ANXIETY

How do you handle performance anxiety?

I always have water. If you feel yourself getting nervous, you can take a deep breath, pause, and have a sip of water. People will see you having a sip and the silence won’t feel so awkward. Deep breaths are helpful too. I also find someone friendly in the audience and look at them. On Zoom, pin the video of a friendly face as you’re talking so you have someone kind to look at. (Dr. Janine Morris, Writing)

The best way to address performance anxiety is to be prepared.  As long as you know your material and have done a little preparation to make sure you can present it in the time frame allotted, you should be fine. The key is always to remember that you are the expert on your research and that most of the audience is there to learn.  Also, keep in mind that the Q&A session is not something to be feared, but rather an opportunity for you to expand on any aspects of your paper or research that you were not able to be address in the time allotted. (Dr. David Kilroy, History)

I try to use nervousness as a positive challenge, an opportunity for growth and development. (Dr. Ben Mulvey, Philosophy)

Hmmm, see #7 [Pause for a breath (or a drink). Trust me, what feel like an eternity of awkward silence is just a second or two. Finally, don’t take yourself too seriously. If it’s not going to be good, make it memorable] (Dr. Ransford Edwards, Political Science)

Listen to rap music that pretty much says that you are the *! (Prof. Kandy Lopez, Art + Design)

The same way I handle all anxiety – by reminding myself that millions of people have done this, no one died, and it will be over before you know it. Worst case scenario you learn something. Contrary to popular belief, we have all bombed a presentation or two and guess what? No one remembers after a couple of days. (Dr. G. Nelson Bass III, Political Science)

Before any presentation, I always practice what I’m going to present out loud. This helps me time what I’m going to say and helps me ‘imagine’ issues that I might encounter, as well as find ‘errors’ in the presentation. When I present at national/international conferences, I try to steady myself and slow my breathing before starting. (Dr. Yvette Fuentes, Modern Languages)

Be as prepared as possible.  Read/present paper/presentation aloud at least a couple of times for timing and to catch “unruly” sentences that may not present well.  Take deep breaths.  (Dr. Marlisa Santos, Literature & Film)

By practicing. I also convince myself that most people are too worried about their own business to spend any effort judging me harshly. (Dr. J. Matt Hoch, Life Sciences)

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Practicing by reading your paper aloud is always helpful in boosting your confidence and in ensuring that you stick to the presentation’s time limit. I’d advise against over-practicing, so as not to make your presentation too stiff or robotic. And remember, audience members are coming to see your panel because of their interest in the topic and in your talk! Remind yourself that all the work you put into your presentation has developed your expertise in your chosen topic. (Dr. Yair Solan, Literature & Film)

I try to use it as a strength. Rather than suppress the anxiety, breathe through it, and then use the presentation as an outlet to channel some of that energy into. (Dr. Jeremy Weissman, Philosophy)

I know I will always have some anxiety, so first, I accept that and don’t expect myself to be perfectly calm. I focus on having all the things that give me some security in presenting, including having my paper printed out in a large font (no losing my place because I’m reading tiny print!), staying hydrated, and remembering that I know my stuff. I often have anxiety about what questions I might get after I present, so if someone asks me a question I always write down what they asked to a) give myself a second to think about the topic and b) make sure I don’t go off topic and end up avoiding the question. I also remind myself that “I don’t know” or “that’s beyond the scope of my research” is a perfectly fine answer if I get a question I can’t answer. I might remember a silly comment I made, but if you asked me to name a silly thing I heard someone else say at a presentation I couldn’t. We are often our harshest critics. (Dr. Katy Doll, History)

Best way to handle performance anxiety is to understand that everyone at the conference is supportive of your work and is there to offer their support and guidance to you. (Dr. Amanda Furiasse, Religious Studies)

Write down every sentence of my talk. I also put “turn to PPT 1 / PPT 2 / highlight these words” in my script. The more I write down, the less I worry. (Dr. Teng Li, History & Legal Studies)