[Stormie_Lee]

I have really bad testing and presentation Anxiety. I am just wondering if there are any tips that you have on calming down before a test or presentation?

[kaliope]

the thing that helps me is knowing my material really well...that means nearly memorizing it...if you know it by heart you can regurgitate it for a test or talk all about it. welcome to psych central. you will find we have several forums where you can post about your concerns and receive feedback from other members. you will get a lot of support here. again, welcome

[Vossie42]

Originally Posted by Stormie_Lee

I have really bad testing and presentation Anxiety. I am just wondering if there are any tips that you have on calming down before a test or presentation?

I've recently developed the same problem. My school allows those with a doctor's note to have extra time to complete tests. I'm learning to meditate. It's difficult because I can't use any aids using the spoken word because of my hearing loss. I find music by Dan Gibson to be very relaxing. I especially like the European Spa CD. You can listen to 1-2 minute sample of his music on iTunes before buying them.

I'm going to try visualization this school term. I visualize sitting down to take the test, feeling myself get anxious, successfully calm myself down using whatever method, answering the questions with reasonable certainty - or at least not getting hung up on a particular question - and feeling good about my effort.

As for others, preparation is key whether it's studying or rehearsing the presentation. Do you play a musical instrument? If so, you can rehearse your speech the same way you practice music to get better. Chunk it down into sections. Practice the tough spots slowly and then gradually increase the speed until it's up to tempo. This can work for a speech, too. After all, a speech is a type of performance.