It’s not that I’m particularly bad at it, in fact people have been known to tell me I’m quite good at it. Unfortunately my body doesn’t seem to know that. I get incredibly tense, heart racing, can’t focus on things properly, really stressed and all the time I know I’m going to be perfectly fine but I feel like I’m about to do something hugely dangerous. It really sucks. (It’s also why I understand David’s anxiety issues, I don’t have the same degree of anxiety as him but I sure as hell know what it feels like.)
So, of course, what am I doing tomorrow night? I’m going to be standing up in front of about 350 kids, all their teachers, most of their parents and some of their grandparents, and giving a speech.
Must remember to breathe.
Eeep.
Mim's Muddle 
The normal advice is to picture the audience in their underwear so that you see them as being uncomfortable as well. But given that your audience is children… I wouldn’t recommend that!
Good luck, Mim! Breathing is a good thing. 🙂
LOL at Liz’s comment. Okay, that was very funny.I never understood the underwear thing.I hate speaking in public…AND I’m horrible at it!!!!Good luck to you. I bet you’ll do great. I’m sorry you have to feel so nervous though.
You’ll rock Mim! I have worked as a tour-guide and a museum-guide and done hundreds of lectures the past 10 years and I clearly remember how uncomfortable I was the first many, many times. However, I found out that after the first 1-2 minutes of mumbling and clearing my throat and looking utterly confused, it just began to flow nicely and became a sucess. You can do it as well if you focus, relax and breathe. GOOD LUCK.
I think the undies thing is a way to distract the speaker. As part of my job as Liaison librarian I teach classes and twice a year there is student orientation to deal with. I was totally baptised by fire when I began because my first time speaking was to a crowd of about 200 students. (It was only a 10 min talk on library resources but I shook really badly) Thinking about it now I think most of the sport and Rec kids might as well have been in their underwear!
Oh, I’m with you. When I have to speak in public, I have an out of body experience. I’m not sure who is enunciating the words down there, but it sure as heck isn’t me – I’m floating in the ether far away from it all.So, my heart is out there in the ether saying a little prayer for you. My husband does a lot of public speaking and he says that the audience really doesn’t expect that much from a speaker – just some basic info and a smile and you’ll be fine.Break a leg
Best of luck! I have the same reaction to public speaking, and have no pearls of wisdom.
May the force be with you Mim. I’ll sure you’ll be right.