Glossophobia (aka speech anxiety) is the fear of public speaking. Speaking in front of a group can trigger feelings of discomfort and anxiety that is often characterized by a racing heart, trembling, and in some cases, sweating! It's a social anxiety disorder, or social phobia. Anxiety goes beyond occasional nervousness or worrying. They can cause strong fears that are out of proportion to what you’re experiencing or thinking about. This is something you can get over! You can help yourself and this is how:
Know your topic - the more you care about a topic, the less likely you'll make a mistake! Take some time to come up with questions the audience might ask so you can have a response ready.
Practice makes better - Go through your presentation several times an ask for feedback (but don't be defensive).
Be organized - Before you go to present, plan out the details of major points (information you want to present or props) and make sure that the audio and/or visual components are working as expected.
Breathe, deeply - It can be quite calming to take two or three (even four or five!) deep, slow breaths before you get to the stage and remember to breathe DURING your speech. You'll thanks us later!
Silence is good - This one is hard to remember because you may start to feel "awkward" but it's important to know that's an okay feeling! Both you AND the audience can (and will) fall silent a time or two and that's perfectly normal.
Being anxious or nervous in certain situations is totally normal, public speaking is no exception. Other terms for this anxiety include exam anxiety, stage fright, and writer's block. Some people do have severe performance anxiety that may actually be a disorder. Those folks, who are unable to mange their feelings/emotions may require cognitive behavioral therapy, or even medications.
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