5 mindful ways to nail a presentation

Do you love or loathe the prospect of giving a presentation? Quite interestingly, you may be in the minority if you love presentations as research suggests that most people experience varying levels of anxiety when faced with such a task.

There could be a proverbial pot of gold at the other side of a presentation such as better school grades, a job promotion or a new business deal. It is therefore worth addressing any speaking related anxieties, if only to achieve your goals.

Here are 5 ways mindfulness could help:

1. Acknowledge your fears

Try calming your thoughts by identifying what exactly you are anxious about, such as negative feedback, a mental block or insufficient subject knowledge. Tackle these fears by finding possible solutions or focus on completing the presentation despite these fears.

2. Prepare and practice

Prepare as thoroughly as you possibly can and avoid leaving your preparation to the last minute. Practice your presentation as much as possible. The more you prepare, the less anxious you will be, giving you a more in control feel to the task.

3. Focus on the audience

Take the focus away from yourself and think more about how you can help your audience engage with and benefit from the discussion.

4. Visualise a positive outcome

Negative thoughts can be draining. Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts, try to channel positive energy by visualising your presentation going well from start to finish.

5. Learn from the experience

If you can learn and develop from the experience, no matter the outcome, you will still have succeeded.

Download our free taster course ‘Enhancing your studies with mindfulness’ for more tips on calming anxiety.