Do you find it difficult when presenting & public speaking?

Does this image strike fear into your heart?

How do you feel when the words presentation, public performance, meeting, lecture, public speaking are mentioned? Do you feel nervous before talking? Are nerves stunting your progress?

I’ll let you into a little known secret… even professionals get nervous?
Celebrities such as Robbie Williams and Scary Spice Girl Mel B have both commented on how nervous they used to get before a performance. All this said, nerves can be a good thing, they help us to prepare well, while bringing energy and focus to the task at hand.

If you’re too relaxed you probably aren’t giving it the focus it needs. However, there is a problem if these nerves become limiting! So here are some ways to overcome nerves and make it a great performance for all:

1. Remember nerves are normal everyone gets them. If you feel nervous then you are human.

2. How do the nerves manifest themselves for you? For most people it is normally a fear of forgetting what they are going to say, or falling over, or people laughing at them. These thoughts make it worse and it then becomes a downward spiral.

Stop these thoughts and instead think about “how much value can I give to my audience?”, “how can I make it fun for my audience?” or ask “how could this be fun for me!?”

3. You are there to give the audience a gift, don’t think you are there giving a presentation that is going to be scrutinised! You are there to give them a gift of your experience, knowledge and expertise

4. If you get the opportunity beforehand then chat to the audience. It will feel more like you are talking to a group of friends as opposed to strangers

5. The best antidote to nerves is to do it regularly. The more you do it the more comfortable you will become with it, so practice, practice, practice!

6. Remember, your audience wants you to succeed! No one in the audience is hoping you’re going to be rubbish.

7. Deliver the talk in front of a smaller, friendly audience to start with and get comfortable with it. Then when you go to a new audience you will feel better about it. Don’t test a new speech on a new audience!

8. Before you start to talk or perform take a moment to breathe deeply and slowly. Try breathing in for three, holding for nine and then out for six. Repeat four or five times.

9. Instead of asking yourself “how am I going to remember all of this?” or “what if they hate it?” ask more productive questions like; “how can I make this fun for the audience?” or “which bit of my presentation are they going to enjoy the most?”

By following these simple tips you can easily reduce your nerves so they become an asset not a hindrance.

Let me know how your next talk, lecture, performance or presentation goes by emailing info@greymatterz.co.uk

Regards
Richard Scott
Clinical Hypnotherapist / Psychotherapist
www.greymatterz.co.uk

Lose Weight Without Dieting

If you're having trouble fitting into that little black dress or zipping up those trousers in preparation for the festive season, here are a few tips to help those clothes fit better.

EAT BREAKFAST



They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and they weren't wrong! Skipping breakfast can have a bad effect on your waistline as you'll feel more hungry throughout the day and probably end up eating more than you normally would. Try having a bowl of wholegrain cereal topped with natural yogurt and fruit first thing to keep you going through the morning.

HIDDEN CALORIES

Alcohol, fruit juice and even smoothies can all be drinks with hidden calories, so be careful when choosing your beverages. Try drinking flavoured water and small amounts of 100% fruit juice instead.

AVOID MIDNIGHT SNACKS



Apart from potentially disturbing your sleep, midnight snacking won't do your weight any favours either! Try to establish a time when you'll stop eating each evening, that way you won't be as tempted to raid the fridge after hours.

STEP UP YOUR GAME



If you don't fancy sweating it out at the gym then you could try taking more steps throughout the day. Get a pedometer and set yourself a target - say 10,000 steps per day - and increase your daily movements. Try walking up escalators instead of standing on them, taking the stairs instead of the lift or going for a walk at lunchtimes to meet your aim.

EAT MORE PROTEIN

Protein gives you energy, so by adding a bit of extra protein to each of your meals you're less likely to overeat. Try adding eggs, beans or lean meats to your main meals and eat a small portion of nuts in between to keep you going.

CONTROL YOUR CUPBOARDS



Ultimately, you are the one in control of what goes in your cupboards, so a great way to cut down on overeating or chocolate binges is to simply not have it in the house in the first place. Next time you're at the supermarket try to resist temptation when it comes to the chocolate aisle - if it's not in your cupboards you can't eat it!

SMALLER PLATES



Portion size can be a problem when it comes to weight loss. Even if you're eating a healthy meal you can still overdo it if your plate is piled too high. Consider buying smaller plates, that way you can only serve up what you can fit on them. Reducing your portions by 10-20% alone can result in weight loss.

DRINK MORE WATER



Although water is no substitute for food, drinking it can help you to feel fuller for longer. The same goes for liquid foods such as soup - so try getting a few more of these into your daily diet.

LEARN TO COOK



Many ready-made meals and sauces can contain high levels of sugar and salt, all of which can hinder your weight loss attempts. By learning to cook healthy meals you can be in control of what goes in your food and keep on top of those calories.

CREATE NEW HABITS



Sometimes we can find ourselves eating because we're bored, for example. A good way to beat this is to create new habits - so as soon as you start to feel bored find a distraction - go for a walk or switch on the radio - you'll soon forget about snacking.

I hope you find these simple steps useful, if you'd like more help losing that weight, have a look at my weight management webpage here or give me a call.

Happy weight loss,

Richard Scott
Clinical Hypnotherapist
GREY MATTERZ
www.greymatterz.co.uk