How to Get Hyped For Your Presentation

In our last blog post, we talked about an 8-minute song that can decrease your stress levels by 65%. But what if you have the opposite problem? What if you don’t need to calm down, but instead, need help getting hyped up?

We’ve all heard the speaker who takes the stage to tell us how “excited” he is about what he’s about to share. The only problem is, his body language, face, and voice make him seem like he’d rather be anywhere else than giving that “exciting” presentation. When your verbal communication (what you are saying) doesn’t match up with your nonverbal communication (how you are saying it), the audience will believe your nonverbal communication every time. That’s because it occurs at a much deeper, unedited level.

If you tend to have low or calm energy during presentations, you have to work to communicate more energy and passion. Here are some strategies to help you get hyped up.

Eat Energy-Boosting Foods

If you tend to have lack-luster presentations, it could be that your body is low on the calories or nutrients it needs to perform. Healthline has put together a list of 27 foods that can help boost your energy. But we are just going to highlight two that are easy to bring with you and snack on prior to presenting.

  • Bananas: Healthline says, “They are an excellent source of carbohydrates, potassium and vitamin B6, all of which can help boost energy levels in your body.” Bananas are one of my favorite go-to snacks before I present because they are easy to toss in my bag. But even more, I love bananas because they don’t come with the risk of stains or spills.
  • Dark chocolate: Because dark chocolate has many antioxidants, it increases your blood flow which delivers oxygen to your brain and muscles. Healthline also says dark chocolate “contains stimulatory compounds such as theobromine and caffeine, which have been shown to enhance mental energy and mood.” In other words, dark chocolate is a quick path to getting hyped up.

Exciting Content

The best kind of passion and hype is the kind that occurs naturally. If you are excited about what you are presenting, your delivery will reflect this. One of the speakers who demonstrates this concept is Brené Brown. Watch just a little of one of her talks and see how she has energy that is both natural and engaging.

How is Brown able to speak with this kind of hype? It’s because she loves what she’s talking about. Just like something interesting you read, something funny you watched happen, or something inspiring that moved you, your presentation content should be so good, you can’t wait to talk about it.

Other Hype Strategies

If you’ve fueled your body and prepped great content, you now need the right mindset. Most professional speakers have things they do to hype themselves up. But it’s a matter of finding what works for you. One of my close friends is a pastor. He was facing 3 back-to-back sermons for larger-than-normal crowds on Easter Sunday. He knew he’d need extra energy, so he drank a couple Red Bull energy drinks around 7 that morning. When he delivered his message that morning, he was pacing and sweating and over-the-top energetic. He had taken a bet with Red Bull, and Red Bull won. That’s not what we are aiming for here. You don’t want to get too amped up. Instead, try one of these more natural strategies:

  • Music: Find a song that puts you in a positive or energetic mood. We already know the power of sound therapy to relax us. Scientific research shows that it can be uplifting and motivating, as well.
  • Activity Bursts: Some people like to do jumping jacks or push-ups right before they speak. This accomplishes few things. First, it helps to get out some of that nervous energy that comes as a result of our fight-flight-freeze response. But second, it gets our blood pumping and oxygen flowing which helps us think more clearly. A quick aerobic activity right before you present is a great hype strategy.
  • Power Posing: You may have heard of Harvard Professor Amy Cuddy’s research into power posing which was widely accepted, disputed for it validity, and then tested again to prove it’s legitimacy. Cuddy says that taking “expansive and open” stances (like standing with your hands on your hips) can actually make you present with greater confidence and strength. This could give you the confidence and energy you need to present with more passion.

Presenting with energy is important. Getting hyped up is part of giving your best effort for the sake of your presentation and your audience.

Don’t know if you are an energetic or lack-luster speaker? Check out Badge, a self-assessment that will help you determine your speaking style.

 

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