Being Apprehensive with Public Speaking

When public speaking comes to mind, I feel pretty apprehensive towards the idea. I worry about making mistakes and not having the confidence to present in front of my audience. In past experiences, I have spoke very quickly in speeches and my speaking ability definitely needs to be worked on. Most presentations involve the use of PowerPoint. Last semester, in my Stress Management class we had to present a PowerPoint and it didn't work due to the version it was; the teacher's computer couldn't configure the data. Just as Chapter 2 reading brings up "uncertainty about technology" and that's exactly what had happen. With technology mishaps, I makes me very nervous because I feel all eyes are on me and people are waiting on me to give my presentation/speech which was basically technophobia.

When I know there is a speech to be presented in front of a class, I become uneasy while waiting for my turn and when approaching the front of the class. I feel as if my heart rate increases and my hands become very sweaty. Luckily, if I'm working on a topic I feel very strong about, I can be more at ease when giving a speech. My senior year, I had to write a term paper about a problem in the world that needs to be fixed. I chose the topic of the meat industry and had a very strong thesis. Being a vegetarian for many years and knowledgable about the cruel world of the meat industry, I felt confident with the subject. My teacher insisted we dressed formally, which I did by wearing a summer dress and curling my hair. It helped bring some confidence when I gave my speech. I got evaluation from my teacher, and she told me I needed to be stronger when I spoke, such as using different tones to keep my audience interested. I hope to conquer every public speaking fear I encounter!