Do you get nervous about public speaking?
When you’re anxious about an upcoming presentation, either in the lead up or immediately beforehand, it can cause stress on your body and mind which will impact on your ability to communicate your message effectively.
You may experience physical symptoms which can include heart palpitations, sweating, shallow breathing, nausea, dry mouth, feeling flushed and brain freeze.
To help combat the symptoms and instil a sense of calm, you may have heard the advice to ‘ground yourself.’
But how do you do that?
One useful method is the 5,4,3,2,1 technique; it’s a simple exercise that can be done anywhere at any time you feel a little scattered, apprehensive or anxious.
· Firstly spend a few seconds taking some deep slow breaths; as you do so, start to become aware of your environment.
· Then, take a look around you and focus on 5 things that you can see. It might be a leafy plant in a pot, the shape of your hands, the pattern of the carpet, the sunlight coming through the window, the blue velvet armchair in the corner of the room. It doesn’t matter what you look at, just be mindful and carefully observe the detail of each of the 5 things.
· Next, acknowledge 4 things you can feel or touch. Maybe it’s the texture of your clothing against your skin, the smooth surface of the desk, the floor under your feet, the grains of salt on the table. Notice how things feel; you might like to run your hands over the surfaces of the things you are focusing on.
· Now it’s time to concentrate on 3 things that you can hear. Really tune in and listen to the sounds around you. You might hear birds singing, the sound of road traffic in the distance, the hum of the fluorescent light above you, people chatting, your own breathing.
· Following that, notice 2 things you can smell. Is it the smell of lunch cooking or a candle burning? If you can’t smell anything you might need to close your eyes to get a sense of the fragrance of the air around you or even of your own skin.
· Finally, become aware of 1 thing you can taste. Maybe you notice a hint of your morning coffee, or the minty freshness of your toothpaste on your tongue.
This exercise helps you to reign in your anxious mental energy, focus your mind and bring you back to the present moment. And being fully present is a key skill of great presenters.
What do you think about this technique? Have you tried it? Let me know in the comments and feel free to share other grounding exercises that work for you.
Mel Sherwood is a Pitch and Presentation Specialist and Founder of The RED Effect™. She works with entrepreneurs and business professionals who want to express themselves with confidence, credibility and charisma. An Australian now based in Scotland, Mel is an award-winning speaker, trainer and coach and combines over 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer.