Public speaking, morning nervous

[owl]

I have to participate in a debate tomorrow in front of about 100 of my classmates.
I have to leave so early in the morning that I won't have time for any of my usual anti-anxiety tricks like exercising.

I tend to twitch or stutter in public speaking environments. How do I keep calm?
Or at least not sweat, twitch, and stutter...lol

EDIT: desperate times call for desperate measures. Pills it is.

[dazza]

Tut, tut... shame you took the easy route.

Public speaking, although ofter nerve-wracking, is your time to shine and get noticed.
Don't view it as bad, view it as good!

Here's some tips I've grabbed from a website:




They won’t notice. I’ve listened to speeches where speakers told everyone how nervous they were. Until that moment, I had no idea they were nervous and I’m sure nobody else noticed either. Think of any nervousness you feel as being your private secret and most of the time it will be.
Rehearse like a maniac. When I have an important presentation, I memorize the key sections word for word. I practice in front of a mirror several times before I go on stage. Rehearsal is extremely important because it will keep you from forgetting your lines in a panic.
Unfreeze the audience with humor. If the situation allows it and you are funny in conversations, try starting with a joke or a bit of humor. If you can start the audience laughing before getting into more serious matters, that will dissolve much of your fright. I wouldn’t use humor if I didn’t feel comfortable with it, so don’t push the jokes if it doesn’t feel natural to do so.
Look good. I’m certainly not going to become a male model overnight, but staying groomed and dressing somewhat more formally than the rest of the audience can do wonders to boost your confidence. Worrying about being underdressed or not having shaved that morning can make any stage fright worse.
Scope out the environment. Come to your presentation room a day before and look around. Where will people be sitting? What potential problems might come up for speaking or displaying information? Be comfortable in the room you are about to speak in.
Talk to the audience. If you don’t know your audience already, have a chat with a few members before you speak. This can give you a bit of extra familiarity with the audience by knowing you have a few acquaintances in the crowd of strangers.
Memorize the sticky spots. During your rehearsal, there will probably be one or two places that you trip over. Reword and memorize these sections so they don’t drag you down during your final speech.
Accept the fear, don’t fight it. The worst thing you can do when you’re nervous is to notice your own anxiety and start worrying about that too. Just accept any nervousness you feel just as you would accept that the carpet is blue or the walls are white. Trying to force yourself to calm down or hide signs of nervousness can backfire and make your problem worse.

[laurandisorder]

I have to speak publicly (not always formally, but very often) every day and my anxiety made a phobia that didn't exist before (used to LOVE being on stage/debating etc) become out of control.

For formal presentations in front of 50+, I almost always have to take a pill, but the more I speak publicly, the easier it gets. I can't wait until I enjoy it again and don't get those butterflies!!