How Some of the World’s Most Accomplished People Learned to Calm Their Public Speaking Nerves

Public speaking nerves don’t discriminate. They affect new speakers, experienced leaders, and even some of the most talented performers around.

Mark Twain captured it perfectly when he said:

“There are two types of speakers: those who are nervous and those who are liars.”

He wasn’t exaggerating.

Barbra Streisand, one of the highest‑selling female recording artists in history, struggled with crippling stage fright.

Warren Buffett avoided university classes that required speaking because the fear was so intense.

Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, and Reese Witherspoon have all spoken openly about their nerves, and it doesn’t stop there.

Winston Churchill.

John F. Kennedy.

Margaret Thatcher.

Barbara Walters.

Johnny Carson.

Even Elvis Presley admitted: “I’ve never gotten over what they call stage fright. I go through it every show.”

If that doesn’t surprise you, perhaps this will

Many historians believe that Aristotle, Isaac Newton, and Charles Darwin all struggled with stutters or speaking anxiety at some point in their lives. The list of brilliant, successful, influential people who have battled public speaking nerves is as long as it is astonishing.

So, if you have an important presentation coming up and you’re feeling nervous, take comfort, you are in exceptional company.

The good news

However uncomfortable those nerves may feel, they are not dangerous. To my knowledge, no one has ever died from public speaking anxiety. In fact, I find it strangely reassuring that so many extraordinary people, icons in their fields, have felt exactly what you’re feeling. It reminds us that they are human, just like the rest of us.

If they achieved so much with their nerves, then there is every reason to believe you can too.

Which brings us to the practical part

Here are 20 powerful, grounded, and genuinely helpful ways to calm your public speaking nerves the next time you’re called to present.

1. Enlighten Your Audience — Don’t Just Inform Them

Knowledge gives you footing; purpose gives you balance, and together, they quiet your nerves. When you understand your message deeply and care about it even more, you shift from “reciting information” to “making meaning.”

Your job is to:

– Make the complex feel simple

– Turn the ordinary into something interesting

– Share insights they don’t already know

– Ensure everything you say is relevant to them

– Leave them better, clearer, or more empowered than before

When you focus on transforming information into something your audience can relate to and remember, your nerves naturally ease.

You stop worrying about yourself and start serving them.

2. Speak to Your Audience Before You Meet Them

A presentation becomes far less intimidating when you know who you’re speaking to.

Make your preparation audience‑first, not speaker‑first. If they’re colleagues, clients, or senior leaders, pick up the phone and ask:

– What would be most helpful for you in this presentation?

– How much do you already know about the topic?

– What concerns or questions do you have?

– How would you like to feel by the end?

If you don’t know them, reach out to a few attendees by email or phone.

Understanding their world gives you something solid to stand on, and that steadiness quiets your nerves.

3. Do More Than Practise Your Presentation

Practising the night before isn’t preparation, it’s panic.

Real preparation begins long before that. Set aside time to rehearse your content, your delivery, and your presence.

Focus on three things:

– Content – Know your message, your structure, and your supporting points.

– Verbal Delivery – Work on your volume, pitch, pace, rhythm, emphasis, intonation, and pauses.

– Non‑Verbal Delivery – Pay attention to your facial expressions, gestures, stance, eye contact, and movement.

Practise in front of someone who will give you honest, constructive feedback.
Your confidence grows when your preparation is real.

4. Be in the Room

Arrive at least 30 minutes early, not to rehearse, to settle. Stand where you’ll be speaking and take in the space:

• The size of the room
• The temperature
• The lighting
• The acoustics
• Any internal or external noise

Let the room become familiar before anyone else arrives; familiarity reduces fear.

5. Take a Seat

Once you’ve grounded yourself at the front of the room, step into your audience’s world. Sit where they’ll sit, front, back, middle, left, and right — and notice what they will notice. This simple shift builds empathy, and empathy builds confidence.

6. Look Your Best

How you look affects how you feel.

Dress for the occasion and aim to look your best.

Find out the expected dress code and align with it while still presenting yourself at your strongest.

Don’t forget:

– Polished shoes

– A fresh haircut a few days before

– A spare shirt or blouse if you’re travelling

When you feel good in your skin, you feel stronger on your feet.

7. Get Moving

An anxious mind needs a moving body. The evening before or the morning of your presentation, do something physical:

– A brisk walk

– A gym session

– A swim

– Yoga

– Dance

– Stretching

Exercise releases tension, clears your mind, and resets your nervous system. It’s one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce speaking anxiety

8. Get Some Sleep

A rested mind is a calmer mind. The night before your presentation, aim for an early night, not perfection, just rest. Many people sleep lightly before a big event, and that’s completely normal. Even a modest amount of extra rest will soften the edges of your anxiety the next morning.

Avoid the temptation to “take the edge off” with alcohol. It disrupts sleep and leaves you feeling worse. The same goes for heavy or sugary food; your body deserves better fuel before an important performance.

9. Take Time to Calm Your Mind

Your thoughts shape your emotional state. If your mind is racing, your nerves will follow.

Spend a few minutes meditating, practising self-hypnosis, or simply sitting quietly with your breath in the days leading up to your presentation, and again on the day itself.
We all experience thousands of repetitive thoughts each day, many of them negative.
Slowing them down is one of the most powerful tools you have.

Find a practice that grounds you and use it consistently.

10. Start as You Mean to Continue

For most presenters, the first two minutes are the hardest; that’s why your opening matters so much.

Craft an opening that is clear, confident, and meaningful, something that gives you a sense of control and gives them a reason to listen. You don’t need to memorise your entire presentation, but you should know your opening so well that it feels like second nature.

Practise it until it becomes part of you.

11. Breathe Deeply

Your breath is your anchor. Don’t wait until the last moment to breathe.
Establish a simple breathing routine well before your presentation and use it consistently:

• Breathe in through your nose for a slow count of five
• Hold for two
• Exhale gently through your mouth for eight

Repeat this five times, relaxing your shoulders, jaw, stomach, and legs as you do.
A calm body creates a calmer mind.

12. Smile — Genuinely

Before you say a word, pause… breathe… and smile.

A genuine smile signals to your audience, and to yourself, that everything is going to be fine. It releases endorphins, softens tension, and makes you appear more approachable, trustworthy, and confident.

Smiling is contagious. Use it.

13. Connection Is Everything

Eye contact is the most powerful tool you have for building trust.

Even if it feels uncomfortable at first, practise looking at your audience, one person at a time, long enough to create a moment of connection.

When you feel that connection, your confidence grows, and when they feel it, their attention deepens.

Eye contact is the jewel in the crown of high-impact presenting.

14. Make Them Feel Something

Shift your focus from performance to connection.

Your goal isn’t to impress, overwhelm, or deliver a flawless recital. Your goal is to make your audience feel something: excitement, hope, curiosity, urgency, or possibility.

When your attention moves toward them, your anxiety naturally decreases, and you stop performing and start connecting.

15. Watch Your Posture

Your body speaks long before you do, so stand tall, balanced, and relaxed.

A strong posture doesn’t just make you look confident; it creates confidence.
It tells your audience you are present, engaged, and ready to serve them.

Your physiology shapes your psychology, so use it intentionally.

16. Watch Your Language

The words you say to yourself matter.

Replace:

• “I’m so nervous.”
• “I’m terrible at this.”
• “I’m going to forget everything.”

With:

• “I know my message.”
• “I’ve prepared properly, and I’m ready.”
• “I’m here to help my audience.”
• “It’s natural to feel this way.”
• “My audience is on my side.”
• “They don’t want perfection — they want connection.”

Your inner dialogue is part of your preparation.

17. See Success

Visualise your audience:

• Smiling
• Engaged
• Nodding
• Listening intently
• Thanking you afterwards

Your brain responds to imagined experiences almost as strongly as real ones, so use that to your advantage.

No, you don’t need to imagine them naked.

18. Be Present

Presence dissolves anxiety.

As I’ve shared before: Pay attention to the sensations in your body, acknowledging them without judgment. Remind yourself that what you’re feeling is natural; it means you care.
Thank the sensations for reminding you that you’re alive and let them know everything is okay.

Presence brings you back to yourself, and that’s where your power is.

19. Have a Clear Message

Don’t memorise a script, cling to notes or try to remember every word.

Know your message, key points, stories and our opening and closing.

Think of your message as a tweet: clear, simple, compelling.

If you can’t express it with impact in a sentence, it’s not ready.

20. Don’t Try to Be Perfect

Perfection creates pressure, and pressure erodes confidence.

Your audience can’t see your nerves, and they don’t want a flawless performance.
They want a human being who cares enough to show up, speak honestly, and help them in some way.

Let go of perfection and choose connection instead.

If you need a little help calming your public speaking nerves:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

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