We’ve all been there.
You are halfway through a public speaking situation, be it a Zoom presentation or face to face high stakes meeting, and you realize you’ve zoned out or gone on autopilot. And you have no idea what you’ve just said for the last 5 minutes.
Or you blank during a speech and can’t remember what you need to say next. That cold feeling creeps up through your chest, red lights are flashing, and you go into panic mode.
The good news is that you can manage this moment and continue on. You don’t have to crash and burn or skip to the end just to get it over with. With my simple three steps, you can go from panic to professional in just a few seconds.
My secret? It’s not about perfection. Notice in the above paragraph I do not say, ‘go from panic to perfect’… I say, ‘panic to professional’, which is quite a different thing. Maintaining a professional energy is about being present, not perfect.
So, quite simply, my secret is my Three R’s: Take a breath, Reset, Refocus, and Resume.
Here is how The Three R’s, Reset, Refocus, and Resume, can save your bacon and get you back on track when you zone out and go on autopilot in public speaking or a presentation.
#1: RESET: Take A Breath and Reset Your Body & Brain
The most common physical reaction to panic in public speaking is to hold your breath or start shallow breathing in the upper chest and shoulder area. This contributes to your feeling of panic and makes things worse. So the first step in Reset is to breathe.
I know, it sounds simple. But remember, not all breathing is created equal. There are ways of breathing that will exacerbate the situation and ways of breathing that will to the opposite: Centered breathing will calm you down, bring you back into the moment, and allow you to ground your energy and continue on.
Good breathing technique, Diaphragmatic Breathing (a posh name for belly breathing), will take your attention away from those racing, panicked thoughts and bring you down into your lower belly. This deep place is a place of power and center and will help you to calm down.
Taking a breath also helps you to ground your energy and get out of your head, which is telling you to panic, and get back into your body, which is where the power is.
Your reptilian amygdala brain (the fight or flight response) is falsely telling you that you’re about to get eaten by a wild animal so you better run or start fighting. When you take a moment to pause and breathe, you give yourself a moment to reset and remind your body that it is ok, that the tiger is not about to pounce on you and you are not going to die!
This breath happens within a second or two. It’s just a moment, a beat, that stops you from continuing to careen down the alley of panic and resets the moment and your physical response to the situation.
#2: REFOCUS: Take A Moment To Pause and Focus on Your Purpose
Ok. Now that you’ve taken a moment to calm down and stop your slide down the panic slope, it’s time to refocus your thoughts and get back in the game.
One of the fastest ways I find to refocus my thoughts in a moment of panic is to remind myself why I’m there in the first place. I ask myself the question, ‘What is my purpose in being present at that meeting, speaking at that conference, or giving that training?’.
The answer? Easy: I’m there to GIVE, not to get. It’s all about the audience… NOT me.
I cannot tell you how many times this has saved my backside in public speaking situations. The simple shift of focus from you to the audience is like magic. You stop worrying about how you’re doing and focus instead of how you can serve the audience and your message.
Also, oftentimes when you zone out or blank during a presentation or speech, you may not remember where you are in your story and presentation. Don’t panic. You can bring yourself back into the present moment by stopping, refocusing to what your purpose it, and begin at the next place in your content that you can remember.
It’s not about perfection; it’s about being present.
You may not pick up exactly where you left off, but delivering a clear, competent presentation or pitch is not about perfection. It’s about managing the moment as best you can.
So, after you breathe and reset, pick up as close to where you think you should be in your story as possible and continue on.
#3: RESUME And Continue On With Your Story
Now that you’ve Reset and Refocused, it’s time to get going and finish your story.
Focusing on the task at hand and moving forward helps you to move through the rest of your content and wrap things up. Don’t dwell on what just happened if you forgot where you were or zoned out. Equally, don’t think forward into the future of what the repercussions might be and what the audience thinks about you. Stay present in the now and move forward.
Keeping your head firmly in the present moment allows you to move forward with as little residue as possible from the little blip in the radar you just had. And that’s all it is. A blip in the radar. Seeing the event as no worse or better than it really is helps to keep it ‘right sized’.
When you move past the drama and get practical, you’re also in a much better head space to refocus and resume your story and presentation. Take your time, don’t rush, and move forward with purpose.
By the way, your preparation is key in resuming and completing the task, which is to help your audience better connect with your message. Purposeful practice and targeted preparation will pay off in dividends if you zone out or blank during a presentation or meeting.
Remember, you’re there to serve the audience. It’s not about you. Whew. Big relief! Take the pressure off yourself to fix the past or be perfect and instead focus on the audience and what you can give them in the present moment.
The Three R’s: Reset, Refocus, And Resume
At the end of the day, the Three R’s work whether you’re on a Zoom meeting, face to face in real time at a high stakes meeting, or public speaking at an event.
I’ve found that the most simple tools are often the best and most effective. Notice I don’t say easy; if it were easy, everybody would be doing it!
The secret is awareness, application, and consistency. Consistently take a moment to be aware of your breathing and thoughts, apply and practice these three simple steps, and I guarantee you’ll start to feel a consistent difference between panic and present.
it doesn’t happen overnight and your results will be directly reflected in your commitment to consistent application and implementation of simple tools and practice techniques.
So, just for practice, the next time you blank or find yourself completely zoned out during a communication situation, just remember The Three R’s: Reset, Refocus, and Resume. Take a breath, remember your purpose, and then continue on with your delivery.
Keep it simple. And don’t forget to breathe…
See you on the inside,
Maria xx
PS. Are you ready to take your public speaking skills to the next level? I’ve got your back. Book your FREE discovery session here and let’s get you started!
Grab your FREE Training Video: 3 PROVEN PUBLIC SPEAKING TECHNIQUES to Boost Your Confidence & Take Control of Your Voice (Even If You Hate Public Speaking!) https://mariatecce.com/public-speaking-techniques/
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