overcoming butterflies

Being in front of an audience has always been one of the situations I tried so hard to avoid. I dreaded going on-stage because I was so scared of facing so many people. I have always felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach each time I go up to face the audience. It’s probably normal. Even the most experienced public speaker must have some nervousness left in him/her.

This week, I had to, yet again, keep myself from getting into a nervous breakdown. My oral presentation was finalised the evening before I was going up the stage! I forgot to plan what to wear during my talk.

On the day itself, my hands were so clammy I was regretting not bringing a pair of mittens. My feet were getting cold that I regretted wearing leather shoes with thin socks. My stomach was tied up in knots I couldn’t eat properly since the evening before.

The presentation went without a hitch, which was a good thing. I received comments about my talk, which was about a new way of approaching old problems. My supervisors were pleased with my performance. But the icing on the cake was that I was able to bring across the importance of the study to the barely-English speaking crowd. The Latinos and the Kazakh all understood the talk, saying that they could probably apply it to their work.

My officemates thought I had an easy time on stage. But when they shook hands with me after my talk, they were surprised to find that my hands were so cold! And they thought my presentation was just a walk in the park!

I wouldn’t be able to mask the lack of confidence on stage without the help of the IRRI Toastmasters Club, which trains people in the art of public speaking. And I am also thankful to my supervisor for all her guidance and her perfectionism… because without her comments and suggestions for my slides and her insistence that I practised my talk in front of an audience, my presentation would just be lackluster.

The speakers from my lab prepared for their talks at least three weeks before the workshop. All that preparation for our 15 minutes in the spotlight has paid off because we all did well.