...and yes, don't let the mike's presence get you nervous, but use it, don't try to stay away from it. Get close to it. If you back away from the mike, you stand a good chance of not hearing yourself, and having exactly the problems you describe.

Most people feel unnatural with microphones at first, that's normal. Just remember to get close to it, but don't touch the mike, the stand or the cable. You have to get used to hearing the amplified version of yourself. With a good sound tech, you can actually sound better than you really do, not worse. That's my experience anyway.

Willie-O