By Anett Grant (3 minute Read)

What’s the reaction you have when you see a speaker who’s nervous? Chances are, you probably catch the feeling, feel their suffering, and cringe at the thought that it could be you. Then you’ll probably start hoping that it will never be you. Fear is a powerful emotion and is extremely contagious.

It’s normal to be anxious when you’re giving a speech. You don’t necessarily need to fight it. You just need to manage it so that it comes through in your demeanor. Here are the five tools you can use to hide your nerves when you’re giving a speech.

1) Breathe

Everything starts with self-awareness. Understand how loudly you breathe–whether you gasp or sigh, your listeners will notice the breath you take before you speak.

The best way to do this is to focus on the exhale. Under pressure, your nervousness drives you to want more. A big breath is good, and a bigger breath is even better. Think about controlling your breath like taking a sip of air–the less air you have to hold, the less sound you’ll make when you breathe.