If you’re preparing to give a big presentation, you’ll no doubt be nervous, which is completely normal.

But there are plenty of ways that you can calm down your nerves prior to heading out in front of your audience, and some of the most effective tips are listed below. Graphics by Shutterstock.

Visualisation

Visualisation basically involves envisioning yourself delivering your presentation perfectly. The audience is engaged throughout the speech, you nail every point and enunciate every word, and you get a big round of applause at the end of it all.

How does visualisation work? It pretty much trains your brain into thinking that the visualisation is reality and that everything will go well. In other words, if you visualise yourself being really confident and speaking clearly, your brain will follow suit, and this will help you calm down.

Meditation

Meditation is one of the best ways to calm yourself down prior to giving a speech. It works by calming and clearing your mind of thoughts so you can instead focus on a mantra or your breath.

The great thing about meditation is the fact that you don’t have to do it for a long period of time for it to be effective. Instead, you can sit quietly for about 5 or 10 minutes to centre yourself and focus on positive thoughts so you can relax before your presentation.

Deep Breathing

Like meditation, deep breathing also helps you refocus your mind away from tension, stress, anxiety, and fear. By focusing on the flow of your breath, you’re redirecting your attention. And by breathing deep into your belly, you’re helping to quell frazzled nerves at the same time.

Plus, deep breathing delivers more oxygen to your brain and helps you develop a stronger voice that you can use to project during your speech. All of these benefits will combine to give you added assurance and confidence that all will go well, so you can really be calm before you walk out in front of your audience.

Make a Presentation Booklet

Finally, if you make a presentation booklet, you can use it as a guide to reinforce your points and help you if you’re ever struggling during your speech. While you should certainly memorise your speech rather than read it during your presentation in order to have the biggest impact on your audience, it doesn’t hurt to have helpful materials on hand, just in case.

Plus, you can use your presentation booklet to prepare for your speech prior to heading out in front of your audience, as it can serve to focus your mind and give you a break from the nervousness you might be feeling.

Presentation folders are easy to get printed so you can have a professional way to represent yourself even while preparing to give your presentation. And you can even make many of these folders with visual aids to share with your audience during your speech.

Through visualisation, meditation, deep breathing, and preparation, you’re sure to do extremely well when you’re presenting an important speech to a live audience.