PSJ Business Booster #9
Welcome to the this "Business Booster" from the Professional Speakers Journal (PSJ).

These notes will be kept short and sweet and only have two objectives:
1. Add value to your business giving you a 'heads up' on simple tips and techniques may not have heard about
2. Keep you informed about what's new in the Professional Speakers Journal
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Tip of the week -- becoming a better speaker by breathing properly

What's behind stage nerves?

The basic problem is inappropriate triggering of your body's inbuilt fight or flight defence mechanism. This system is inappropriately triggered because your brain cannot tell the difference between you being chased by a wild animal and standing on stage speaking. The brain simply knows that you're feeling uncomfortable and triggers a basic system designed to get you out of danger.

Why's this a problem?

A high quality voice depends on air being expelled from the lungs at (near) constant pressure. One of the side effects of the flight or flight reaction is rapid, shallow breathing, which would clearly impact voice quality.

This in itself has another side effect. Your less than perfect voice is picked up by your own ears and your brain decodes the signal, concluding that you don't sound at all happy and not in particularly good voice. This further reinforces the (inappropriate) flight or flight reaction, and before you know where you are, you're into a downwards spiral

What's the solution?

Take assertive, positive control over your breathing.

Adopting this approach to your breathing, as opposed to leaving in on autopilot, like you do for most of the time, is the only sure way to control nerves. Breathing is an unusual bodily function in that you can optionally chose to exercise a high degree of control over it, or leave it on autopilot. Taking control of your breathing breaks the downwards spiral outlined previously.

What's the best technique?

Good breathing and good breath management stem from diaphragmatic breathing. If you're unsure of how to do this, simply lie on the floor, supporting your head with a thick book (like a telephone directory, for example). Breathe normally. Observe your tummy rising as you breathe in and dropping as you breathe out. You are breathing (inhaling) using your diaphragm, the large muscle separating your thoracic cavity from the abdomen. The trick is to remember to do this when you stand up. There is an unconscious tendency to allow the shoulders to take over breathing when you're standing up. Remember: when you breathe in your tummy should go out and your shoulders remain still. If you keep breathing in, then your ribcage will also expand and your chest will rise.

Having got the hang of this -- make sure you practice it until it becomes second nature when you stand up to speak in public.

If you have ideas for material you'd like us to cover in the Journal, then please let me know.
 
Regards,
 
Chris Davidson
Editor@ProfessionalSpeakersJournal.com
 
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