Anxiety about presenting at work ruining my weekend

[birdon]

I’ve only been in my current team since autumn, there are 7 of us including me

On Monday I have to do a presentation on a specialist subject. I suspect I am autistic and have always found social situations to be difficult, for example it can be hard for me to make eye contact, I stumble over my words - a lot - when I get nervous and struggle to find the phrasing for what I’m wanting to say. This is heightened if I am already feeling anxious or unsure. I’ve never presented to a group like this, and I’ve been given 2 and a half hours for it. Done minimal prep but will do more tomorrow.

Does anyone have any tips to calm nerves? Whenever I think about it I feel really sick and go cold :( it sounds silly but I don’t want it to impede on my enjoyment of Sunday or keep me up all night tomorrow night. I would literally rather do any other task, in the world, than this and enjoy my job generally!

You could've spent another minute thinking about it and then not replied to this thread with that answer seeing as how everyone else is trying to reassure OP as well as advise her

That is way too long, people can't concentrate for that long. This would take me weeks to prepare for. Slides, exercises handouts ice breakers etc all to pad it out. Even Ted talks maxout at 25 -30 minutes and these are the best speakers in the world. Are you sure you got the brief right?

I don't mind addressing a group but two and a half hours!!! That's absolutely mad. Even if you were the best speaker in the world that would be an eternity. Are you sure? Has the rest of your team done that length? How did you stick listening to them?

Two and a half hours though?! I'd keel over even having to listen to someone for that long.

If you want to practise in private there is a faculty in PowerPoint called Speaker Coach which will listen to your spoken delivery and give you feedback. I found it very helpful and just did it over and over until I knew it so well that it was so mind numbingly boring I wasn’t afraid anymore. Mind you that was 15 minutes with a Q& A not 21/2 hours long

Nobody is going to be listening to any presentation for 2 and a half hours.

Are you sure that's right?

2 2/2 hours is madness. Unless it's training? Which is a bit different

We have 3 hour lectures at university which needed a long break for coffee in middle.

I know it seems long. I think it’s flexi really and expected to have discussion time and activities in between. It’s not training- I wish! I’ve delivered training before and don’t feel quite as awkward then because it feels very much as if people know they are there to learn and also practise too, so the spotlight isn’t fully on the person delivering? Whereas presentation feels a bit more formal I think.

Break it up a bit by using slidos to get audience participation.
In terms of anxiety, I'd have all my bullet points on index cards or paper so I could refer to them. I think you'll relax into it as it's so long you can't possibly stay anxious for all that time (I get anxiety and sometimes take propranolol so I do empathise).

I think you just need to factor out your expectation of enjoying Sunday this weekend. Prepare really well and practice as much as you can. Record and / or video yourself presenting. If you're using slides, don't be afraid to be really explicit in the slides; it'll help you to stick to your presentation plan, and also support visual learners -I know you said it wasn't training, but some people rely heavily on visuals to process information.
Best of luck!
FWIW, I'm a teacher and feel queasy and irritated about missing out on Sundays every week (up working now so I don't have to spend all of tomorrow preparing). Sucks!

If I were you I'd be spending pretty much all of Sunday on this. Get a rough outline on the major sections (including discussion groups etc) then flesh out the detail. Assuming you are using ppt, make the slides clear and useful to yourself as well as your audience. And practice. Make sure you can absolutely nail the first few minutes. I had to give a presentation recently (only 15 mins thank goodness) and was dreading it - it was to very senior people. But I planned it really thoroughly, had the first couple of minutes rehearsed perfectly, and even managed to make them laugh (intentionally) at a couple of pre-prepared jokes! I was on top of the world. Still deter presenting though. I've also heard good things about propanolol... I might try it myself sometime.

i read a thing somewhere - basically saying that you (as the presenter, etc) - it's a privilege for you to be there. keep saying to yourself "it's a privilege that I'm the one doing the presentation/whatever. everyone has to listen to me". i haven't explained it very well but i went from a hot sweaty gabbly babbling mess giving training to people to a super slinky swan (and so modest too) ... as the last time i was presenting i kept thinking to myself "it's a privilege that i'm standing here doing this. privilege privilege privilege" you get my drift.

it honestly changed me 100% and i would literally present anything to any groups any time as thinking that made me calmer than a really calm thing.

also good luck!!

Have you got the discussion time and activities planned? i.e. are you supposed to be facilitating the entire 2.5 hour period?

Great way of looking at it. Thank you

I reframe "presenting" to "teaching" and find that helps. The people in the room are not delegates, they are merely my students, here to learn and it is my duty to get this information across to them In a manner they can understand.
Have goals, eg, by the end of the session they will be able to "understand the rationale behind this new change" "understand what is required to implement this change".
You are not expected to be Holly Willoughby.

Really nice way of looking at it thanks for this xx

Good luck tomorrow, OP!

How did it go?!