Infographic: 9 ways to conquer public-speaking anxiety

I’ll never forget the first time I gave a presentation.

I was in third grade, and each student had to give a speech about one of the 50 states.

I was presenting about California, and I kicked off my talk with a cute little skit about a dream I’d had that I’d visited the Golden State. I got an A on the presentation, and my teacher started calling me Miss Hollywood.

Thankfully, I’ve always felt fairly comfortable in front of an audience, but most people don’t.

If you’re among the majority of people who break into a cold sweat simply thinking about public speaking, check out this infographic from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. It reveals nine ways to quell public-speaking anxiety.

Here are a few of the tips:

Acknowledge your anxiety: Say to yourself, “This is me feeling anxiety.” This separates you from your feelings, which can help you evaluate them—not be swept up by them.