Introduction
The thought of everyone’s eyes on you as you speak is terrifying to most people, around the world.
And for PhDs? It's a special kind of hell.
All those years rehearsing complex ideas and specialized jargon, and one mis-step could mean that no one respects you as a scientist, that your work is phony, and that the imposter syndrome was right all along. Well, probably not, but I’m sure you’ve thought it.
You waver between the fears of rehearsing every line and sounding like a robot, or being too casual and say something technically incorrect. Or even worse, you say everything correctly, and all the eyes still glaze over because it’s just so dang boring.
The good news? Public speaking is a skill, not a talent. Even the most awkward, introverted researcher can become compelling with the right approach and consistent practice. Your analytical mind is actually an advantage here, you just need to redirect it. When you can get your mind to work in connection WITH your body, then you can actively decrease anxiety and fear.
Not only would it help to practice, but also to understand the mechanics of speaking. An abundant amount of things are communicated beyond words, like breath rate, posture, and voice tone.
In this section, you will:
- Understand and practice breath control
- Monitor body language during speaking
- Identify your core fear around public speaking
- Build personalized exercises to challenge that fear
Exercise: From Research to Rhetoric
Exercise Components:
- Breath Foundation
Breathing helps to regulate an abundance of other bodily systems, and can be used to change your comfort level very quickly. Let’s try to gather some techniques to master our breath, and therefore master our body.
Use this prompt with your chosen LLM:
Context: I am a PhD student/graduate preparing for public speaking opportunities to communicate my research to diverse audiences. I need to develop controlled breathing techniques to manage my physiological response to presentation anxiety. Questions: 1. What are 3 specific breathing techniques that would be most effective for managing speech anxiety? 2. For each technique, provide the exact step-by-step method. 3. How should I implement these in my daily practice? 4. What physiological markers can keep in mind to show myself I'm making progress? 5. How should I adapt these techniques on the fly during actual presentations?
- Body Language Architecture
There are many, many ways to improve body language, but mastering even the basics can positively transform your delivery. Below are a few key elements to consider and watch for yourself, and you can generate very specific LLM prompts to help you improve on any.
Use this spreadsheet template (or one like it) to track your progress:
Body Element | Common PhD Habit | Improved Technique | Practice Notes | Feedback |
Stance | Weight shifting | Grounded posture | Felt more stable | Ask about perceived confidence |
Gestures | Limited/stiff | Intentional emphasis | Used during key points | Too many/few? Distracting? |
Eye Contact | Slides-focused | Audience scanning | 3-second rule | Natural or forced? |
Movement | Stationary | Purposeful steps | Moved during transitions | Enhanced or distracted? |
- Mindset Recalibration
- What are the top 3 specific situations or moments during presentations that trigger your anxiety?
- When you imagine a "failed" presentation, what specifically is happening in that scenario?
- What physical sensations do you associate with speaking anxiety, and when do they typically begin?
- What thoughts typically run through your mind in the 24 hours before a presentation?
- How do you currently respond when you notice yourself becoming anxious while speaking?
- Identify the core fear patterns underlying my specific anxiety
- Suggest 3-4 personalized mindset shifts that directly address these patterns
- Create a simple pre-presentation mental routine I can use consistently
- Provide 2 in-the-moment techniques to regain composure if anxiety spikes during a talk
- Recommend how to frame my physical anxiety symptoms as indicators of engagement rather than fear
One of the most interesting ways to use an AI is to have it ask you specific questions, to gather context on your thoughts about a subject, then to analyze the responses and give feedback. Additionally, you can use the same process, but have the AI also generate the questions, too. Here is an example below, to help us narrow in on what may be causing us public speaking fear, and how to overcome it:
Context: I'm a PhD student/graduate who experiences anxiety when presenting my research to audiences. I need to develop mental frameworks to transform this anxiety into productive energy.
Please ask me the following questions, one-by-one, in order, to understand my specific speaking fears, waiting for me to answer each one before moving on to the next. Do not analyze until I have answered all 5 questions:
Based on my responses and after all 5 questions, please: