Tons of remedies for stage fright exist, and it's all about finding the one that works for you. However, the best thing you can do is to be prepared. Just being prepared takes a load of stress of your back,
instantly putting you in a more secure place. You can go into your speech feeling confident that you know what you want to say, and that you are capable of presenting it. Practicing in the mirror is a good way to prepare yourself. Shut your eyes, pretend you're at the wedding reception, and start your speech.
The first few times, practice only small parts, then eventually build up to the entire speech. Once you become more familiar with your speech, try to do it without stopping. If you stumble, gather your thoughts and keep going. Try to remain calm when you stop, because getting flustered will only make it worse. By practicing under stressful situations and preparing for the worst possible case, you can be prepared if it happens, or even avoid it altogether.
Breathing exercises are one of the best ways to quickly reduce your tension and help you relax. Go online and look some up and practice them. Remembering to breathe during your speech is also important. Sometimes, someone can get so nervous that they say everything in one breath, making them sound rushed and tired.
Simply being relaxed can help you prevent having to experience this. Being relaxed creates a more natural breathing pattern, a slower heart rate, and a calmer voice, which all help in contributing to a good speech. Keep your muscles relaxed to avoid looking like a talking mannequin.
Move around a little bit, but avoid pacing. Picture the natural way a comedian looks on stage. A few sips of a drink can calm you down and reduce your nervousness a little. However, do NOT drink too much. Saying your speech while drunk, while it may be funny, will only result in embarrassment for yourself as well as the couple and will leave the groom feeling disrespected. Don't let your nerves bait you into drinking too much.
A lot of people talk about not being sure what to do with their hands while they're making their best man speeches. Having them hang at your sides looks and feels unnatural, but you don't want to look like a mime either. A rolled up paper towel makes a great homemade stressball. It keeps your hands busy while also absorbing sweat.
Just do your best to make it as inconspicuous as possible. You don't want people to spend the entirety of your speech trying to figure out what you have in your hand. A glass of water nearby does more than slake your thirst.
It also provides a little opportunity to gather your thoughts and refocus. Holding your glass could be a bad idea. If you are getting into your speech and forget what you're holding, you risk spilling it, or even worse, tossing on the Bride.
While you're speaking, look directly above the audience as opposed to making eye contact with everyone. You don't need to actually make eye contact if it looks like you are. As you're looking directly above the heads of the audience, scan the back of the room with your eyes. Avoid looking down at the floor, and avoid looking up at the ceiling.
Engage the audience with your best man speech, don't just talk at them. Pretend you're home practicing in the mirror or just talking to the Groom one-on-one. Although this sounds a lot easier to say than to actually do, it's actually pretty easy. Take a couple seconds before you start talking to gather yourself and get "in the zone." Honestly,
it's alright to take your time. No one will even notice. Five seconds might feel like an unbearably long time, but it's only five seconds. Give yourself a little ego-boost: you were chosen out of all the people the Groom knows to be his Best Man. Most people go their entire lives without getting to do that. You, out of everyone, get to represent the Groom as his best friend, father,or son. So be proud of yourself.
- Article Word Count: 690
- |
- Total Views: 59
- |
- permalink