What would you do to help ease yourself from intense pressure while delivering your speech?

The best way to ease pressure when giving a speech is to be prepared; know your subject and your audience; you will feel confident and less can go wrong. Being flexible with the structure of your speech can also ease pressure because you are not confined within a strict structure that can cause panic when you are required to change the order of the material or need to adjust to the audience.  I also find that when one dresses appropriately to the event and is in comfortable clothing and shoes that are clean and in good repair, a speaker is less likely to feel the subliminal distraction of being uncomfortable and as a result stressed is reduced. Lastly, you need to  realize that you are human and mistakes will happen but are not the end of the world. In fact, most audiences usually aren't aware you have made a mistake. Take it easy and enjoy yourself and your pressure will dissolve.