After tackling the common fear of public speaking in last week’s column, showing how getting clear on your intention can shift you from feeling exposed to empowered, Kathy Brooke, co-founder of Be Your Own Coach, reveals why your breath might actually be your ultimate presenting weapon…
You have your slides prepped, notes to hand, brain engaged, feelings of nerves acknowledged…
You open your mouth and suddenly this stream of words is firing out at a pace to rival Eminem (and at 10.6 syllables a second, he’s pretty damn quick!).
You try to slow down, but it’s too late.
Your breath becomes short and shallow, your throat feels dry, you swallow to try to get rid of the growing lump, palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy (sorry, I couldn’t help it!).
At this point, the voice feels tight and croaky, often with the pitch rising. The body tenses and, as the familiar feeling of panic and anxiety washes over us, we begin to pray for the ground to open up and swallow us whole!
READ MORE: Prolific Mindset: Why public speaking feels like a ‘threat’ — and how to reframe it
This is when most people decide “that’s it… public speaking is horrific and I am never doing it again”. But what if I told you that everything you have just experienced can be controlled and eliminated using one simple tool?
And it’s free!
Your breath.
Let me explain by highlighting how breath (or the lack of) is actually the root cause of all the issues above.
When we feel nerves, worry, or even just anticipation, we naturally tend to feel it in our stomachs. This is often due to tension in the abdominal wall. Even now, as you read this, just notice: is your tummy fully relaxed? Probably not.
As humans, we hold a lot of tension in the stomach, and a by-product of this is that the diaphragm cannot fully function. This means our breath becomes constricted and can often feel “shallow”. Basically, instead of allowing the diaphragm to contract and relax – giving us a full, soothing, tummy breath – we only get a portion of that breath in the chest area.
This is what you see when people raise their shoulders on an inhale: a very “chesty” (or clavicular) breath.
The first thing to note here is that you are not going to die! We are talking about utilising and maximising breath for voice (and stress management), not how to stay alive – so don’t panic!
However, when we engage in this shallow breathing, it sends a signal to our brains that we are potentially in danger or under threat. The already-present tension in the body suggests we might need to engage in some fight-or-flight behaviour ASAP.
So what happens?
Well, the brain starts to send panic signals, such as an increase in heart rate and an adrenaline rush… but remember, you are currently standing in the boardroom updating the CFO on the numbers.
That adrenaline rush can then lead to your breathing becoming quicker, which in turn speeds up the pace of your speaking. Then, because the body senses everything getting more and more tense, the voice responds by tightening the throat to protect the vocal cords.
Because we don’t have sufficient soothing airflow, the whole area around the voice becomes more restricted, resulting in the feeling of the lump, the dryness, and the discomfort.
This can cause the pitch to rise, the dreaded “ermmmms” to take over, and all hell to break loose.
And yes… that is all because of the breath.
Now you know the what, let’s look at the how.
Step one: pop your hand on your lower belly and take a slow, relaxed inhalation. The lower belly should expand as you inhale. Don’t worry if it doesn’t at first – just focus on relaxing those muscles and maybe mentally encourage the stomach to expand as you get used to the sensation.
As you exhale, allow the belly to gently draw in. When you are ready to inhale again, we want the air to rush back in and the belly to expand once more.
Think about squeezing a Fairy Liquid bottle. When you have squeezed all the liquid out and then let go, the bottle recoils back into shape as air rushes back in. That is exactly the sensation we are going for here.
Repeat this process until it starts to feel more normal. It doesn’t need to be big or dramatic – as you get used to it, it won’t be noticeable at all. After all, this is exactly the breathing technique your favourite actors, singers, and speakers use every day to ensure they have a healthy, clear, and calm voice.
The aim is to keep the breath steady and controlled, making sure you speak on the exhale, allow a calm inhale, and then repeat the process. This results in a relaxed body, mind, and voice, and ensures you can speak with confidence and clarity – without rushing, choking up, or filling 80% of your sentences with the word “ermmmm”!
A useful trick is to take a few minutes before any presentation to tap into this breathing. Also, make a point of noticing throughout the day when your breathing has become “shallow” and gently guiding it back to that full-body, relaxed stomach breath.
It will take some getting used to, but please trust me – it soon becomes second nature.
If you’d like some videos on this, feel free to drop me a line and I can send you some visuals to help ([email protected]).
Right – you have a week to get practising! Next week, we’ll be layering on some diction and body language tools to further develop your newfound love for presenting and public speaking.
Stay tuned!
