Does speaking in front of an audience make your palms sweat, your heart beat out of your chest, and your knees buckle? Moyra Major, renowned radio presenter, and founder of public speaking training company, Major Confident, has given us some tips for better public speaking:
Just breathe.
The lack of effective breathing has a serious impact on your public speaking skills. The first, and most simple and direct way to calm anxiety, is something we do every day. Breathe.
The problem is that when we are anxious we breathe in a way that can actually make our anxiety worse. Shallow, rapid breathing reduces the amount of oxygen that is getting into our systems and causes us to feel lightheaded and anxious.
Accelerated breathing, Shortness of breath, Increased heartbeat, Dry mouth, Sweaty palms, Tunnel vision, Tensing of the muscles, Shaking …
These states of mind have an impact on your voice and your capacity to deliver with power, vigour and enthusiasm.
Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
In this type of breathing we breathe deeply from the abdomen rather than from the chest. When we inhale the stomach goes out – instead of in.
Practicing breathing in this way will not only calm you down (if you feel nervous) but it aids to give your voice power and strength. Coupled with the techniques below you will notice the improvement.
Breathing Easy is as Easy as 1-2-3
Use a counting method of 3 seconds inhale and 3 seconds exhale while practicing deep diaphragmatic breathing.
Couple the 1,2,3 exercise with saying a positive word like, “peace” or “focus” or whatever word that helps you.
This exercise can be done prior to a speech or during a stressful moment during a speech – not as a consistent breathing pattern.
In most speaking situations you should simply breathe deep diaphragmatic breaths.
Practice
Practice doesn’t make perfect because perfection doesn’t exist. What practice does do is it brings us closer to new positive habits that yield the results we want.
Now that we have introduced the basics of deep diaphragmatic breathing let’s show an example that brings these techniques together.
Public Speaking Breathing Exercise
I recommend you do this prior to getting up to speak or even during a difficult moment in a speech.
Stand up straight, shoulder up, head/eyes toward the audience.
Keep your hands open down by your side.
Smile.
It is proven to change your state of mind and besides – you look and feel better when you do so!
Breathe in a deep diaphragmatic breath in feel your stomach expand.
Count 3 seconds – 1,2,3.
Practice this with awareness and you will note the positive difference in power you yield with your vocal delivery.
You can do this before a speech, during a presentation or while practicing.
Not only will these exercises help you be a more powerful speaker but they will also reduce your anxiety because deep breathing calms and focuses the mind.
Using the full weight and power behind your voice and you will impress, influence and entertain audiences everywhere.
Belly Breathing is another technique you might like
Belly Breathing is a deeper, slower form of breathing that enables oxygen saturation and tells our bodies and our brains that everything is ok.
When our brain gets that message it stops kicking out stress hormones and slows our heart rate back down, relieving our anxiety.
To practice belly breathing, sit comfortably and put one hand on your stomach and one on your chest.
Breathe slowly and deeply so that the hand on your stomach rises, not the one on your chest.
It takes practice, so try to find one or two minutes several times a day to belly breathe. If you wait until you are really anxious, you won’t have the best results. Practice when you aren’t anxious so that It will work when you need it.
Here’s how to do it:
- Inhale for a count of four.
- Hold for a count of four
- Exhale for a count of four
- Wait for a count of four
- Repeat until you feel calm and centred again.
Give Moyra’s tips a go – you’ll be presenting like a pro in no time!