There is no doubt that gaining confidence as a public speaker is a battle that you have to win in your own mind. It is mostly about your perceptions and beliefs about public speaking that creates either confidence or fear. However, many speakers and presenters also advocate the value of paying attention to your the needs of your body before a giving presentation. One piece of advice in this area is to avoid all forms of caffeine on the day of a presentation.

Be aware that caffeine stays in your system for four to six hours and can increase the quantities ‘stress hormone’ – cortisol – in your body. Most people generally find that giving a presentation enough adrenalin for one day! If you are a nervous speaker, caffeine will only enhance those nervous feelings you might have; whilst confident speakers will find that they become focused enough once they start presenting, without the need for additional stimulant. 

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 21st, 2007 at 12:08 pm and is filed under Preparation, Confidence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.