November 15, 2008

Breathe



The other day, I was on a teleseminar where the speaker was out of breath the whole time. It wasn't that he was talking fast; it seemed more like he was holding his breath.

It was exhausting for me to listen to him. I felt like *I* was out of breath the whole time.

My tip of the day: Breathe.

When you breathe, you:

* Send more oxygen to your brain and muscles
* Increase blood flow
* Support your voice
* Reduce tension that can make your voice weak or quivery
* Relax

Slow down and be conscious of your breath and how you sound to your audience. If you're holding your breath and running out of air, they can hear it. It's uncomfortable for you and uncomfortable for them!

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2 comments. Please add yours! :

Anonymous said...

It is a very obvious point to make and yes, very important. However, one of the problems with severe SAD is that you cannot breathe, the fear stops you from being able to draw deeper breaths.

This is a topic I am trying to find help with and urgently, yet all I come across is, "just don't forget to breathe"......great, thanks!-if it were possible do you not think I would?

Lisa Braithwaite said...

Not everyone is in the same situation as you are. If you really have severe social anxiety, you would probably benefit from therapy. Most people do not have severe social anxiety and really are forgetting to breathe. I see it with my clients all the time.

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