Probably the best way to reduce nervousness is to just be prepared. Going into your speech confident, knowing that you have put a lot of effort into preparing yourself will not only make you less nervous, but it will make your speech sound great. A good way to practice is simply reciting your best man speechs in the mirror. You want to make your practice as real as possible, so mentally place yourself in the reception hall. Sit on the edge of the bathtub or something, and pretend you have just been called up to speak. Walk in front of the mirror and start. Practice with only little bits if you need to, and eventually build it up to the point where you can recite the whole thing. Once you have the whole speech down, work on making it sound natural. Stand in front of the mirror, and pretend you’re speaking the crowd. If you stumble a little bit, just keep going and try to finish smoothly. By preparing yourself for a mistake, you can remain calm if you encounter one on the Wedding Day.
Breathing exercises are one of the best ways to quickly reduce your tension and help you relax. Go online and look some up and practice them. Remembering to breathe during your speech is also important. Sometimes, someone can get so nervous that they say everything in one breath, making them sound rushed and tired. Simply being relaxed can help you prevent having to experience this. Being relaxed creates a more natural breathing pattern, a slower heart rate, and a calmer voice, which all help in contributing to a good speech. Keep your muscles relaxed to avoid looking like a talking mannequin.
Don’t be afraid to move around a little bit, but don’t pace like a worried mother. Think comedian: natural and comfortable. Have a drink. That does NOT mean get drunk! A quick sip beforehand to reduce your anxiety probably won’t do any harm, but don’t let yourself over-drink because you’re nervous. You don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of all the family and friends of the wedded couple. Although you will have definitely achieved the memorable aspect of the best man speeches brother, you will be completely lacking in the genuine and respectable part.
Many people have issues with what do with their hands when they’re speaking. If you want to keep something in one of your hands, don’t make it very noticeable. You don’t want people focusing on what you’re holding instead of your speech. Try a rolled up paper towel. It’s a quick sweat absorber and can easily be kept out of sight. It’s a good idea to keep a glass of water around, but holding it in your hand may not be a good idea, unless you’ve practice with it. If you get focused on something besides your drink and accidentally wave your hands, you could accidentally send water launching at the Bride. A quick sip no and then provides a good timeout during your speech, but you want to retain its flow, so don’t interrupt it with water too much.
While you’re speaking, look directly above the audience as opposed to making eye contact with everyone. You don’t need to actually make eye contact if it looks like you are. As you’re looking directly above the heads of the audience, scan the back of the room with your eyes. Avoid looking down at the floor, and avoid looking up at the ceiling. Engage the audience with your speech, don’t just talk at them. Pretend you’re at home practicing your best man speechs in the mirror or just talking to the Groom one-on-one. Although this sounds a lot easier to say than to actually do, it’s actually pretty easy. Take a couple seconds before you start talking to gather yourself and get “in the zone.” Honestly, it’s alright to take your time. No one will even notice. Five seconds might feel like an unbearably long time, but it’s only five seconds. Give yourself a little ego-boost: you were chosen out of all the people the Groom knows to be his Best Man. Most people go their entire lives without getting to do that. You, out of everyone, get to represent the Groom as his best friend, father, or son. So be proud of yourself.
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