I'm so nervous during presentations and meetings, how can I improve my public speaking?

Sometimes looking into a mirror and talking to yourself or stuffed animals or family that sometimes can help.

I am like you and the things I did are the following: 1. Change your mind and I mean stop thinking that people will judge you or that you will mess up but if you did mess up prepare a joke to tell them so that it won't be obvious that you are nervous 2. I stopped myself from thinking about the things that could wrong and I shut out the negative thoughts out from my mind and just focus on the information that I am going to give 3. Stop worrying about perfectionism, nobody is perfect in this world 4. Face my fears, I did this a lot and the fear slowly faded away, take a deep breath and DO IT!

Try and take a deep breath, changing your breathing helps calm your nervous system. I usually tell myself that the people I'm about to speak for want to hear what I have to say and that my speech/opinion is valued

Some unconventional advice since the conventional stuff is everywhere. If you wear glasses skipping them can make it easier coz you don't see the audience's reactions. Or wearing fake glasses helps because you can look through the rim & look like you're looking people in the eye when you're not. Using a lotta images, videos, fun effects helps take the attention off you & bringing noted gives you something to fall back on & look at. & you can always make it more of a casual discussion so the audience does more of the talking

Personally I always did my presentations in front of my family. With them I didn't feel afraid anymore,

Welcome to the world of millions who are nervous speaking in front of an audience! It's a very normal reaction. There are a number of ways to improve confidence while speaking publicly. Number 1 for me is knowing my subject matter. Number 2 is practicing in front of a mirror. There are also great organizations such as Toastmasters & Toastmistresses where you actually have meetings to practice public speaking weekly in front of a group who are there with the same goal in mind - to critique and support one another.

Practice, practice, practice. This is something you "have" to do. So, why not try practicing in front of friends or family with just topics that you have made yourself. Then you can move on to being more comfortable in front of new people and people you don't know so well. It's all about setting out of that comfort zone and teach yourself that you can do this.

One of the most common fears is public speaking (sometimes even more than death) so you are not alone (I also fear it). Have you practiced presenting in front of friends, family and/or a mirror? I've heard and have found myself that practice is what helps the most. A mirror helps in that you can see what you look like when you give the speech and how well you keep "eye contact" with the audience. In terms of keeping eyes up with the audience - have you tried looking just above people's heads? (I find actually looking at them can be terrifying at times personally). What about recording yourself as well (on tape and/or video)? Sometimes having a friend or a family member count the number of ah's, like's and um's helps too since it helps you realize you're saying them and helps you learn to replace them with a pause. Pauses can be very effective in getting the audience's attention if it is well placed and can also allow you to get your thoughts together for what you're going to say next. Is there a toastmaster's club in your area or a debate team at your school? Toastmaster's is a club specifically for adults to improve their public speaking skills and work on a lot of the things I've just talked about. Debate teams often train people how to give different types of speeches very well - a lot of debaters eventually go into professions with public speaking. Also, what about taking a few breaths before you start the speech to organize your thoughts? It'll be ok, you're not alone in this and a lot of people, including myself, struggle with public speaking.

Before: Be confident about subject. Be well rested. Eat lightly. Use relaxation techniques (deep breathing etc). During: use humour where appropriate. Do not rely on cue cards with full speech, instead using talking points and speak naturally. Avoid looking at your instructor/teacher/ boss/mentor if he/she is in audience. If you lose your place, admit it, turn it into a light moment but don't dwell on it. Find your place and move on. Stay hydrated.

Breathe, relax, try to calm your nerves. See your presentations as; you have the knowledge and the audience wants to learn from you.