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  • Sav
    10/08/2008 11:50 am | Subject: Presentations

    I've been asked to do a presentation in front of 20 people at work (2 sessions). I absolutely hate presentations and wish I could anything to get out of it. I've worried about it all weekend and there is 10 days to go yet, so I know it will get worse. I really don't want to do it. It affects my social life as it is constantly on my mind and I can't switch off. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

  • janey
    11/08/2008 12:32 pm | Subject:

    Hi Sav, There is a small article in this month's Psychologies about this (sorry don't have page number to hand) From what I can remember it's about pretending you're someone who's good at presentations and how they would act/be in the same situation. As my explanation is rather "home made" here, I would advise you to read the mag - it's only a small article and includes several other "How to's" as well. Good luck.

  • Jonesy
    11/08/2008 2:11 pm | Subject:

    Another tip from a HR consultant which sounds a little strange but apparently really works: arrive at the room early and walk round, getting comfortable with the space. Then find something that nobody else will notice - a bit of decorative cornicing or as poster out of the audience line of vision. Keep lookinh at this when you're giving the presentation - it's your private bit of the room that no-one else knows about. Supposed to be very calming. Im sure other people must have loads of advice to share?

  • Anonymous
    05/10/2008 11:00 am | Subject:

    I can completely empathise with your desire to do anything but. I too had to do a presentation as part of a training course and was so anxious about it that I had to speak to the course tutors to explain how I felt (if I didn't do it I would fail the course)! They arranged for me to do the presentation "out of hours" in front of them only (instead of another 25 faces peering back at me) and, though I did this, I did spend 10 minutes in tears in the corridor prior to doing so - doesn't get much worse than that does it? In any event I did the presentation for my tutors and then did it again 2 hours later in front of the entire course, after everyone else had completed theirs as I felt that it was important for me to fight that demon, if everyone else could manage it then I was no better and certainly no worse than them! I shook like a leaf, struggled to make eye contact (rabbit in headlights syndrome) and felt physically sick but I now know that if I absolutely must do it then I CAN (though it's not a situation I would choose to be in even now). Good luck, however you choose to help you through it, you will get through it. Perhaps you can practice before hand with a few "close" friends/colleagues?

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