Many speakers, when first starting out on their public speaking careers, feel very exposed and self-conscious when on stage. Probably, you can recall feeling the same at some point. And one of the most vexing problems speakers experience is just what to do with their hands that feels natural and unforced.

Having to address an audience, all of whom are eagerly awaiting the start of your speech, simply magnifies the problem of what to do with your hands.

Should you put them into your pockets? What about letting them hang limply by your sides? Maybe a ‘grand gesture’ or two might look more natural to your audience, in which case, should you fling your arms about wildly to emphasize your words?

And the more you focus on what to do with your hands, the more you will become distracted from what you should be saying and the more anxious you will begin to feel.

Try making use of these tips and in no time at all you’ll have forgotten all about your hands and be able to get on with the real job of delivering a truly excellent and enjoyable speech.

Learn to relax. It’s a fundamental truth that you only worry about what to do with your hands when you are feeling under stress and anxious. During your normal daily routine you don’t spend time worrying about what your hands are doing whilst speaking to the people you meet, do you? And the reason is because you are relaxed and at ease and are not feeling nervous at all.

Take a particular note of whether you usually use hand gestures to illustrate what you are saying at all other times. Try and relate to a friend how to tie a tie or describe a spiral staircase and see just how you use your hands to help enhance your words.

If you find that you are comfortable using hand gestures in general conversation, then continue to do so when delivering your speech. You’ll find that if you continue to do what comes naturally to you, it won’t feel artificial or forced.

In general, if you don’t gesture naturally, then don’t try to start!

Be aware that if you feel at all nervous, your emotion may be unconsciously demonstrated by what your hands are doing. Are you clutching your notes tightly, clenching your fists or constantly fingering your lapel?

Realize that gestures such as desk banging, finger pointing and fist clenching will always appear to have hostile or negative overtones and may even be insulting to people belonging to certain cultures. Be certain to avoid these at all costs!

Be sure to limit your gestures during your presentation or you will appear to be windmilling your way through your speech.

If you find that you feel too uncomfortable about what to do with your hands during your speech, spend as much time as you can learning relaxation techniques and practising the use of appropriate hand gestures in front of a mirror and in the privacy of your own home. If you can see that your hands look natural, you’ll soon be able to forget all about them during a speech.

Just as your words go towards making up your speech, so do your actions. Simply be aware that they just form another part of your communication with your audience and should be accepted as a natural part of your presentation.

Once you begin to understand how the use of gestures can naturally enhance and lend support to your words, you will begin to find that you are no longer thinking and worrying about what your hands are doing. Instead you will pleasantly surprised discover that you are using your gestures naturally and without giving them a second thought.

When you can do this, you can congratulate yourself on graduating to the next level of expertise in public speaking!

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