How To Calm Public Speaking Nerves Through Breathwork
A lot of people are aware that ‘breathing techniques’ can be used to calm nerves before public speaking.
However, most of us grossly underestimate how effective this can be.
Perhaps you think to yourself …
“I know how to breathe, I’ve been doing it my whole life”
I have to say, I’ve been skeptical about the true benefits too.
So when I found out that my best friend from primary school (Jayne Quick) is a Breathwork Instructor, I had to pick her brains on everything breathwork to truly understand more.
In this article, with Jayne’s input, we’re breaking-down: exactly what’s wrong with the way most people breathe, how this impacts our physical and mental health, what breath-work actually is and 3 simple techniques you can use for public speaking prep (Daily, Pre-Presentation and During a presentation)
If you find public speaking really nerve wracking, this is definitely worth the read.
HOW DO MOST PEOPLE BREATHE & WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE?
Most of us breathe too quickly, way too shallow and through our mouths.
Apparently over 80% of the population do something called chest breathing, and this is where the breath is short, shallow and high in the chest.
On average, people who breathe this way breathe approx. 20,000 breaths a day (whereas ideally, it should be between 8,000-12,000).
Here’s how you can check how you breathe:
Place one had on your chest and one on the belly (laying down is optimal) and notice where the breath falls (and rises).
– If yourchest is moving up and down = Chest breathing
– If your belly rises and falls = Belly breathing
WHAT’S WRONG WITH SHALLOW CHEST BREATHING?
Shallow breathing activates our stressed, “fight or flight” state of being, all the time.
You might not feel like you’re in a constant state of life or death panic, because there’s different levels of activation. However, for daily tasks etc as a shallow breather, you might stay in a consistent low level chronic stressed state. Over time, this adds up and can mean that when you’re put under extra pressure (e.g. a presentation), it becomes a much more acute level of activation.
Not great right!?
To truly understand this though, let’s unpack the two branches of our autonomic nervous system.
Everyone has two states of being we can switch between:
- A calm, relaxed state of being“i.e. the rest and digest state of being” (which is our ideal state to be functioning in, with a lower heart rate, where we are calm and we can think clearly and focus on the task at hand, or rest if we want to). This is what’s called the Para-Sympathetic Nervous System (PSNS).
- An alert, stressed state of being “i.e. the fight or flight state of being” (which should only be activated when we feel under threat, because it’s resource intensive and puts some normal modes of functioning on hold to deal with the threat – we have an increased heart rate, our pupils dilate and we hyper-focus on the threat and can’t think about other things clearly). This is called the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS).
So, it should go without saying that we should be in the calm state of being almost all the time (using the PSNS).
The only time we should be activating our alert, stressed state of being is when we really need to fight for our life (and run).
It sort of reminds me of a race car in a video game (or even our vacuum cleaners). There’s always a normal gear and then a turbo gear. Everyone knows that you leave it in normal mode most of the time and only switch it to ‘turbo’ for a short burst when needed. Otherwise you suck the battery really quickly right!?
It’s the same with our nervous systems.
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS ‘BREATHWORK’?
Breathwork = simply being conscious of your breathing (and doing it properly).
It doesn’t have to be laying down in a breathwork “class”, it can be anytime and anywhere that you consciously draw your attention to your breath (and notice the natural rise and fall).
Then, if required, change or shift this intentionally to benefit and support your mind and body.
Here are 3 key breathwork techniques, that I’ve split up into different buckets of application: Daily, Pre-Presentation and Mid-Presentation.
They all incorporate slowing down your breath and breathing deep into your belly, which is essential for activating the PSNS and promoting calm and relaxation.
They’re just better suited for different applications.
1. DAILY: DEEP BELLY BREATHING
This first one involves: Deep belly breathing with longer exhales.
Place your hand on your belly and inhale through your nose for 4 seconds and physically feel your belly expanding, then slowly exhale through your mouth for the count of 6 or 8 seconds, allowing your diaphragm to soften and sink back down.
Try pursing your lips (like you are slowly blowing out a candle) and that will help to elongate your exhales.
This technique can be done at anytime and anywhere and has an instant calming effect (interestingly, the exhale is what activates the PSNS).
2. PRE-PRESENTATION: BOX BREATHING
This second one involves: Breath holds.
This technique is taught and performed by Navy Seals who are in life and death situations and need exceptional mental clarity when in combat.
It involves inhaling for the count of 4 seconds, holding your breath for the count of 4 seconds, exhaling for the count of 4 seconds and holding your breath for the count of 4 seconds.
Try using your nose for the inhale and your mouth for the exhale. Continue this for at least 1- 2 minutes.
As you feel more confident with this technique, increase the counts to 5, and then 6 seconds etc. (Navy seals can do counts of 30 seconds!)
It is a great technique to use for panic attacks or when you’re feeling very anxious/nervous in the lead up to a presentation.
3. MID-PRESENTATION: THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGH
This last one involves: Two nose inhales + a long mouth exhale (sigh).
Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman claims to date that the quickest way to activate your PSNS is to do something called a physiological sigh.
This technique involves a long inhale through the nose, followed by a short and sharp second inhale through the nose, and then a long exhale (sigh) though the mouth.
Requiring only 2-3 rounds, you’ll feel the benefits almost instantly. Which is why this is a great option to use literally right before you say your opening words or even mid-presentation.
Note: It doesn’t have to be an audible sigh.The focus is on the breathing pattern – not the external sound of the sigh. Although there are studies that show making sounds like humming, sighing etc can actually help.
HOW TO ENSURE ‘BREATHWORK’ WORKS IN THE MOMENT
What’s the key to ensuring these techniques actually work when you need them to?
You need to *build* these skills beforehand, not just *rely on* them in the moment.
i.e. Don’t simply wait to use breathworkwhen you’re presenting.
Deep breathing needs to become your new normal. Plus you need to be able to calm your breathing when required.
The more you integrate it into your life, the more benefits you’ll get!
For optimal results, Jayne suggests a few minutes both morning and night, in the lead up to a big event.
However, remembering when you can, to draw attention to your breath and practise consistently throughout the day: whether sitting at a desk, driving the car, going shopping etc.
That way you are familiar and confident in being able to consciously activate your PSNS if you’re feeling any nerves or anxiety creeping in.
A CASE STUDY: HOW BREATHWORK CAN REDUCE PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY
Here’s a story of one of Jayne’s clients who built her breathwork skills to drastically reduce her nerves when actually presenting.
This client Lisa (note this is not her real name) was in a senior role in a global company and had recently been informed she was to host a Gala dinner for approx. 500 people. As part of this, Lisa would give a welcome speech, introduce the guest speakers and close the Gala.
To say she was nervous was an understatement. Even when Lisa simply discussed the Gala, she would start to shake and feel physically sick.
Unfortunately, all her company was offering, was a 2-day course to help structure her speech. She took the course and whilst valuable, it didn’t cover how to handle her nerves.
So Jayne gave Lisa basic breathing techniques to practise multiple times a day for the 6 weeks in the lead up to the Gala. She also worked on techniques to calm her nerves and reframe her thoughts around the event.
On the day, Lisa was able to calm her nerves. As a result, the Gala went really well and Lisa was given exceptional feedback. She also now hosts their annual Gala and other regular events. Plus she’s gained an even more senior role within her company as a result.
If you’d like to check out the work that Jayne does, you can find more info here at www.quickresultstraining.com.
IN SUMMARY
Our breath doesn’t just keep us alive.
It’s also the quickest way to consciously shift from fight or flight to rest and digest.
If you’re a shallow / fast breather, start mastering breathwork.
The more control you have over your breath, the more control you have over your nerves.
Start today and set yourself a daily reminder.
A calmer and more capable you awaits!
Q – Do you want to give ‘Breathwork’ a go now? (If you already practise breathwork, I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below)
Cheers,
Emily
Hey, I’m Emily Edgeley, a Public Speaking Coach for the Cybersec industry.
Since 2017 I’ve transformed the lives of thousands, by helping them to communicate with more power. I’ve run 300+ group coaching sessions, coached more than 250 people privately, and helped more than 100+ others give their first ever Conf talk.
I’m on a mission to help anyone in Cybersec communicate with more clarity, impact and confidence. To boost their brand, career and influence.
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