Triple Take #11: tongue work, presentation focus and an anti-anxiety exercise
- Kaffy Rice-Oxley
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Voice Confident's Triple Take - your fortnightly trio of tips!
In this issue - a tongue stretch for better articulation, a reminder that YOU are the most important element in your talk, and a somatic grounding exercise.
Voice - a tongue stretch
Most of the speech sounds we make involve the tongue, so if the tongue is heavy and lazy we can find we aren’t articulating clearly.
A quick tongue stretch - raise your chin gently towards the ceiling. Let your jaw drop open and find a comfortable position. Stick out your tongue and move it from side to side in a rhythmical manner, like a metronome!
Try to do ten side-to sides, then take a break, bringing your chin down and relaxing, then repeat.
A great one to do just before you hop on an online call to help you speak clearly.
Presence - you are the talk, not the powerpoint
I think the most common mistake people make when presenting is thinking that the powerpoint slides must contain everything they are going to say in the talk, and that they must read out everything that is written on the slides.
When we see and hear a human speaking, our brains are wired to pay attention to that. That’s where the connection is, the emotional bond, the potential for collaboration.
This is why your slides should support your message, not replace it. If your slides can do the talking without you, you’re not giving a talk, you’re sending a report. Might as well be an email!
Your voice, timing, eye contact, fun and energy are what turn information into impact. When you focus on connection over perfection, your message becomes memorable.
So next time you’re prepping a talk, start with you, not your slides. Because no matter how slick the deck is (and I’m all for a great graphic!), it’s your voice and presence, not your visuals, that truly moves people.
Confidence - a somatic grounding exercise for calm
Sit up straight and drop your shouders; relax face and jaw.
Interlace your fingers (like you’re clasping your hands) but keeping the fingers straight.
Move your hands so the knuckles of each hand are directly adjacent.
Breathe in deeply and squeeze the knuckles of both hands together firmly, creating active resistance. (Make sure the tension created is just in the fingers and not in the chest and shoulders.)
Then release the pressure and breathe out.
Repeat a few times - on the final exhale, move hands to place over your heart, close your eyes and relax.
This exercise
Engages muscular tension and release, which signals safety to the nervous system
Helps channel anxious energy into something physical
Brings you into your body - great for grounding and presence
Can subtly engage both hemispheres of the brain via cross-body coordination
It's a really useful quick reset. Try it between desk-based tasks to calm your nervous system, or before a meeting or presentation.
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