of material etc, it is around the actual presentation itself. I hate to be the centre of attention and quickly find that introspection and self-consciousness disable my ability to communicate with the audience around me. I have tried the various relaxation exercises and examining my potential misinterpretation of how others perceive me during such events, but all to no avail. I understand that practise is the key to overcoming this but I feel like I need to start off at a level equivalent to my ‘presentation experience’ peers rather than being thrown straight in with such a hard audience.
I really don’t know what to do with this. I have recently been getting over depression with the help of SSRI’s. I believe the depression was caused in part by social anxiety. Last week my life was good – I’m now confronted with a personal barrier that I’m unable to breach in this short space of time and feel as if my inadequacies are going to be exposed and damage my professional reputation.
Sorry for this very depressing thread but I really need some advice.
Regards,
SeriousPanic
>>> Edited by seriouspanic on Tuesday 1st February 12:07
Sorry for not posting under my usual login but I'd rather remain unidentified as a few of my work colleagues frequent these forums...
Basically I’m looking for help and advice regarding what I feel to be a very serious work related issue – I’m absolutely terrified of giving presentations. My career so far has been very technical and as such has prevented me (thankfully) from taking part in presentation activities. Recently I offered to help out my department and manager by taking a role that has elevated me into a more managerial / technical position. I love the role, find it challenging and have been told by a number of people that I respect that I ‘have more than stepped up to the task in hand’. Now I discover I have a major problem, I’m expected to present to the management team, including the director of my department, the options for the issues that I have stepped in to help out with.
My basic problem is that I’m terrified of this. I not just a bit nervous, I have had very little sleep since yesterday when I found out about my forthcoming presentation. I have a steady feeling of nausea and feel incredibly angry and frustrated that this problem is still dragging me down. My problem is not around preparation of material etc, it is around the actual presentation itself. I hate to be the centre of attention and quickly find that introspection and self-consciousness disable my ability to communicate with the audience around me. I have tried the various relaxation exercises and examining my potential misinterpretation of how others perceive me during such events, but all to no avail. I understand that practise is the key to overcoming this but I feel like I need to start off at a level equivalent to my ‘presentation experience’ peers rather than being thrown straight in with such a hard audience.
I really don’t know what to do with this. I have recently been getting over depression with the help of SSRI’s. I believe the depression was caused in part by social anxiety. Last week my life was good – I’m now confronted with a personal barrier that I’m unable to breach in this short space of time and feel as if my inadequacies are going to be exposed and damage my professional reputation.
Sorry for this very depressing thread but I really need some advice.
Regards,
SeriousPanic
>>> Edited by seriouspanic on Tuesday 1st February 12:07
Mate, you're not the only one. Most people don't like standing up and being the focus of attention.
Present to the back of the room, so everyone will hear you. Brief eye contact will help. They're your friends and collegues, not people trying to pick holes.
The first time you do it, it's not a lot of fun. It gets easier.
I'm sure someone will be along shortly with some decent advice rather than my ramblings.
Present to the back of the room, so everyone will hear you. Brief eye contact will help. They're your friends and collegues, not people trying to pick holes.
The first time you do it, it's not a lot of fun. It gets easier.
I'm sure someone will be along shortly with some decent advice rather than my ramblings.
I'm exactly the same mate, going through Uni having to do a presentation every few weeks was absolute hell! I wish I could offer advice on how to get over it but I don't know myself, so will be watching the other replies with great interest. Having said that, a pre-presentation pint never seemd to hurt.
For the first few mins it will be worse than you imagined, after that you'll settle down and start to enjoy it. Get you presentation water tight and go through it in your head. Don't become too dogmatic about the actual words that you're going to use. Speak a lot more slowly than you think you are doing (its easy to babble) and try not to worry about it. A few years ago i had to go to a cell biology conference and give a 40minute lecture to 300 academics (professors) and i have a slight stutter which is triggered by nerves. It was the most terrifying thing i've ever had to do but i survived it and could easily do it again. In fact this summer i will have to 
Couple of comments and nothing that you probably havent heard already:
1) Dont worry, some of industries leading lights are crap at presentations. Its a real art and the number of good presenters is small.
2) It sounds a little "fairy" to me, but it does work. Take the phobia (fear, feelings, fright etc) and just breath deeply. Accept the feelings and just relax with them - rather than repress them or try and push them away. The breathing deeply does work and should help you to relax.
3) Prepare and prepare again - NEVER read the slide by turning your back on the audience.
4) Keep eye contact with the audience - nothing sinister, just keep looking around and make sure that they see you looking at them. Though dont single in on one person.
5) Stay well clear of slides with loads of text. Keep them simple and effective and a guide to what you want to talk about. But sometimes you need to go in-depth so its not a hard-and-fast rule.
6) Relax and enjoy it. Just think of the feeling of elation when you have done it!!!! Its no worse than a meeting, its just that you are stood up and they are all sat down...
7) Dont say "erm". If you have to think, just dont say anything at all. Its not a problem, but filling with nonsense words is....
Oh, and one final comment, one ex-collegue of mine used to imagine the whole audience naked.... worked for him, but then again he was a bit of a perv...
1) Dont worry, some of industries leading lights are crap at presentations. Its a real art and the number of good presenters is small.
2) It sounds a little "fairy" to me, but it does work. Take the phobia (fear, feelings, fright etc) and just breath deeply. Accept the feelings and just relax with them - rather than repress them or try and push them away. The breathing deeply does work and should help you to relax.
3) Prepare and prepare again - NEVER read the slide by turning your back on the audience.
4) Keep eye contact with the audience - nothing sinister, just keep looking around and make sure that they see you looking at them. Though dont single in on one person.
5) Stay well clear of slides with loads of text. Keep them simple and effective and a guide to what you want to talk about. But sometimes you need to go in-depth so its not a hard-and-fast rule.
6) Relax and enjoy it. Just think of the feeling of elation when you have done it!!!! Its no worse than a meeting, its just that you are stood up and they are all sat down...
7) Dont say "erm". If you have to think, just dont say anything at all. Its not a problem, but filling with nonsense words is....
Oh, and one final comment, one ex-collegue of mine used to imagine the whole audience naked.... worked for him, but then again he was a bit of a perv...
MilnerR said:
A few years ago i had to go to a cell biology conference and give a 40minute lecture to 300 academics (professors) and i have a slight stutter which is triggered by nerves.
One of the best presenters that I have ever seen had a stutter. Amazingly he stuttered in conversation but get him on a podium talking about a subject that he knew well and he was so natural and clear, it was a pleasure to here what he had to say.....
Its amazing how the brain works....
Ok Serious,
I did some tips for this on a thread a week or two ago.
I would also suggest that what you have is actually a real phobia - not just the average concern that many have about doing a presentation.
In all seriousness I think you would benefit from seeing a counsellor on this for two or three sessions.
I did some tips for this on a thread a week or two ago.
I would also suggest that what you have is actually a real phobia - not just the average concern that many have about doing a presentation.
In all seriousness I think you would benefit from seeing a counsellor on this for two or three sessions.
Certainly builds character 
Pick a person at the back of the room and present to them and them alone but try not to stare at them at the same time...
Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them and then tell them what you have told them.
This is all advice from previous topics on PH.
Being the shyest person you could hope to meet I followed these tips and two weeks ago made a technical presentation to 100 of my technical peers including the people who wrote the software in the first place. I was absolutely bricking it for days before but the above tips from the PH massive really really really helped.
Good luck!
Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them and then tell them what you have told them.
This is all advice from previous topics on PH.
Being the shyest person you could hope to meet I followed these tips and two weeks ago made a technical presentation to 100 of my technical peers including the people who wrote the software in the first place. I was absolutely bricking it for days before but the above tips from the PH massive really really really helped.
Good luck!
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Thanks for the advice. I'm meeting with my psychotherapist this Friday to deal with my depression issues but feel it will be too late as the presentation is coming up this week.
I'm not sure if I should just come clean to by boss and explain what I'm going through and hopefully get a reprieve until I can get the problem under control.
Regards,
SP.
Although i have no real fear of public speaking i was presented with a bit of a panic situation when my brother asked me to read out a poem he had written at his wedding.
Ok i thought, no biggy. untill the vigar says " and now i believe someone is going to read out a poem".
Yikes! i thought, now everyone thinks i wrote this sh1t!. Anyway i felt my voice trembling a bit but i kind of just went into auto mode and got on with it. the hardest part was crossing the floor in front of everyone.
So; from my limited experience can i suggest that you are in place before people arrive and then you will not have to walk anywhere.
As people come in try and assess them quickly to sort of get to know them prefferably with eye contact. My thinking behind this is that it will give you power ( can't explain ).
Also keep something at hand to steady yourself incase you feel weak like a chair back or the oH projecter. just someting to lean on really should you have to.
Read out the presentation to yourself infront of the mirror in a loud voice. ( This helps a lot )
Learn the presentation so if you have to you can go into auto mode.
have a glass of water handy so if you gag or freeze it will give you something to do and help ease your throat., Also loosen your tie etc.
good suggestion earlier was to make a limite apology, you could ( depending on the seriousness of the presentation say) " unacustomed to public speaking as i am" in a grooms voice. or simply " okay, firstly thanyou to everyone for taking the time to come along; i apologize in advance if i appear slightly nervous but presentations are a learning curve for me so please bear with me."
If the lights are dimmed it will help your attention and that of the audience to be focused on the screen. Also you can pretend there are only a few people there.
You are not paid to be a public speaker and so long as you get the point across i would imagine that is good enough. nobody will expect a Divid Attenborough
I may be talking b*****ks but i think this will help, hope so.
keep practising infront of the mirror and get to know that speil! then stick it in auto and redeem yourself with the questions aat the end.
Obviously this is a learning curve for you so treat it as such and next time won't be half as bad.
Let us know the outcome.
Ok i thought, no biggy. untill the vigar says " and now i believe someone is going to read out a poem".
Yikes! i thought, now everyone thinks i wrote this sh1t!. Anyway i felt my voice trembling a bit but i kind of just went into auto mode and got on with it. the hardest part was crossing the floor in front of everyone.
So; from my limited experience can i suggest that you are in place before people arrive and then you will not have to walk anywhere.
As people come in try and assess them quickly to sort of get to know them prefferably with eye contact. My thinking behind this is that it will give you power ( can't explain ).
Also keep something at hand to steady yourself incase you feel weak like a chair back or the oH projecter. just someting to lean on really should you have to.
Read out the presentation to yourself infront of the mirror in a loud voice. ( This helps a lot )
Learn the presentation so if you have to you can go into auto mode.
have a glass of water handy so if you gag or freeze it will give you something to do and help ease your throat., Also loosen your tie etc.
good suggestion earlier was to make a limite apology, you could ( depending on the seriousness of the presentation say) " unacustomed to public speaking as i am" in a grooms voice. or simply " okay, firstly thanyou to everyone for taking the time to come along; i apologize in advance if i appear slightly nervous but presentations are a learning curve for me so please bear with me."
If the lights are dimmed it will help your attention and that of the audience to be focused on the screen. Also you can pretend there are only a few people there.
You are not paid to be a public speaker and so long as you get the point across i would imagine that is good enough. nobody will expect a Divid Attenborough
I may be talking b*****ks but i think this will help, hope so.
keep practising infront of the mirror and get to know that speil! then stick it in auto and redeem yourself with the questions aat the end.
Obviously this is a learning curve for you so treat it as such and next time won't be half as bad.
Let us know the outcome.
Preparation is the key to doing a good presentation. If you can intersperse (sp?) it with lots of glossy powerpoint slides with bullet points then they'll serve as an aide de memoir.
I always brick it in presentations but at least when you have good slides you don't suddenly forget your words.
And encourage questions - I always found I could answer questions much easier than giving a long spiel.
I always brick it in presentations but at least when you have good slides you don't suddenly forget your words.
And encourage questions - I always found I could answer questions much easier than giving a long spiel.
As long as you know your material, you will be OK. Don't worry about your technique. Accept that you will feel uncomfortable leading up the talk. Even great actors get stage fright. Try to write some bullet points on index cards to keep in your hand as a comfort blanket. Don't think you're expected to be a comedian. Try recording the first bit into a dictaphone to get used to what you sound like (you will sound different from what you hear inside).
I used to have similar feelings to yourself before presentations, now to my amazement actually enjoy them!
I used to have similar feelings to yourself before presentations, now to my amazement actually enjoy them!
A few years ago my wife was made a regional ales manager of a multinational.
One of the things she was expected to do was a presentation to the sales staff and a load of acedemics.
She was absolutely terrified. she used to have to present to schoolteachers in groups of 4 or 5, and that was bad enough, but about 150 people.
Her voice used to go trembly, she would forget her words, even though she had loads of crib cards etc.
A couple of years on, she doesn't give a monkeys.
As she rationalised it, whats the worst that can happen?
Absolutely bugger all.
So Panic, dont panic. If you want to pm me, I'll get my missus to talk to you and help you through it.
As someone mentioned earlier, tell them your pooing yourself, get em to laugh, and they will be on your side. Nobody is there to mark you on it. It's not a job interview, Its not a court appearance where your driving licence is at stake, it's you telling them some facts, thats all.
Good luck, and let us all know how you get on.
Best of luck,
One of the things she was expected to do was a presentation to the sales staff and a load of acedemics.
She was absolutely terrified. she used to have to present to schoolteachers in groups of 4 or 5, and that was bad enough, but about 150 people.
Her voice used to go trembly, she would forget her words, even though she had loads of crib cards etc.
A couple of years on, she doesn't give a monkeys.
As she rationalised it, whats the worst that can happen?
Absolutely bugger all.
So Panic, dont panic. If you want to pm me, I'll get my missus to talk to you and help you through it.
As someone mentioned earlier, tell them your pooing yourself, get em to laugh, and they will be on your side. Nobody is there to mark you on it. It's not a job interview, Its not a court appearance where your driving licence is at stake, it's you telling them some facts, thats all.
Good luck, and let us all know how you get on.
Best of luck,
I am giving a lot of presentations and as everyone says it is a bit of an acquired skills, I was extremely nervous and uncomfortable initially.
A little tip if it is applicable to your spiel:
Have the projector or the PC in the back of the room, with the audience between you and the screen. It means that during the presentation, you can focus on the slides, and the audience is looking at the screen as opposed to examining you. This way they stay focused, their heads are turned to the screen, and get your commentaries without staring at your face.
Not always possible depending of room config, but it can help for the first few times.
As people said, you may be very nervous the first few minutes, but once you are started you may be surprised to actually enjoy it, and leave with a good feeling.
Like everything else, you will get better at it, if you appear a bit nervous, no big deal, everyone has been there.
Let us know how you got on !
by reading your post it is imediatlely apparent that you are a very articulate individual so there is absolutley no reason whatsoever that you should not be able to do this well.
what you are suffering from is a form of anxiety which if you allow it to continue will result in some form of panic attack.
the good news is that this is totally controllable.
panic attacks and anxiety are things created by your sub concious mind, the part of your mind that works along in the background.
whilst it is possible to conrol your concious mind (you may for instance be saying to yourself, stop being silly, you can do this etc.) you have to work a little harder to get to the root of the problem which is back somewhere in your sub concious mind.
there will have been an event (or lots of small insignificant events) somewhere in your dim and distant that might have resulted in an embarrasing moment for you in front of your peers. it might be so insignificant that your concious mind doesnt even remember. your sub concious mind however does and its defence mechanism (so to speak) whenever a similar situation arrises is to make you feel nervous, nauseas or whatever. the idea being that it prevents you suffering the same thing again.
believe it or not you can talk to your sub concious mind, you just need to be in a very deep state of relaxation.
take a bath, lie on your bed in the dark, do whatever it takes to make you totally relaxed. you are basically trying to hypnotise yourself. what you then say to yourself (no need to say it out loud) is then absorbed. you need to get inside your SM, do a little house keeping. The SM responds to suggestion.
If you can remember a particluar event that may be the trigger go back in time to it, look at yourself in your minds eye. If the boy you see is upset, go and give him a hug. Tell him all will be well, that what happened is not important.
This technique takes practice and you may have to keep working at it but I guarantee you 100% that it does work.
a little over 7 years ago, every time I went out (just for a beer or a bite to eat with friends) I got more and more anxious. It got to the point where I pretty much didnt leave my bedroom for 3 months.
When I go out now, I occasionally do get the beginnings of what may be a panic attack but I calm myself down and take control.
You can do the same.
Good luck.
what you are suffering from is a form of anxiety which if you allow it to continue will result in some form of panic attack.
the good news is that this is totally controllable.
panic attacks and anxiety are things created by your sub concious mind, the part of your mind that works along in the background.
whilst it is possible to conrol your concious mind (you may for instance be saying to yourself, stop being silly, you can do this etc.) you have to work a little harder to get to the root of the problem which is back somewhere in your sub concious mind.
there will have been an event (or lots of small insignificant events) somewhere in your dim and distant that might have resulted in an embarrasing moment for you in front of your peers. it might be so insignificant that your concious mind doesnt even remember. your sub concious mind however does and its defence mechanism (so to speak) whenever a similar situation arrises is to make you feel nervous, nauseas or whatever. the idea being that it prevents you suffering the same thing again.
believe it or not you can talk to your sub concious mind, you just need to be in a very deep state of relaxation.
take a bath, lie on your bed in the dark, do whatever it takes to make you totally relaxed. you are basically trying to hypnotise yourself. what you then say to yourself (no need to say it out loud) is then absorbed. you need to get inside your SM, do a little house keeping. The SM responds to suggestion.
If you can remember a particluar event that may be the trigger go back in time to it, look at yourself in your minds eye. If the boy you see is upset, go and give him a hug. Tell him all will be well, that what happened is not important.
This technique takes practice and you may have to keep working at it but I guarantee you 100% that it does work.
a little over 7 years ago, every time I went out (just for a beer or a bite to eat with friends) I got more and more anxious. It got to the point where I pretty much didnt leave my bedroom for 3 months.
When I go out now, I occasionally do get the beginnings of what may be a panic attack but I calm myself down and take control.
You can do the same.
Good luck.
Like you, I used to be terrified of such things. What helped me was the follows:
I realised that if people saw me struggling / nevous they wouldn't think any less of me. In fact, they'd probably think more highly of me because the presentation is 'costing me'.
Secondly, I always try to have one or two jokes thrown in for good measure - at the beginning of the presentation. Once there are a few chuckles the pressure seems to ease.
Thirdly, I find it helpful to have one or 'visual aids'. Don't know why, but I always felt it took some of the pressure off if I was holding something.
Forthly, it's important to 'talk slowly' - nerves can result in a fast tempo. As such, you need to, quite deliberately, slow the delivery.
I realised that if people saw me struggling / nevous they wouldn't think any less of me. In fact, they'd probably think more highly of me because the presentation is 'costing me'.
Secondly, I always try to have one or two jokes thrown in for good measure - at the beginning of the presentation. Once there are a few chuckles the pressure seems to ease.
Thirdly, I find it helpful to have one or 'visual aids'. Don't know why, but I always felt it took some of the pressure off if I was holding something.
Forthly, it's important to 'talk slowly' - nerves can result in a fast tempo. As such, you need to, quite deliberately, slow the delivery.
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