Got a big interview tomorrow? Presenting at a conference with thousands of people? Feeling those butterflies swirling around in your gut? Get some sleep!
Communicating with confidence and bringing charisma to a presentation can be hard enough when you’re well rested. But feeling tired and groggy isn’t going to help matters. No matter how charismatic a communicator you are, a good night’s sleep is critical for effective communication.
Not only will you be well rested after 8 hours of Zzzs, studies show that sleep has a significant impact on how strongly we communicate.
What’s in a good night’s sleep?
1. Get ahead of the butterflies
Ever feel like this ⤴️ before a big presentation? You’re not alone. 77% of people feel some level of anxiety before speaking in front of an audience. Ironically, staying up all night thinking about it will only make the shakes worse.
The key to calming your nerves is calming your mind. Sleep allows our heart rate to slow down and our blood pressure to drop giving us an automatic mental reset. Having a rested mind will allow you to better control your anxiety on your big day!
2. Empathize and connect with your audience
In a study from the Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, it was found that the empathy in participants were blunted after a night of total sleep deprivation.
A key trait of effective communicators is empathy, and without sleep, we are simply less empathetic or sometimes not at all. Our minds can tend towards negativity and stress more easily as well.
To effectively empathize and connect with your audience, a well rested mind usually does the trick.
3. Speak clearly
A good nights’ sleep also helps us express ourselves with more ease and clarity. Have you ever found yourself feeling like you’re in a fog after a sleepless night?
It’s much harder to translate thoughts into words and emotions while speaking if we’re foggy brained.
4. Remember what the hell you’re talking about
Did you know memorizing the first minute of a presentation can help you sail through the entire thing with more ease and confidence? If you’ve been up all night, you may draw a blank.
It’s harder for us to recall information when our brains aren’t rested. So make sure to memorize the first 60 seconds, then get your 8 hours!
If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because it is. We all know that good sleep helps us show up better whether that’s in a presentation or for our friends, families and teammates. We’re not only more effective communicators when we’re well rested, we’re also better human beings!
So…get some sleep!