how to get out of a class presentation

It feels ILLEGAL to know this trick to get out of a presentation

TABLE OF CONTENTS (jump ahead)

How to get out of giving a class presentation

I’m scared of doing a class presentation, i don’t want to do a class presentation, how to get out of a college presentation, can a professor force me to do a presentation.

Talking to your professor about skipping presentation

Should you skip class instead of presenting?

You may be able to get out of a school presentation if you have a documented disability that is protected by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the presentation is not an integral part of the course. Schools and colleges are required to provide reasonable accommodations to students with recognized disabilities, and you might qualify. However, there might be some circumstances where you can’t avoid a presentation, even with an accommodation.

NOTE : This information is relevant to students in the United States and may not apply to all countries, all colleges or students.

This is the best way to help high school or college students trying to get out of class presentations. I went directly to a college and asked them for information about their accommodations so read on to find out how it might work for you.

If you are scared of doing a class presentation, realize you are not alone. Talk to your professor about your fears and work on a solution. There are some virtual reality programs where you could work on your presentation skills.

You read the syllabus and realize you must do an oral presentation. You start to panic. You worry you'll have stage fright or too much nervous energy to get in front of the class and be the center of attention.

So, you start wonder how you’ll avoid this presentation.

Can you switch classes?

Can you drop the class and take it with another professor next semester?

Can you skip the presentation and still make a good grade?

All these things cross your mind, but you realize you can’t do anything about it, or can you?

Public speaking is a common fear. I asked college students, and an overwhelming 88% had some anxiety around oral presentations with students saying things like, “I’m worried what people will think of me,” or “I am scared I’ll mess up and freeze.”

In my own college classes, where students have presented, I have seen people get extremely anxious. One time a student thought she was going to pass out and had to be helped back to her desk in the middle of her presentation.

She couldn’t finish it.

If you find yourself having this crippling fear, I have some solutions for you on how to get over your nerves.

But in this article, I am going help you understand some of the excuses to get out of a presentation and how to talk to your professor about your anxiety.

Don’t be afraid to talk to your professor about your mental health because it can impact your college coursework. It’s not something you should take lightly.

If you have to do a class presentation in college, you need to take a deep breath and realize that most of your peers will also be anxious to present in front of everyone. You should definitely do the presentation and avoid skipping out on it. Face your fears because it can help you be more confident the next time you have to present.

It has been discovered from surveys that the fear of public speaking is very common. And it is even estimated that more people are afraid of public speaking than death itself.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, around 73% of the population are afraid of public speaking. It is a common phobia.

You aren’t alone. It seems completely normal to have presentation anxiety.

Some psychologists have agreed that the fear of public speaking might be instinctual. Humans used to live in tribes and being rejected from our peers sometimes meant death.  You needed your tribe to survive oftentimes. You can equate this to a survival skill because they did not want to be vulnerable to rejection and get cast out.

There is more to it than that, but I am trying to explain how you aren’t different than most people. And because you are scared to present doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you.

Pretty interesting stuff.

If you want to get out of a college presentation, you need to have a legitimate excuse. If you have a medical diagnosis that may prevent you from presenting, you could check with your college’s disability office and see if you could get a reasonable accommodation.

Public speaking fears are common therefore it is expected that you will have some uneasiness so don’t immediately try to run from your fear.

You really should only seek out help from your professor if you have been diagnosed with a condition that makes presenting impossible.

And if you haven’t been diagnosed, you should seek assistance from someone who can assess you.

But for people who have a medical diagnosis, accommodations are going to be your best bet. The federal government has something called Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

You have rights in college regarding health conditions , so you should check with your college’s disability service office and find out more.

Now, you might not be able to completely avoid the presentation, but if you have accommodations through your school’s services , at least it is documented that you have a psychiatric illness and maybe your teachers are more likely to work with you.

If you don’t have accommodations already, you should see if you qualify.

They aren’t retroactive so you can’t go back and expect the school to do anything different regarding previous things that have happened. They are only effective when you officially got them.

A professor cannot force a student to present however the student could hurt their grade in the class if they don’t present. Sometimes skipping a presentation could lead to a failure in the course.

I reached out to an accredited college and talked with them about their accommodations around presentations and this is what they said.

If someone has a psychiatric illness that gives them social anxiety, and they have accommodations surrounding this disorder, then they may avoid presentations in certain classes. For example, if you are taking a sociology course and presentations are required and aren’t an integral part of the course, then your professor should try and modify it.

For example, maybe they could offer an individual presentation or recorded presentation instead.

But the college said that sometimes it might not be possible. For example, if it were a speech class, and it’s an integral part of the course, it might not be avoidable.  This would depend more on your professor.

The best case scenario for you is to meet with your disability services. If you don’t have accommodations, try getting them. If you don’t have the documentation to get the accommodations, you need to find out if you have a disorder that can be diagnosed first.

Tips to talk to your professor about getting out of a presentation

1.)  Be honest. Go to their office (preferably in person) and talk to them about your anxiety. Discuss your concerns. Don’t be afraid to talk to them.

2.)  Explain - Tell your professor that you have tried to overcome your fear and explain what you’ve tried. You want your professor to know that you’ve tried to overcome your fears and anxiety and present, but can’t.

3.)  Give them a solution – Don’t just say, I have anxiety and cannot present, but give them some solutions. You might say something like, can you consider an alternative assignment? Is there a way I could present in a classroom with only you present, or could I record my presentation?

4.) Seek help - Find out if your college offers any personal or mental health counseling. They might have some free support services that could help you address your fear of public speaking.

You can see that there are several steps to discussing your fear with your professor. Do not expect your professor to accommodate you unless they must because of your accommodations. But hopefully you can at least share your concerns and get some feedback from your professor.

Things to consider

Understand that getting accommodations may not mean that your professor must do anything at all. This entirely depends on the circumstances. If you do have accommodations, you will want to speak with your college’s disability services’ office to ask about this possibility.

And lastly, make sure you are only trying to get out of the presentation because you simply cannot overcome this fear. And it’s something you have tried to overcome. I am sympathetic to this anxiety, but know most people present without any issues, even with anxiousness.

Don’t lie. Be genuine, and if you need truly need accommodations, get those. If you need medical treatment for your anxiety, seek it.

Should I just skip a class for a presentation?

No, you should not skip class just to avoid a presentation. There are lots of positive things you can learn by doing your class presentation. You could miss out on a grade and risk failing the class. If you skip class just to avoid a presentation, you are not gaining the confidence you need later in life. The more you do public presentations, the better and more comfortable you will get.

In your job, you’ll need these oral presentation skills and you are missing an opportunity to build these skills when you skip a presentation. Finally you want to support your other classmates too.

Look, I hope you can overcome your fear and do the presentation. To help you, I have created an article dedicated to helping you get over your fears and present like a boss.

Anxiety support

If you need assistance for anxiety, panic disorders, depression, etc., you can seek assistance from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Note : I am not a disability services expert so please use discretion and remember that there are a lot of variables that will impact your outcome. This is not professional, medical, or legal advice and is for informational purposes only. Your results may vary.

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Your guide to asking your professor for help.

9 Clever Ways to get out of a Presentation

Hrideep barot.

• Body Language & Delivery , Presentation , Public Speaking , Workplace Communication

Ever attended a boring presentation and thought to yourself why am I even here; or worse thought you were going to give a boring presentation and had the same thought as mentioned above? Having to wait before your turn in presentation is the scariest feeling of all; contrastingly, going through with it and delivering a successful presentation puts you on cloud nine. 

A presentation is the procedure of presenting an idea, topic or thought to an audience using creative and effective tools. Presentations have many purposes, that is to inform, persuade, entertain, instruct etc. It may be addressed to a single entity, to a group or to a crowd. It is also being used in all types of fields be it education, work, sales; or even casual like giving a presentation to your friend about how your favorite movie actor is the best.  

Why are presentations necessary?  

Presentations are important to polish your skills and get you ready to face and interact with the real world. Some of the reasons highlighting the necessity of a presentation include engaging your audience. Engagement with your audience is important especially if your presentation is persuasive; it pushes you to face the audience and put your voice out there to grab the attention of the audience. Additionally, it helps you to see whether the audience is bored or interested. Also, if they are bored you could always use diversion to steam off the boredom. 

Moreover, there is much flexibility when it comes to presentations. You can easily modify points or change the topic in the presentation when and if needed to go in line with your client’s needs. Although it is not possible in the case of a printed. Subsequently, presentations make you do extra research and reference slides; in turn increasing your knowledge of your topic making it easier to even refer in future 

The main of the presentation is to deliver an important message or explain a topic in a brief or concise manner so that the audience don’t lose much of their time and use much of their brain power. 

Why do people avoid giving presentations?  

There are many reasons for people to duck down when given the opportunity to give a presentation. Being lazy, not taking up extra work, not good at making a presentation or having the presentation skills etc. However, the most common reasons for avoiding presentations are getting that uncomfortable feeling before presentation, fear of public speaking or the fear of boring out the audience or messing up. 

Infact, according to the website verywellmind.com around 77% of the population have glossophobia or the fear of public speaking (fear of giving presentations in front of people). This problem also arises because of people thinking that they are being constantly judged by their audience or people around them for every move they make. 

How to get out of Presentations?  

1) confrontation .

Confront your teacher or superior, talk to them and explain in detail how uncomfortable you are to present in front of everyone else and ask if there is an alternative solution or work you could do to earn the credits or ask for permission to give one on one presentation. Chances are that they might agree to your requests. 

2) Video presentation  

Ask the person in charge if you could have a video presentation instead of a live one, this way they could have you perform it in the form of a presentation and you would also be comfortable doing it in the absence of a live audience. 

3) Sick Trip  

One clever but unethical way to get out of a presentation is to call in sick or plan a trip for 2-3 days around that time. In the workplace this might spare you from presenting, as the presentation might continue without you. However, in school or college this may just simply postpone your chance to present or if you are lucky enough it will get you to present only in front of the teacher. 

3) Family Emergency  

Another unethical excuse to get out of a presentation is fake a family emergency call and get out of a presentation, same as before if you wish you to postpone your presentation, this might be of help. 

4) Less talk, more work  

If it’s a group project, with the permission of the authority, you can volunteer to do more research, technical and background work and in turn less speaking or none at all during your group presentation. 

5) Deleted Presentation

A reason specifically used so that you could postpone your presentation for some time is using this excuse that your presentation got deleted by mistake and that you did not take a back up. However, this could not be used in a group presentation and could be a little less plausible, because it is a very common excuse people used to get out of a presentation.

6) Home Emergency

home emergencies like pipe burst, water flooding, gas leak can occur anytime, hence becoming a very plausible and perfect way to reach late and miss the presentation. In addition no would ask you to show a photo of your house in a mess. So it is pretty much fool proof. (This could only work if you mention that you live alone)

7) Overslept

One of the commonly used yet barely doubtful justification for missing the presentation. You could say that you stayed up late practicing and preparing for the presentation and then you overslept and could not even hear your alarm as you by mistake put your phone on silent.

8) Untimely Death of a Close Relative

You wouldn’t want to wish or use this unless it’s badly needed. Almost everyone might believe this excuse and more so may give you a full day’s break (although your reason should be full planned like what happened, how did it happen etc.) 

9) Personal Reasons

Here, you can simply say that you couldn’t complete the presentation on time due to personal reasons that you would not be comfortable sharing. The authorities might not ask you if you say that you’re uncomfortable sharing. Just in case they do be prepared with an excuse that sounds personal (example – you started menstruating and stained your clothes).

Can a teacher force me to give a presentation?  

Technically, a teacher cannot force you to present in front of the class; although they can strongly insist you to do so with the intention to improve your public speaking skills and decrease your stage fright. However, if you refuse to give a presentation, they could give a bad grade unless you show them an IEP (Individualized Education Plan – a legal document generally used for children with learning disabilities for personalized learning goals and needs). 

But this needs you to undergo an evaluation and is a lengthy process, on top of which it’s not applicable to get out of presentations at the workplace. So how can you successfully get out of a presentation without so many medical formalities? 

How do I tell the teacher/superior that I can’t perform a presentation?  

First and the most important of all inform them in advance. Don’t come up to them at the end moment, refusing to present. They wouldn’t be able to make changes or find an alternative to give to you this late. Besides, they will think that you are saying this only because you haven’t done your work or haven’t prepared for it and want to get away with it.  

Furthermore, be honest with them, tell them the whole truth and explain to them in detail why you can’t do the presentation. The more genuine you are, the more chance there is that they will understand your situation and help you out. 

Below is a template of the letter to write to the concerned authority/teacher and request them to allow you to not perform the presentation:

Pre-presentation jitters! What to do?  

Admit it or not, almost all of us have once had that feeling of nervousness running through our bodies before giving a presentation, thinking to ourselves “just get done with it already” or “I don’t want to do present anymore. What if I mess up? Somebody please get me out of this to be disaster!” So, how do I overcome that phase? There are quite a few ways to get rid of these jitters which include  

relaxing your whole body internally and externally to decrease the secretion of stress hormones, in turn slowing down the rate resulting in decreased anxiety making you calm and composed and ready to face the crowd. 

Listen to some music

it could help you calm down or distract you from terrifying thoughts (make sure your music has soft melody rather than it being anxiety increasing, bad thought inducing. 

Content familiarization

be fully familiarized with your content, learn about everything you need to know – questions, doubts, theory, statistics etc. This may make you become more confident on stage. 

Practice thoroughly

Try to practice thoroughly before in front of your friends or family and have them ask questions to create a mock environment which will help you get more comfortable in the real one. 

Talk to a close one

Have a conversation with a person who is close to you, this might help calm your nerves and gain you some confidence. Talk to them, tell them how you feel, they might have a solution or might give a pep talk to encourage you or simply their mere auditory presence could make you feel a lot better. 

Bioenergetics

So this is basically a way to loosen up your body a bit from all involuntary bracing that you are doing due to stress. Bioenergetics is a technique of stretching your body in weird ways and along with making weird sounds. This tends to open up your voice and make you more relaxed.

Some Tips to Give your First Presentation:

Here are some tips you can keep in mind when preparing your first presentation:

Pseudo eye contact

If you are nervous to look people in the eye while presenting, make a pseudo eye contact with them which means that look at empty spaces between the audience. Look at every empty space and it will appear like you are maintaining eye contact with them. However with the less amount of audience you could focus on anything on their face but their eyes.

Talk Slowly

Being nervous while on stage, one tends to unintentionally talk very quickly, this may make it difficult for the audience to perceive them and they might instantly lose the attention of the audience. Instead, what you could do is talk slowly than usual, this way you would be more conscious of your speech, seem more comprehensive and less nervous.

Presentation: Start and End   

The start is the most crucial point in the whole presentation. How you start will determine whether you will have your audience’s attention throughout or not. If your audience experiences a boring beginning, they will judge the whole presentation on the basis of the start and not focus on your presentation. Some interesting ways to start your presentation are using stories, weird facts, jokes, questions, games, or anecdotes. Starting in an unconventional way would give you an edge over others. 

For example, to give a presentation on your firm being the best tours and travels company, provides your audience with paper and pen to write their best and worst most hilarious travel memories and put them in a bowl to create a humorous and light environment at the start. 

Similarly, your ending must also be as impactful as the start. Make a strong statement at the end to make an impact on the audience or give them something to think about at end using rhetoric device like “Was your latest travelling experience as good as how we ensure ours to be?” forcing them to weigh the pros and cons of both the deals and thinking about your presentation for a longer time. 

For more effective opening slides, check out our article – 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Opening Remarks ; and our video:

Handing over the presentation to the next presenter, how?  

Now Peter is going to present about ‘xyz’ topic. Sounds a bit monotonous right? Because this is always the scene in almost every group presentation. Your team could try something different instead, like making a connection between your speech and the successor’s speech; similar to how you connect two paragraphs in an essay saying “now we know the importance of tea, but how to make one? My partner tom would now explain on how to make a tea.” and add in some more information on it. 

When to pause during a presentation?  

Whenever you give presentations remember that pauses are important, it helps give yourself and the audience some break and time to ponder upon. This is essential especially when you are having a solo presentation.  

Firstly, time them in your speaking after questions that could be answered (but not necessarily need to be, like rhetorical devices. Such as stand-up comedians ask a rhetorical question or crack an intellectual joke and wait for the audience to react, rather than directly jumping to the next joke or conversation. This makes their connection with the audience seem genuine and also makes the audience feel included. 

Secondly at the beginning of your presentation make eye contact with the audience for 3-5 seconds before you start. This somehow acquaints you with the audience and helps you to gain their focus. 

Lastly, take a pause after you make or convey a significant point. Take a pause for half a minute or so and let the information sink in and enter their long-term memory. You can use this technique even after explaining a complex point. 

Presentation gone wrong?  

We don’t give ourselves enough credit when a presentation is successful but we are the first ones to regret and crib for a long time when messing up a bit in presentation.

Lots of people make mistakes during their presentation possibly due to anxiety, some technical glitch or some kind of innocent mistake. However only some people learn from their mistakes and move ahead, the rest become embarrassed and develop presentation anxiety or stage fright and dread giving presentation for the rest of their lives. 

So how do we handle presentation mishaps in that moment?

1) First, when you realize your mistake, stop on the spot, take a deep breath, calm yourself down, find people around who understood your mistake but still gave you supporting smiles.

2) Next, explain your mistake and correct it, the audience will understand that you are just as human as everyone else in the room and can make mistakes.

3) Lastly take control of the situation and continue. 

4) Another way you could admit your mistake is to laugh at yourself, that is cope with humor. The environment would already be tensed when people have sensed your mistake and because they don’t know how to react to your mess up and that has made them uncomfortable enough. Therefore, to blow off the steam make a joke or laugh on yourself. 

How to make presentations fun?  

Nobody likes those boring presentations with the same clichéd slides, with all the information crowded inside and no visual imagery. One could use different presentation tools to make your presentation more visually appealing. Some sites even have games to add on the slides to make it interesting. 

Additionally, you could add videos, visual imagery, audios, social experiments, good examples, and animations etc. to captivate the audience’s attention. 

To know more about different tools of presentation visit our article : 5 Presentations Tools To Use With Multimedia Presentations

Conclusion  

Presentation skills must be developed since childhood since they are used in every field. However, if you are anxious to present and cannot face a crowd, it is important that you work on your public speaking skills to make it easier for you in the future. Additionally, you need to ask for help from your supervisors or teachers to improve your skills and make you a better communicator. One also needs to learn that their presentations wouldn’t always turn out as expected and that is okay, what is important is to show up, it is fine if you mess up; as explained in the show Brooklyn 99 that “two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward”. One should always keep moving forward, learning from all their mistakes and experiences. 

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How to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really!)

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Why do I get nervous before presenting?

How not to be nervous when presenting, 5 techniques to control your nerves, quotes for inspiration, speak with confidence.

If you feel nervous or scared about talking to someone new, giving a speech, or being on stage, rest assured: you’re not alone. 

Experiencing symptoms of performance anxiety like an increased heart rate, trembling hands, or excessive sweating is perfectly normal. In fact, people often fear public speaking . But the more you’re immersed in these types of situations, the more comfortable you’ll become . 

We’ll explore how to not be nervous for a presentation and offer inspirational quotes to help you step out of your comfort zone.

Based on data from the National Social Anxiety Center, fear of public speaking is the most common phobia . The official term for this fear is glossophobia, colloquially termed stage fright.

Stage fright typically arises from the perception that when you're in front of a group of people, they'll judge you. The brain’s frontal lobe aids in memory, and when we’re stressed, increased stress hormones temporarily shut that region down . This is what causes us to freeze up and stop talking. 

There’s nothing wrong with being nervous. We all have different social comfort zones, communication styles, and presentation skills. But we can expand and improve our skills if we’re cognitively flexible .

Cognitive flexibility plays a big role in our behavior and attitudes and impacts our performance. You can use your fears as a catalyst for growth and learning — including giving a great presentation.

The following techniques will help you shift your thinking from reactive to proactive to combat nerves throughout the presentation experience:

Before the presentation:

1. Know your topic

Don’t wing it when it comes to presenting any topic. The better you understand your subject matter, the more confident you’ll feel. You can answer questions right away and won’t have to rely on your notes.

If there are a few points or any information you think might arise during the presentation or Q&A, research it and become comfortable speaking to the subject.

Here are a few ways to study: 

• Break down concepts onto notecards
• Practice answering questions  (especially the hard ones you hope no one asks)
• Explain complex information to peers and colleagues

2. Be organized

Take time to thoroughly plan each aspect of the presentation. Often, that means designing PowerPoint slides or other visual aids like videos. Clarify with the organizer what format and technology you’ll be using.

If it’ll be virtual, get your background and room organized, too. This ensures the presentation will go smoothly, in turn reducing stress.  Consider the following preparations:

• Invite your support network to the event
• Arrive early to set up tech and get comfortable in the space
• Practice timing your presentation with the time tracker you’ll use day-of
• Bring a water bottle and a snack
• Contact your manager or venue staff to discuss any accessibility or tech concerns

3. Practice, practice, practice

Whether you’re rehearsing in front of a mirror, family member, or pet, you can never practice enough. Ask for feedback about your body language , eye contact , and how loudly you project your voice.

If you’ll be giving the presentation on a video conference, record it on the platform to see how you look and sound.

4. Visualize your success

Thinking through possible outcomes is a great way to prepare — but it can also backfire on you. If you obsess over negative what-ifs, this failing mentality might become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

The more often you fill your mind with positive thoughts and visualize your success, the more automatic they’ll be. Positive self-talk can make a big difference to your confidence. Run through the presentation — successfully — in your head.

During the presentation:

5. Focus on your material, not the audience

Your audience is there for your presentation — not to assess you. They’ll be looking at your colorful slides and listening to what you’re saying. Don’t let your mind fill with insecurities . 

6 . Don't fear silence

If your mind suddenly goes blank, that’s okay. It may seem like an eternity to you as you try to figure out what to say next, but it’s only a few seconds at most. 

Pausing isn’t a bad thing, anyway. You can use dramatic breaks advantageously to draw attention before the most important bits. 

7 . Speak slowly

Presentation anxiety often causes nervous energy, so we speak faster than normal. This might make you fumble your words or forget important details.

Slow down. Audience members will be thankful since they can understand you , and drawing out your speech will give you time to calm down, ground yourself , and stay organized.

8 . Take deep breaths and drink water

Breathing delivers oxygen to your brain, allowing you to think more clearly. Drinking water ups your energy, and also gives you a moment to pause. 

Smiling is a simple yet effective way to soothe your nerves. Doing so releases endorphins, helping you physically feel more confident. And a friendly face will make the audience more open to what you’re saying. 

10 . Remember the three "audience truths"

These include: 1) for the duration of the presentation, the audience believes you’re the expert, 2) they’re on your side, and 3) they don’t know when you make a mistake. 

After the presentation:

11. Recognize your success

Giving a presentation is something worth being proud of — celebrate it! In addition to family, friends, and coworkers, you deserve a high five from yourself, too.

1 2. Collect feedback

Feedback is a wonderful gift if you use it as a tool to help you do even better next time. Ask some of your audience members what they liked and what they didn’t. Remember, you can learn a lot from your mistakes . 

1 3. Don't beat yourself up

You did the best you could, and that’s all anyone — including you — can ask for. 

Nervousness is perfectly normal, but sometimes our symptoms hold us back from doing — and enjoying — scarier tasks. Here are five tips for overcoming nerves:

1. Practice impression management

Impression management requires projecting an image that contradicts how you actually feel. It’s essentially a “fake it ‘til you make it” strategy.  Let’s say you’re about to make a corporate-wide presentation and feel worried you’ll forget important information. You’ll counteract this worry by imagining yourself remembering every detail and delivering it entertainingly.

Learn from this practice by noting the information chosen in your hypothetical and how you expressed it effectively. 

2. Talk to someone

Emotions are contagious. We absorb others’ positive vibes . Chatting with people who are excited about and confident in our presentation abilities rubs off on us. 

Before a presentation, call a cheerleader in your life — someone who’s on your side and understands your nerves. Be specific, discussing which parts of presenting are nerve-wracking and what you need from them.

3. Do breathing exercises

Mindful breathing is when you pay attention to the sensation of inhaling and exhaling while controlling and deepening breath length. Breathwork has several health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety and improving memory, attention, and focus. 

Before the presentation, find a quiet and solitary space. Breathe deeply for at least a minute, focusing on sensation and depth. This practice brings you into your body and out of your mind (away from nerve-wracking thoughts).

4. Practice reframing 

Reframing is a technique used in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to improve negative automatic thought patterns over time. One such pattern is viewing certain emotions as bad, and others as good. Nervousness feels the same in the body as excitement. Instead of panicking even more when realizing you’re nervous, reframe your impression of nerves as excitement for what you’re about to do.

This excitement will propel you forward with confidence and pride for stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something scary.

Here are seven inspirational quotes to help you feel confident and excited when doing something you’re nervous about:

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” John Ford

“ When speaking in public, your message — no matter how important — will not be effective or memorable if you don't have a clear structure. ” Patricia Fripp

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.”  Sir Ralph Richardson

“The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.” Lady Bird Johnson

“It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public.” Tony Robbins

“The worst speech you’ll ever give will be far better than the one you never give.” Fred Miller

Like any other skill, learning how to not be nervous for a presentation takes time and practice. Acknowledging this hurdle is the first step to making a change in the right direction.  Facing your fears will empower you to take on scarier — and more fulfilling — goals and enjoy the experience along the way. You don’t have to start with a TED Talk. Tackle small challenges like presenting an idea to your manager or practicing a short speech with a friend.  We won’t sugarcoat it — it’s hard to change our minds and habits. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll be rewarded with increased confidence and new experiences.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

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10 Powerful Examples of How to End a Presentation

• By Illiya Vjestica
• - January 23, 2023

Here are 10 powerful examples of how to end a presentation that does not end with a thank you slide.

How many presentations have you seen that end with “Thank you for listening” or “Any questions?” I bet it’s a lot…

“Thank you for listening.” is the most common example. Unfortunately, when it comes to closing out your slides ending with “thank you” is the norm. We can create a better presentation ending by following these simple examples.

The two most essential slides of your deck are the ending and intro. An excellent presentation ending is critical to helping the audience to the next step or following a specific call to action.

There are many ways you can increase your presentation retention rate . The most critical steps are having a solid call to action at the end of your presentation and a powerful hook that draws your audience in.

What Action do You Want Your Audience to Take?

Before designing your presentation, start with this question – what message or action will you leave your audience with?

Are you looking to persuade, inspire, entertain or inform your audience? You can choose one or multiple words to describe the intent of your presentation.

Think about the action words that best describe your presentation ending – what do you want them to do? Inspire, book, learn, understand, engage, donate, buy, book or schedule. These are a few examples.

If the goal of your presentation is to inspire, why not end with a powerful and inspiring quote ? Let words of wisdom be the spark that ignites an action within your audience.

Here are three ways to end your presentation:

• Call to Action – getting the audience to take a specific action or next step, for example, booking a call, signing up for an event or donating to your cause.
• Persuade – persuading your audience to think differently, try something new, undertake a challenge or join your movement or community.
• Summarise – A summary of the key points and information you want the audience to remember. If you decide to summarise your talk at the end, keep it to no more than three main points.

10 Examples of How to End a Presentation

1. Asking your audience to take action or make a pledge.

Here were asking the audience to take action by using the wording “take action” in our copy. This call to action is a pledge to donate. A clear message like this can be helpful for charities and non-profits looking to raise funding for their campaign or cause.

2. Encourage your audience to take a specific action, e.g. joining your cause or community

Here was are asking the audience to join our community and help solve a problem by becoming part of the solution. It’s a simple call to action. You can pass the touch to your audience and ask them to take the next lead.

3. Highlight the critical points for your audience to remember.

Rember, to summarise your presentation into no more than three key points. This is important because the human brain struggles to remember more than three pieces of information simultaneously. We call this the “Rule of Three”.

4. If you are trying to get more leads or sales end with a call to action to book a demo or schedule a call.

Can you inspire your audience to sign up for a demo or trial of your product? Structure your talk to lead your prospect through a journey of the results you generate for other clients. At the end of your deck, finish with a specific call to action, such as “Want similar results to X?”

Make sure you design a button, or graphic your prospect can click on when you send them the PDF version of the slides.

5. Challenge your audience to think differently or take action, e.g. what impact could they make?

6. Give your audience actions to help share your message.

7. Promote your upcoming events or workshops

8. Asking your audience to become a volunteer.

9. Direct your audience to learn more about your website.

10. If you are a book author, encourage your audience to engage with your book.

6 Questions to Generate an Ending for Your Presentation

You’ve told an engaging story, but why end your presentation without leaving your audience a clear message or call to action?

Here are six great questions you can ask yourself to generate an ending for your presentation or keynote talk.

• What impression would you want to leave your audience with?
• What is the big idea you want to leave them with?
• What action should they take next?
• What key point should you remember 72 hours after your presentation?
• What do you want them to feel?
• What is the key takeaway for them to understand?

What to Say After Ending a Presentation?

When you get to the end of a book, you don’t see the author say, “thank you for reading my last chapter.” Of course, there is no harm in thanking the audience after your presentation ends, but don’t make that the last words you speak.

Think of the ending of the presentation as the final chapter of an epic novel. It’s your chance to leave a lasting impression on the audience. Close with an impactful ending and leave them feeling empowered, invigorated and engaged.

• Leave a lasting impression.
• Think of it as the last chapter of a book.
• Conclude with a thought or question.
• Leave the audience with a specific action or next step.

How to End a Presentation with Style?

There are many great ways you can end your presentation with style. Are you ready to drop the mic?

Ensure your closing slide is punchy, has a clear headline, or uses a thought-provoking image.

You want to capture the audience’s attention before closing the presentation. Make sure the fonts you choose and are clear and easy to read. And What are the Best Colours for Your PowerPoint presentation? Use them wisely.

Do you need to consider adding a link? If you add links to your social media accounts, use icons and buttons to make them easy to see. Add a link to each button or icon. By doing this, if you send the PDF slides to people, they can follow the links to your various accounts.

What Should you Remember?

💡 If you take one thing away from this post, it’s to lose the traditional ending slides. Let’s move on from the “Thank you for your attention.” or “Any questions.” slides.

These don’t help you or the audience. Respect them and think about what they should do next. You may be interested to learn 3 Tactics to Free Your Presentation Style to help you connect to your audience.

Create stunning presentations with our templates, toolkits and guides.

Illiya Vjestica

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How to Get Out of a Presentation for Class: Creative Solutions

Need to dodge a class presentation? We’ve all been there, torn between facing the spotlight and finding an escape route. Whether you’re a master of stage fright, social anxiety, panic attacks, or just not feeling it, we’ve got your back. In this guide, we’ll unravel savvy strategies to gracefully slip out of that nerve-wracking presentation while ensuring your academic standing remains unscathed. From crafting convincing excuses to navigating alternative contributions, we’ll explore the art of evading without leaving a trace.

Key Takeaways

• Communicate openly with your educators about your presentation concerns and explore alternative options that align with the learning objectives.
• Consider proposing alternative assignments that demonstrate your understanding of the material in a way that feels more comfortable for you.
• Pre-recording your presentation can be a viable solution, allowing you to maintain control over the environment and reduce anxiety.
• In online classes, be proactive in addressing any technical or logistical challenges that may affect your presentation experience.
• Seek ways to enhance your presentation enjoyment by incorporating elements that resonate with your interests and strengths.
• Acknowledge and address any anxieties or concerns you may have about presentations, and remember that it’s okay to seek support when needed.

How to Get Out of a Presentation for Class

Presentation anxiety.

Presentation anxiety is a common fear among students, impacting their academic performance. Managing this anxiety is crucial for student well-being. For example, deep breathing exercises and practicing the presentation multiple times can help reduce anxiety.

On top of that, it’s important to remember that anxiety about presentations doesn’t just affect the moment of presenting; it can have long-term effects on a student’s overall confidence and academic success. Seeking support from teachers or counselors can be beneficial in managing presentation-related anxiety.

Ethical Considerations

When considering ethical implications, honesty and integrity are paramount. Students should think carefully before seeking alternatives to presentations. It’s essential to weigh the ethical dilemmas that may arise when trying to avoid presentations.

Moreover, being honest with oneself about the reasons for wanting to skip a presentation is an important step in making an ethical decision. By doing so, students can ensure they are not compromising their values or integrity.

Public Speaking Challenges

It’s crucial to recognize that not all students feel comfortable with public speaking. Overcoming these challenges requires understanding and support from both educators and peers. Developing effective communication skills goes beyond traditional presentations and includes various forms of expression such as group discussions or written assignments.

Communicating with Educators

Honest conversations.

Open communication with teachers and professors is crucial when facing presentation issues. Being honest about the audience concerns surrounding presentations can lead to finding suitable solutions. By openly discussing these worries, students can build trust with their educators, which in turn can help alleviate the stress associated with presenting in class.

Explaining anxieties or fears about public speaking to instructors might result in them offering guidance or support during the presentation. For instance, a student could express feeling uncomfortable presenting alone and request to work on a group project instead. This kind of honest conversation often leads to positive outcomes for both parties involved.

Sharing personal challenges or struggles related to presentations might prompt educators to provide additional resources or accommodations tailored to individual needs. In some cases, teachers may offer extra practice sessions or alternative ways of demonstrating knowledge beyond traditional presentations.

Negotiating Alternatives

For some students, especially those facing severe anxiety or other mental health challenges, exploring alternative assessment methods such as presentation becomes necessary. Negotiating presentation alternatives requires careful consideration from both the student and the educator’s perspective. It involves finding a compromise that ensures fair evaluation while accommodating the student’s specific needs.

Instructors may be willing to consider options such as written reports, creative projects, or recorded video submissions as alternatives to live presentations for students who struggle with public speaking due to various reasons.

Creative Excuses to Miss Presentations

Health concerns.

When dealing with health concerns that hinder your ability to participate in presentations, it’s crucial to prioritize your well-being. If you’re feeling unwell or experiencing health issues, it’s important to communicate this with your teacher. Prioritizing your health is essential for overall well-being and academic success . For instance, if you have a doctor’s note stating that you are not fit for public speaking due to anxiety or any other health issue, sharing this information with your teacher can help them understand the situation better.

Family Emergencies

Balancing family responsibilities and academic requirements can be challenging when faced with family emergencies . It’s important to approach these situations compassionately and communicate effectively with your teacher . If there’s a family emergency that requires your immediate attention and prevents you from participating in a presentation, discussing this matter openly with your teacher can lead to a compassionate consideration of the circumstances.

Technical Difficulties

When encountering technical difficulties , such as internet connectivity problems or malfunctioning devices during virtual presentations, seeking technical support promptly is crucial. Informing your teacher about the technical issues hindering your ability to deliver an effective online presentation can lead to accommodations or alternative arrangements being made.

Alternative Assignment Proposals

Written submissions.

Written submissions can be a great alternative to oral presentations for students who may feel uncomfortable speaking in front of the class. Assessing written work and presentation allows teachers to gain insight into students’ comprehension and analysis skills without causing unnecessary anxiety. By offering options for written submissions, educators can promote inclusive assessment practices that cater to diverse learning styles and preferences. For example, instead of delivering a speech about a historical figure, students could write an essay analyzing their impact on society.

Project Work

Engaging in project-based assessments offers an excellent alternative way for students to demonstrate their learning outcomes through presentation. Project work provides opportunities for learners to showcase their knowledge and skills in diverse formats such as creating posters, dioramas, or multimedia presentations. Incorporating project work into the curriculum enhances the variety of assessment methods available to students, allowing them to express themselves creatively while still meeting academic requirements.

Independent Research

Encouraging independent research projects is another effective approach that provides opportunities for self-directed learning. Independent research assignments foster critical thinking and information literacy skills as students delve deep into topics that interest them personally. This type of assignment also allows learners to benefit from the autonomy and intellectual growth associated with conducting independent research.

Pre-Recorded Presentation Solutions

Video submissions.

Video submissions offer a creative way for students to present their ideas remotely. It allows instructors to evaluate students’ communication abilities visually, accommodating different learning preferences and technological skills. For example, if you’re uncomfortable speaking in front of the class, creating a video can be a great alternative.

Assessing video submissions provides insight into students’ nonverbal communication skills, such as body language, facial expressions, and presentation. Embracing this method not only supports shy students but also encourages creativity in delivering presentations.

Audio Recordings

Audio recordings provide an auditory platform for students to convey their knowledge and insights effectively. Assessing audio recordings enables instructors to evaluate verbal articulation and clarity of thought while supporting diverse modes of expression in academic assessments.

Incorporating audio recordings is beneficial for those who struggle with anxiety, public speaking fears, and presentation. It allows them to focus on delivering the content confidently without being overwhelmed by the pressure of live presentations.

Slideshow Narrations

Slideshow narrations allow students to combine visual aids with spoken explanations of their work, enhancing multimedia communication skills in academic settings. Evaluating slideshow narrations provides insight into students’ ability to organize and present information effectively through both visual and verbal means.

Dealing with Online Class Dynamics

Virtual presence.

Navigating virtual platforms during online classes presents new challenges for student presentations. Cultivating a strong virtual presence requires adaptability, technology proficiency, and effective communication skills. It encompasses various aspects of online engagement, including body language, voice modulation, and audience interaction. For example, students can practice maintaining eye contact by looking directly at the camera instead of the screen to create a more engaging experience for their audience.

Connectivity Issues

Confronting connectivity issues during virtual presentations can disrupt the flow of communication in online classes . Reinforcing reliable internet access is essential for minimizing the impact of connectivity issues on student presentations. Educators should consider providing guidelines on how to troubleshoot common connectivity problems to ensure that students are well-prepared to handle unexpected disruptions during their presentations.

Digital Substitutes

Incorporating digital substitutes offers innovative alternatives to traditional presentation formats in online classes , catering to diverse learning styles and preferences. These substitutes expand the repertoire of assessment methods available to educators and students alike while fostering creativity and inclusivity in academia. For instance, students could explore creating interactive multimedia presentations using tools like Prezi or Canva as an alternative approach to delivering their content in an engaging manner.

Enhancing Presentation Enjoyment

Interactive elements.

Including interactive elements in presentations can make them more enjoyable. When you involve your audience, it creates a dynamic learning experience. This engagement helps people retain information better than traditional lectures.

For example, you can use polls or ask questions to get the audience involved. This not only makes the presentation more enjoyable for them but also enhances their understanding of the topic.

Using interactive elements is a great way to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. It may seem daunting at first, but it can lead to a more engaging and fulfilling experience for both you and your classmates.

Visual Aids

Strategic use of visual aids can significantly enrich presentations. They reinforce key points, making them easier to understand while also keeping the audience engaged with compelling visuals that complement what you’re saying.

For instance, if you’re presenting about different countries, including maps or images related to each country can help paint a clearer picture for your classmates. This not only makes the presentation more interesting but also helps everyone grasp the content better.

Incorporating visual aids allows you to add variety and creativity to your presentation style, stepping beyond standard text-heavy slides into an engaging multimedia approach.

Group Collaboration

Collaborative group projects offer an alternative approach to individual presentations by promoting shared responsibility and diverse perspectives among peers. Working together fosters teamwork skills essential for future professional endeavors while providing a refreshing change from solo presentations.

Addressing Teen Protestations

Classroom dynamics.

The classroom environment plays a crucial role in shaping the experiences of both students and teachers. Creating an inclusive space that respects varying presentation preferences is essential for fostering a positive educational atmosphere. By accommodating different learning styles, technological competencies, and individual strengths, educators can contribute to a supportive academic setting that values student input and well-being.

Gathering feedback from students regarding their preferred modes of assessment is vital for promoting inclusivity. This approach considers diverse learning styles, technological competencies, and individual strengths. For instance, some students may feel more comfortable with written assignments or group projects instead of traditional presentations. Embracing these differences nurtures confidence, collaboration, and holistic development among all participants.

Educational reforms are continuously striving to promote inclusive assessment practices that recognize the diverse needs, abilities, and circumstances of learners while embracing technological advancements. These reforms aim to expand the possibilities for engaging evaluation methods across various academic disciplines. For example, incorporating digital presentations or multimedia projects as alternatives to traditional speaking engagements acknowledges the evolving landscape of education and supports equitable evaluation methods.

Final Remarks

You’ve now got a toolbox full of strategies to dodge those nerve-wracking presentations. Whether it’s negotiating with your teachers, proposing alternative assignments, or pre-recording your talks, you’ve got options. But remember, while avoiding presentations might feel like a short-term win, facing your fears head-on can lead to long-term growth. So, don’t let the fear of stumbling in front of the class hold you back from developing essential skills. It’s okay to be nervous; it’s okay to seek alternatives, but it’s also okay to step out of your comfort zone and shine.

Now go out there and tackle those presentation jitters! You’ve got this!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i effectively communicate with my educators about missing a presentation.

You should be honest and respectful in your communication. Explain your reasons clearly and propose an alternative solution. Keep in mind that maintaining open communication is crucial for building trust with your educators.

What are some creative excuses to miss presentations?

It’s best to avoid making up excuses as it can damage your credibility. Instead, consider discussing any genuine challenges you’re facing with the presentation or proposing alternative ways to demonstrate your understanding of the material.

Can I propose an alternative assignment if I’m unable to participate in a presentation?

Yes, you can propose an alternative assignment that allows you to showcase your knowledge and skills in a different format. Ensure that the proposed assignment aligns with the learning objectives of the presentation.

How do pre-recorded presentations offer a solution for those who struggle with live presentations?

Pre-recorded presentations provide an opportunity for individuals to carefully plan and deliver their content without the pressure of presenting live. This approach allows for multiple takes, editing, and refining before submitting the final recording.

What strategies can help enhance enjoyment during presentations?

Engaging in thorough preparation, practicing regularly, incorporating visual aids or interactive elements, and focusing on sharing valuable insights rather than just delivering information can significantly enhance enjoyment during presentations.

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• For General Anxiety
• For Panic Attacks
• For Fears and Phobias

Presentation Anxiety: How to Overcome Stage Fright (Complete Guide)

Tyler Ellis

Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, is thought to affect as much as 75% of the population. For both students and professionals alike, this phobia tends to take the form of presentation anxiety. So, how can we overcome stage fright and presentation anxiety once and for all?

While avoiding presentations may bring some short-term relief to your anxiety, this will worsen your stage fright in the long-run. To overcome presentation anxiety long-term, presentation tools and gradual practice are the most effective solutions.

Maybe, right now, you’re extremely anxious about a presentation coming up. Maybe the only thought racing through your mind is how in the world am I going to get out of giving this presentation?

No worries. This guide is going to cover everything – and I mean everything – you’ll need to know. Make sure not to skip the section on “alternative ways of presenting,” I think you’ll find those really useful!

No need to stress; let’s get right into this.

What Causes Presentation Anxiety?

First things first… why do we feel presentation anxiety in the first place?

Sure, we might expect our heart to pound and breathing to accelerate as we walk along the edge of a cliff – but during a presentation? What part of talking about George Washington Carver inventing peanut butter should cause our hands to tremble and our voice to stutter?

Well, as it turns out, presentation anxiety is caused by ancient mechanisms in our brain responsible for our survival. For anxious people, our brain perceives being the center of attention in large group to be a threat. This triggers the “fight or flight” response, causing us to panic as we try and escape our uncomfortable setting.

Obviously, we are in no real danger while giving a class presentation or work presentation. Many years of evolution, however, have trained us to avoid stage fright with a passion. In ancient times, being surround by a (potentially angry) mob could have fatal consequences; as could being humiliated, rejected, or otherwise cast out from the tribe.

For many of us – especially those of us prone to social anxiety – such fears have stuck with us since caveman times. It’s important we remember these fears are harmless. Just being aware of their nature can help with this process. Despite what your brain and body may be telling you, these feelings of anxiety are not dangerous; they are going to pass.

Feel free to check out this article for a better understanding of the evolutionary psychology behind anxiety .

How to Get Out of a Presentation

I recommend against avoidance in most cases, as it only reinforces our anxiety in the long-run.

However, I know what it’s like to be a student with presentation anxiety.

I know how hard it is juggling academics, a social life, relationships, and newly blossoming anxieties all at once. I know that it can get so bad the most logical option feels like dropping out of school altogether. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do that.

So, if you’re really just not ready to overcome your stage fright:

• Intentionally Choose Classes That Don’t Require Presentations
• Tell the Teacher or Professor About What You’re Going Through
• Ask the Teacher or Professor for Alternative Assignments
• For Group Presentations, Ask Someone Else to Take the Lead
• Present Your Assignment in an Alternative Format Using Presentation Tools and Software (more on this in a bit)

If this seems a bit vague, it’s only because I’ve actually dedicated an entire article to this topic already. Check out this piece on how to get out of giving a presentation in class for more help with this.

Like I said, ultimately, avoidance is a poor strategy. However, I believe it’s just as detrimental to be “forced” into facing our fears before we are mentally prepared to do so. Having been there myself, I want you to be able to rest easy knowing that you do have some options here.

For this guide, however, I want to focus more on how to actually overcome presentation anxiety and stage fright.

My secret is – believe it or not – I get incredibly nervous before public speaking, no matter how big the crowd or the audience and, um, despite the fact that I laugh and joke all the time I get incredibly nervous, if not anxious, actually, before going into rooms full of people when I'm wearing a suit... And now that I've confessed that, I'll probably be even more worried that people are looking at me.

Prince Harry - Duke of Sussex, Member of the British Royal Family

How to Stop a Panic Attack While Presenting in Class

When I first started having panic attacks, I had no idea what they were or why they were happening. Prior to my first panic attack, I had never had an issue with public speaking or presentation anxiety at all. In fact, I had voluntarily participated in several clubs and activities that required public speaking.

Yet, when my first few panic attacks started (I was around 16 at the time), they would occur in any random situation. Wherever they occurred, I'd quickly develop a phobia associated with that location or situation. One such random panic attack occurred – you guessed it – during a class presentation.

While this experience was terrifying, embarrassing, and extremely uncomfortable, I had – fortunately – managed to keep it together enough for most people not to notice. For the many class presentations that would follow, however, I had to develop some tricks to stop panic attacks while presenting in class.

Here’s what worked for me:

• Volunteer to go first. This may seem strange, but I always felt it easier to volunteer first and get it out of the way. Oftentimes, it’s easier to deal with presentation anxiety when we don’t feel cornered. By choosing to do it yourself, you maintain some control of the situation and get the jump on things before anticipation anxiety kicks in .
• Remember you are not going to die. This is just a panic attack, and it’s going to pass. It may be uncomfortable, but it will be over within a few moments.
• Take control of your breathing. 478 breathing is a simple technique that works. Simply breathe in for 4 seconds through the nose, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds through the mouth.
• Find a focus object. Choose a point, or several points, to focus on in the room. This could be a ceiling tile, a lightbulb, a pile of books, anything. Whenever your thoughts start to wander or spiral out of control, recenter your thoughts on that focus object.
• Try and remember the other times you’ve given a class presentation with anxiety. Chances are, this isn’t your first time. Remember those past successes and visualize this presentation as one where you overcome stage fright as well. If your mind is drawn to a time when it didn’t go so well, at least remind yourself that it passed and you survived it; just as you’ll survive this one.
• If you have a friend in the class, look to them from time to time. Flash them a smile or a wink, and try not to laugh out loud while you’re up there. This may seem silly, but I’d rather stifle a laugh than grapple a panic attack.
• Remember that no one’s really paying attention. Just as you were sitting at your desk nervously thinking about your own turn to present, most people are doing the exact same now. And even if they’re not anxious, they’re probably zoned out or drifting off; it’s quite difficult to keep an involuntary crowd’s attention. Trust me, they’re probably not thinking about you much.

These are just a few ways to stop a panic attack while presenting in class. Of course, just about any method for stopping panic attacks can work well here, so feel free to explore our site a bit to learn some other methods.

There are only two types of speakers in the world:

1. The nervous

Mark Twain - American humorist, novelist, and travel writer

Alternative Ways of Presenting to Help Overcome Stage Fright

If you take nothing else from this article, I believe that this is the section that can help anxious students and professionals with stage fright the most. When I was dealing with presentation anxiety myself, most of these options didn’t even exist. If you’re anxious about standing in front of class and presenting, any of these could be fantastic alternatives to presenting.

Basically, any of these presentation software tools can help you to quickly create a visually stunning presentation; all without having to speak in front of the class. They utilize audio, video, and/or animation to create informative videos that get the point across even more effectively than conventional presentations.

For the most part, all a teacher or boss really cares about is that you: 

• Put hard work and dedication into your assignment
• Learned something throughout the process
• Are able to communicate what you learned to educate your peers

Telling the teacher “Sorry, I just can’t present today,” won’t meet any of these points, and is likely to land you a failed grade.

Instead, ask your teacher if you can use one of these presentation tools to create an even more engaging and informative presentation. This way, it’ll seem like you’ve put in the most effort in the class, rather than the least; all without having to speak in front of the class.

Here are the automated presentation tools I currently use myself and recommend:

I go into much greater detail on these tools here: automated presentation software . Before buying anything, I strongly suggest giving that article a read. Otherwise, Toonly and Doodly are my top picks.

What is the Best Presentation Anxiety Medication for Stage Fright?

Giving a presentation in high school or college can be extremely stressful for many people. If standing in front of the class feels like an impossible task, you may be wondering about presentation anxiety medication. So… what are the best drugs for presentation anxiety?

Since I’m not a doctor, I can only offer you a friendly opinion here.

In general, I think it’s a good idea to steer clear of anti-anxiety medication whenever it isn’t absolutely necessary. If your doctor prescribes you presentation anxiety medication, so be it. In the long-run, however, this can often create cycles of reliance and dependence that are best avoided.

But what about taking an over-the-counter supplement for anxiety before a presentation?

I have personally found one supplement to help me relax and communicate more confidently. This is my favorite supplement for stage fright, as it has helped me tremendously in situations where I would normally feel a bit socially anxious. I’ve used this supplement for presentations, job interviews, and even first dates.

My favorite supplement for presentation anxiety symptoms is phenibut. It just helps me feel significantly calmer while simultaneously boosting my sociability and confidence. This supplement is extremely affordable and legally sold online in most countries. If you want to learn a bit more about it, I have an article going into greater depth about phenibut here.

I do urge responsibility when using phenibut, as you don’t want to become reliant on it. But if it makes the difference between shirking your presentation vs. delivering a great one, I highly recommend it.

Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning

Winston Churchill - Former Prime Minister of the UK, Famous Orator

Tips for How to Present a Project Effectively

Few things help to eliminate anticipation anxiety like truly preparing for the situation. If your fears are rooted in delivering a poor or ineffective presentation, take some time to prepare.

Here are some tips for how to present a project effectively:

How to Overcome Stage Fright and Presentation Anxiety

There are many strategies we can take when dealing with our presentation anxiety or stage fright. Here are three of the most common strategies:

• Complete Avoidance – Post-college, public speaking occasions like presentations are pretty few and far between. As an adult, it isn’t too difficult to avoid presentations, although not overcoming stage fright can be a hinderance in many career fields.
• Reluctant and Occasional – Here’s where most people in the world probably fall. Most of us aren’t 100% comfortable with presenting, yet we suck it up and get it done when we have to. This isn’t a bad place to be, although it's uncomfortable occasionally.
• Conquering Presentation Anxiety – Some brave souls will choose to completely crush their fear of public speaking, overcoming stage fright and glossophobia entirely. This path is not for the faint of heart, as it isn’t easy; however, it has the largest payoff in the end with regard to career and confidence.

We’ve already discussed strategies for the first two earlier in this guide. Let’s now focus on the third.

How can we overcome presentation anxiety and glossophobia?

Well, whenever we want to eliminate a fear or phobia long-term, the best way to do so is through exposure therapy. We do have a full article on how to extinguish fears through exposure therapy if you’re curious to really understand this process.

For now, I’ll fill you in on the basics:

By gradually stepping outside of our comfort zone and exposing ourselves to our fears, we can eliminate those fears over time. The key here is that we are stepping a bit outside our comfort zone, but not immersing ourselves so fully to induce panic. In other words: challenge yourself at a fair pace.  

So how do we apply this to overcome presentation anxiety and stage fright?

My suggestion would be to identify the smallest voluntary step you can take outside of your comfort zone without panicking. Perhaps presenting may induce a panic attack, but are you at least able to read aloud from your seat? Perhaps reading aloud is difficult, but could you at least volunteer an answer from time to time?

This process will be as unique as a fingerprint for each person, as we all have different comfort zones and stressors. Try and find where your comfort zone ends and take small steps just outside of it. With repeated practice, you’ll notice your comfort zone expanding as you become more confident with the activity.

In general, here are some opportunities you may find useful for stepping outside of your comfort zone:

• Start raising your hand more often to ask or answer questions
• Volunteer to read aloud or answer a problem on the board whenever you’re feeling confident
• Create a presentation using presentation software (recommendations above), but see if you can actually get through it without relying on the audio. If you get too nervous, you can use it
• Rather than trying to get out of a presentation, ask your groupmates if you could take a lesser role with speaking; perhaps you could do more of the research to make up for it
• Seek out your local Toastmasters group to practice public speaking away from the pressures of your own social circles
• Try and attend small open mic nights and similar opportunities to gain experience with public speaking

Fun Fact: I successfully avoided presentations for the majority of my high school and college career. Afterward, I wound up working several jobs that forced me to confront this fear. First came a sales job, and next came a job that required me to speak in front of 150-200 people multiple times per day.

Turns out, I liked money more than I disliked public speaking.

List of Famous People with Public Speaking Anxiety

Sometimes a bit of solidarity goes a long way. Here’s a list of famous/successful people who have long been known to have suffered from public speaking anxiety:

• Winston Churchill
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Abraham Lincoln
• Prince Harry
• Warren Buffet
• Mark Zuckerberg
• Sigmund Freud
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Tiger Woods
• Rowan Atkinson
• Jackie Chan
• Thomas Jefferson
• Margaret Thatcher
• Princess Diana
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Sir Richard Branson

As you can see… we’ve got some big names up there. And this is just a very small list of successful people who have been open about their public speaking anxiety – to say nothing of the silent majority!

Never forget, you’re far from alone in experiencing this – you can absolutely overcome presentation anxiety, stage fright, and glossophobia if you wish to!

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About the Author

Years of personal experience with anxiety disorders and panic attacks have led me to devise some pretty creative ways to keep my anxiety in check. In the past, anxiety and panic attacks felt like something I'd have to live with forever. Nowadays, panic attacks are a distant memory for me, and I'm free to pursue passions like writing and traveling the world. Hopefully, the information on this website can help you achieve the same. I do all the writing here myself, so don't hesitate to reach out with questions!

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