How to Control Nervous Hands When Presenting
Do you tend to hold your hands together in front of your body when you speak? Do you grip one hand with the other? How does this hand-holding impact the viewers? They think, “The speaker is very nervous. . .” and they become concerned for you.
This state of affairs is not good for the audience, so let’s learn how to stop gripping our hands when we speak.
Here are 5 tips for controlling nervous hand movements while speaking:
- Focus on the Message, Not the Nervousness
- Redirect your focus from how nervous you feel to what you’re saying – the helpful information, inspiring message or entertaining story you are delivering. The more you concentrate on your content and how it benefits the listeners, the less you’ll be aware of your nervousness. When you feel less nervous, you will make fewer random movements.
2. Keep Your Hands Relaxed
- Rest your hands at your sides when not gesturing. Avoid keeping them in your pockets, holding them behind your back or clasping your hands, as this can distract both you and the audience. This may feel hard to achieve, but the more you practice doing this the easier it becomes.
3. Use Purposeful Gestures
- Plan your gestures ahead of time. When you use your hands with intent (to emphasize a point), it gives purpose to your energy. This then improves your delivery.
4. Use an Aid
- Consider practicing while using a bungee cord to bind your hands at your waist. It may sound silly but it can help control erratic hand movements.
5. Find Out How you Appear
- Practice speaking in front of a mirror or record yourself. Watch how your hands move and try to reduce excessive gestures. Get someone to watch your speech and give you feedback on your hand movements. Over time, you’ll become more aware of how to control them and use them more effectively.
By incorporating these strategies, you can reduce nervous hand movements and deliver a more controlled, confident presentation.
