1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to stage a mental rehearsal to boost 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: your confidence before any event you hope will go well. 5 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: I received this tip from Alison Shapira, who's a former 6 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: opera singer, so you know she shows something about real 7 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: rehearsals and performances. She since become the founder and CEO 8 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: of Global Public Speaking, a training firm that helps people 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: present with authenticity and confidence. She is also the author 10 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: of Speak with Impact, How to Command the Room and 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: Influence others. Allison wrote to me that I learned about 12 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: mental rehearsal years ago through Toastmasters and have found it 13 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: to be one of the most powerful practice tools I've 14 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: ever used. Injured athletes will use this tool to keep 15 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: training even when they can't get onto the field. If 16 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: you're nervous about public speaking because of a prior negative incident, 17 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: you can use mental rehearsal to rebuild your confidence. She explains. 18 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: Here's how to do it. Sit in a comfortable place 19 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: and close your eyes. Take a slow breath in through 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: your nose and out through your mouth. Continue breathing while 21 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: doing this exercise. Now imagine the room where you will 22 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: be given your speech or presentation. Imagine you feel excited 23 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: to speak. Imagine the warm applause as you walk up 24 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: onto the stage or to the front of the room. 25 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: Now give your speech or presentation word for word in 26 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: your mind. Imagine it going incredibly well. Imagine the warm 27 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: round of applause as you finish the speech, and the 28 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: mixture of relief and pride you feel walking back to 29 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: your seat. Now imagine someone telling you how impactful your 30 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: message was for them personally. Imagine how that makes you feel. 31 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: Allison also notes that you can use mental rehearsal to 32 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: prepare for difficult conversation or any challenging situation instead of 33 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: focusing on how bad things could be. It is a 34 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: powerful way to build your confidence and reframe nerves as excitement. 35 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: I think that doing a mental rehearsal is a great idea. 36 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: I think this is a wonderful idea from Allison. But 37 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: you don't have to limit the rehearsals to just mental ones. 38 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: I give speeches all the time, but I still practice. 39 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: Whenever I've gone more than a week since my last event, 40 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: I stand up in my office and I give my 41 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 1: whole speech, timing myself to make sure I'm fitting the 42 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,959 Speaker 1: parameters that my hosts have set for me. If you 43 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: haven't done a whole lot of speaking in front of 44 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: other people, you can build that into your practice too. 45 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: Invite a few friends or colleagues to watch you. You 46 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: can use skype if they're located in other places. See 47 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: where they react well and where they look confused or board. 48 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: You'll be able to take anything problematic out before the 49 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: actual high stakes event, or sometimes you'll be pleasantly surprised. 50 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: I've kept a few laugh lines in my talks that 51 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 1: I didn't personally find all that funny, but the majority 52 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: of audiences seem to find hysterical. Speaking and presenting make 53 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people nervous, but a lot of these 54 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: nerves stem from not knowing what's going to happen. The 55 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: more you rehearse physically and mentally, the more prepared you'll feel, 56 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: and that will allow you to perform with the presence 57 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: of an opera star, what high stakes situation will you 58 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: do a mental rehearsal for today? In the meantime, this 59 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 60 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey everybody, I'd love to hear 61 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 62 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 63 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the 64 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 65 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: shoot me an email Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart 66 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: media dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with 67 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to 68 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 69 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit 70 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 71 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.