How can you calm your nerves when telling a story?

One thing I think works, is narrating real life examples. That saves you the trouble of remembering details. You can easily recollect facts and make them interesting with the help of some humour. While practicing, you can actually rehearse telling jokes also, anticipating responses.

Rehearsals is such a powerful, underrated technique Rehearsing what are you going to say gives your subconscious mind space to store the key messages you want to present and then at the day you’re presenting your subconscious mind will let you remember each & every word you said as if this happened before!

My experience has been that stories are best delivered by immersing oneself into the storyline. This helps communicate the passion, drama and emotions to the audience and engage them as a part of the journey. Remember how your favorite uncle or aunt told you stories as a child ? What kept you engaged and wanting more ? When it comes to stories, adults are but overgrown children. That's why we rush to movie halls - for a good story !

Story telling is one of the beauty of public speaking and a good mastery of it can make one an authority. One of the things you can do to stay calm is to be conscious of the fact that this presentation in particular is for you to showcase your skills and talent and not to show that you are perfect. Also, add some humor to your story telling. Laughter is therapeutic and can help you relax and breathe.

I try to think about people that I feel very confortable talking to. (Friend, sister, partner...etc) then I picture that person or group of people in my audience and talk to them.

Some ways that work for me: 1) Focus on your breath; it calms and slows you down. 2) Eye contact; find a few people in the audience in different parts of the room with whom you can maintain eye contact. 3) Smile; a great way to relax and engage the audiences. 4) If you have the privilege of space, own the stage by walking around a bit.

Sometimes breathing slowly doesn't always do the trick for me 😂. In cases like this, I pray, and it automatically helps calm me down. For some people, listening to songs might do the trick. Whatever keeps the ball rolling ⚽️

Taking a sip of water does wanders when you go on stage as this assist in calming the nerves. It just calms you from the inside. Take a bottle or a glass of water with you when going on stage.

4-7-8- works well. As does Box Breathing (4-4-4). It doesn't really matter as long as you're holding the breath and exhaling through your mouth. If you're alone, it's also helpful to exhale with a deep steady hum.

It's funny but one can be just amazed how often people just forget to breathe under stress - public speaking is a total stress. That's the first thing I teach my team members, especially when in negotiations, presentations, public speaking or else. Just take your time, in fact your brain needs exactly 1 good breathe of a time (1-2 sec) to refresh, boost your mind, body and like magic you'll feel much more confident.

When it comes to calming my nerves while telling a story, I follow a combination of strategies. First, I ensure thorough preparation and practice - knowing my story inside out builds confidence and minimizes the fear of forgetting key details. Additionally, I focus on my breathing. Taking deliberate, deep breaths before I start speaking helps me stay composed and in control. It's amazing how something as simple as mindful breathing can soothe nerves. Lastly, I remind myself that storytelling is about connecting with my audience and sharing an experience. This shift in perspective from self-consciousness to connecting with others eases my anxiety and allows me to tell a more engaging story.

I find it useful to start your story as a mystery, thriller, you name it - attention grabbing start usually do the work to keep your audience silent. Stay in active contact with the people in front of you - eye contact, change the pitch of your voice often and you'll become the dream story teller - of course, if you're not a natural talent, you'll need some practice.

Humor is one of the best "tools" in your arsenal to keep you audience engagement and can also get you out of mistakes or bloopers you made during your presentation/speech/interview/meeting, you name it.

There is NOTHING that will boost your confidence more than getting a laugh. It relaxes the audience and draws them in. Humor is tricky because many things are funny to only a subset of people. Use broad humor that anyone can relate to. And poke fun at yourself, not others. Try your humorous lines out on other people first. It's very easy to get wrong.

Humour makes life easy. So does storytelling. This duo is so powerful. Putting humour in narration makes it more engaging and interactive for the audience. It's a wonderful tool to acknowledge our flaws and make ourselves more relatable to the audience. As Mary Pettibone Poole said, "He who laughs, lasts".

One thing I know for sure from experience is that as soon as you try to be someone else or project a type of person during a presentation, you are shortchanging yourself. What the audience is typically looking for is your authentic self and best believe that in you give anything other than that it would come through. A public figure that I know has mastered this from years on stage is Trevor Noah. If you are a huge fan of of Trevor than you can almost assume you guys are close buddies because you feel like you know him from how much he has given hi am true self.

Most people think you should take a breath and calm down. But that’s the worse thing you could do. Turns out anxiety and excitement have a lot more in common. Physiologically they are almost identical. You’re in a state of arousal, you can feel the butterflies in your tummy and your hands start sweating. On the other side anxiety and calm are physiologically opposites. It’s a lot easier to switch from nervousness to excitement. So next time you’re nervous just tell yourself: I am excited

I agree that your outfit/attire should be right. You need to dress comfortably. Not too hot and not too warm. Wear comfortable shoes. Ladies ensure that your make up is done proper. Wear some perfume (it gives you confidence if you smell good). Ensure that you hair is on point. That you wear jewelry that match your outfit and yes its in order to wear a statement piece (if you that type of person).

Key to conquering nervousness when speaking in public lies in embracing authenticity. First and foremost, be yourself. Authenticity is magnetic; it draws people in. It's okay to acknowledge your nerves; in fact, it can make you more relatable. Share a personal story or make a light-hearted joke about your jitters. Remember, you're not alone in feeling anxious. The truth is, we're all human, and we all experience similar emotions. When you speak, you're sharing a piece of yourself with your audience. Think about it as a conversation with friends, not a one-sided performance. So,next time you step up to speak, let your authenticity shine. Make jokes, share your true emotions, and remember that your nervousness is a common feeling. Embrace it.

You know what else to consider? It is your outfit/attire. You want to be extremely comfortable in what you are wearing. In as much as a lot of people over look this very important detail, it can make it mar how you deliver the presentation. Put an effort into smelling nice, looking good and being well groomed as a man or woman.