If you’ve been asked to officiate your best friend’s wedding, that’s an exciting proposition. If you deal with public speaking anxiety, it might pose a bit of a challenge. First of all, fear of speaking in public is nothing to be ashamed about. Even the people who make it seem easy, either have a lot of practice speaking in public, or learned certain tricks to deal with the physical symptoms of anxiety.
In this article, we will aim to get those trembling hands and shaky voice under control so that you can officiate the wedding with confidence and a clear, collected manner.
Preparation is Key
One of the best ways to dispel any anxiety about your speech is to practice it often and understand exactly what you are saying when. Going over your speech in front of friends and family will also get you comfortable performing it in front of other people. Asking for feedback will also help you brush up on areas where you could either change wording, or possibly use better or different hand gestures and expressions. Another thing that can really help is having a friend take a video of you and watching it back to self-critique your own performance.
Address Specific Worries
What is it exactly that you are nervous about when it comes to public speaking? Are you worried you’ll stutter, say something offensive, or just seem awkward and uncomfortable? It’s important to address these fears straight on. Understand what exactly causes these fears and try to see if there is really something of substance to justify them. What you may realize is that they’re just figments of your imagination, or simply irrational “what if” scenarios.
Envision Success
A great way to set the stage for your performance is to envision success. If you have a positive mindset going into the ceremony, you are far more likely to perform successfully. On the other hand, if you have self-doubt and envision yourself failing, there’s more of a chance that it might not go as smoothly as you’d hoped.
Focus On Deep Breathing
Taking deep inhales and long exhales is one of the best physical approaches to dealing with anxiety. At the end of the day, the physical and mental are not independent of each other. Therefore, if you tell the mind to calm down by taking deep breaths, the body will follow suit.
Pay Attention to What You’re Saying
You may realize that it helps a lot to focus on what you are saying, as opposed to the audience’s reaction. People are most likely processing what you’re saying, not judging you by how nervous you are. Even if you have to take a short pause to collect yourself and gather your nerves, people probably won’t notice. In fact, a short moment of silence might be a welcomed break.
Applaud Yourself
When the ceremony is over, and you’re grateful it’s all over, don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back. It’s not easy to lead a wedding ceremony, especially if you struggle with performance anxiety. Even if you feel that the speech didn’t go as smoothly as you would have wished, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re probably your own hardest critic. However it ends up going, it’s another great experience to have under your belt and another fear you overcame.
– Bernard Paul