Practice and learn

It is a recurring theme this week that I have been practicing for a speech that I am due to give. Nothing is more satisfying than doing a run through in front of a 'friendly' audience to give you more confidence.  To know that you can deliver your content is good to know and it helps identify those weak spots that need some more attention.  Recording your run through gives you a chance to critique yourself afterwards and more importantly see how long you took.  

Nothing is worse then delivering content that goes on for way too long, or on the other hand is not long enough.  Finding that all important sweet spot in terms of time is crucial.  Yes it feels like you are creating more stress by practicing as you feel you have so much to do, and you worry about details, but at least you have a picture and an idea of how it will be and sound like.  Leaving it to chance could end up with you forgetting what you need to say, ramble on endlessly or even worse dry up altogether.  Practice can and does help.  Each time you practice you will find you feel more focused and ready for the real thing.

Practice helps make Perfect

In case you didn't know I am doing a Speech next week.  So tonight I did a run through, which went well.  I got further than I did yesterday, but when I got to the crucial part my mind went blank.  Oh my goodness!  But it doesn't matter, I still have time to practice and perfect.  That is the crucial thing. If I had left it to the last minute and realised I hadn't got it as well as I thought in my head, it would have made me more nervous and worried about doing the presentation.  Now I know how far I can go and I also know what needs work on and what I need to give particular attention to.  

Practice makes perfect

Next week I have to give a speech to a group of people.  I must admit that I am a little apprehensive about it.  I recently did a course on public speaking, which was very intense and it is surprising how much material we covered in it.  Today I have started practicing my speech and despite it not being that long ago since the course I feel so rusty and clumsy.  It is great to rehearse and revise something and I am sure that as I go on it will all fall into place and I will be fine when I come to give the talk. Right now though I am recording myself and I keep stopping as it doesn't seem to be right.  

Does that matter? Well I guess not because my audience won't know my speech and they certainly won't know if I have missed a bit or gone wrong.  It would be nice if I could get it right and that would make me feel more confident, but the truth is I need to get back into the swing of it and I am sure it will all fall into place.  I don't won't to over-practice either because I wouldn't want it to sound stale.  It's just getting that right balance so it flows convincingly and competently.  

How to Deal with Information Overload after a Course

I have just spent the Friday and Weekend on a Course and have come back absolutely Fried. Have you ever had that?  Your head is spinning from all the information that was given to you and you don't know where to begin to digest and absorb it all.  You have learned so much new stuff in a short space of time and have loads of things you now need to do and action and you're feeling overwhelmed by it all. Don't worry you're not the only person out there to feel this way.  

If you find yourself in this situation, the simplest thing to do is to do nothing for now.  Give yourself a couple of days to take it onboard, mull it over and let it settle.  Yes you may well have loads of actions that you could be taking, but for now, let your mind put itself back in order.  Then set yourself a time when you know you will be alert and interested and go back to the course work notes you made and make a list of the actions that you think are the most relevant and important for you.  Deal with them and if you feel there are more actions that you need to take from the course then set another time and do the same thing.  You won't be able to deal with everything at once, but when you start making bite sized tasks that you can deal with you'll begin to feel more in control.  

5 Ways to Relax After Work Part 3

Whether you have had a busy day in the office, or have been on a course, or do a physically demanding job you need to take some time out for yourself. Your working day may extend into travel to and from work and that can make it even longer and more stressful. It is important to find time to take stock and put yourself at the centre.   Here are some more ways you can de-stress after a busy day.

Catch up with good friends

Nothing compares to a great conversation with like-minded friends at the end of a stressful day. You can always meet up at your place or at the nearest restaurant near your work for a good catch-up talk or curl up in your living room during a gossip session on the phone. Having someone to talk to can do wonders in reducing stress and depression.

Laugh

Laughing out loud is the ultimate stress buster and probably the best way to relax at home after work. It doesn’t just lighten your emotional and mental load, but it definitely boosts your happy hormones, as well. It’s okay to be silly from time-to-time. Chat with a friend and reminisce your childhood, most especially your many foolish antics. Sit back, relax and watch your favourite sitcom and reruns of its funniest episodes.

Organise your place

Though it may be true that creative people can work well in chaos, it isn’t always the case when you are trying to put your mind off stressful things, especially if it’s work-related. A chaotic environment can aggravate an already chaotic mind. If you want to relax at home, you just cannot do that inside a messy room; hence, it is important to de-clutter.

Organise your bookshelves and drawers, put away what needs to be put away, keep your clothes in your closet or the laundry basket, and straighten the cushions on your sofa. When everything is set and easy on the eyes, sit back, relax, put your legs up and take a deep breath.

Read a book

One good way to relax at home after work is to escape from it all. You don’t have to hop on a plane for that next flight to Paris. You can easily transport yourself anywhere in the world by picking up a good book and losing yourself in the story. Reading relaxes your mind by diverting your thoughts from stressful real-life issues to somewhere else beautiful.

Count

Sleep is an excellent remedy for stress and anxiety. However, if you have problems getting enough sleep, then counting will certainly do the trick. Don’t just count to 10 or 100. Just keep counting until you’ve fallen into a deep slumber.

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