How to Not Throw Up When I’m Presenting
Presentations can be extremely nerve-wracking for a lot of people, and understandably so. As someone who’s had to give presentations countless times during my school, college, and even now for work, I’ve always had presentation anxiety for as long as I can remember. I’ve always wondered how to not throw up when I’m presenting. The struggle is real. Your knees feel weak, arms heavy, and you might vomit your mom’s spaghetti.
Jokes aside, here’s how not to barf during your presentation. Most of these tips come from personal experience, based on what works for me. I’m sure you’ll find some great tips here.
Disclaimer: Use this article only for tips to relieve nausea during presentation anxiety. For more serious symptoms or problems, please consult a medical professional. That presentation can wait, your health is more important! ❤️
How to Not Throw Up When I’m Presenting?
Feeling waves of nausea while presenting? Here are some quick tips that might help:
How to Not Throw Up When Presenting: Deep breathing
Take deep breaths if you feel nauseous while presenting. This is one of the best ways to reduce stress and it should help you feel better. Sit on a chair, in a comfortable posture and take deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. You can inhale through your nose slowly for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, and then exhale through your mouth for about 7 seconds. Repeat this about 10 times and you should start feeling better soon.
Deep breathing helps you calm down and is a meditation technique that will surely help you get control of your nerves. Repeat the breathing pattern mentioned above and you will start feeling better soon.
How to Not Throw Up When Presenting: Get up and move!
If you’re sitting, get up and walk a bit. Avoid crunching your stomach, especially if you’ve just eaten. You could also choose to recline on a comfortable chair without crunching your stomach. Going for a walk can help your mind shift focus. Head out and get some fresh air if you can. Being indoors for too long can sometimes make your nausea worse. This is actually something that works very well for me personally, more than anything else in this article.
How to Not Throw Up When Presenting: Sleep
The best tip to make sure that you avoid nausea before a presentation is to make sure you’re well-rested. I know that with a big scary presentation waiting for you the next day, sleep won’t come easy. But to make sure you’re in your best condition, take extra effort to get a good night’s sleep. Go to bed early, stay away from all screens, and do your best to fall asleep on time.
How to Not Throw Up When Presenting: Water
Drink cold water/drinks. Nausea is a symptom of dehydration, so make sure you keep sipping on cold fluids throughout the day. You can try water, decaf tea, or water with fresh fruit slices. Keep a bottle with you, and don’t be shy to take a sip or two during your presentation. This can help you keep hydrated and also get a much-needed break between slides.
How to Not Throw Up When Presenting: Lemon
You can also add freshly squeezed lemon juice to water and drink sip it throughout the day. The citric acid in lemons can help soothe your stomach. But don’t overdo it, as too much lemon juice could make your nausea worse. Many people have also reported that even the smell of freshly cut lemon can help reduce nausea.
How to Not Throw Up When Presenting: Ginger
Another popular remedy for nausea is ginger. You could try eating a small piece of ginger or sipping on some ginger tea. Making ginger tea is as easy as adding boiling hot water to an inch piece of ginger in a cup of water and letting it steep for 5 mins. Strain it, and your ginger tea is ready. This could be a great fix for you if you’re trying not to throw up during your presentation.
Tips for better confidence during presentations:
There are many ways to avoid nausea brought on by presentation anxiety. We have an entire article on how to not be nervous during a presentation. You can read through that article to get ideas on not being nervous while presenting. In the meanwhile, here are some ideas to give yourself a boost of confidence before your presentations:
Prepare in advance
Do not work on your presentation at the last minute. Plan ahead, and complete working on your slides and speech well in advance.
Rehearse
Practice presenting many times before you actually do. This helps you memorize your presentation and helps you feel much more confident.
Be prepared for the worst
If you’re worried about anything specific that might happen during a presentation, prepare for that. This one time, I was worried about being asked certain questions during my presentation. I listed out all the possible questions that would come my way and made sure I had an answer ready for each one of them. Needless to say, that really boosted my confidence.
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Conclusion
If you’re feeling nauseous before or during presentations, there are a few different things that you can do to help. Instead of searching for a job with low anxiety, adapt and overcome your fears instead. Some of them are things you could do before the presentation, like sleeping well, being hydrated, and meditating. Others are things you could do during or in the middle of a presentation, like sipping on water (with lime), getting up and sitting in a comfortable posture, and taking deep breaths. Presentation anxiety is normal, and feeling like throwing up while presenting is common. Hopefully, the remedies mentioned here help you. Until next time, happy presenting!
