How do you calm public speaking anxiety with breathing?

2 How to breathe properly

To calm your public speaking anxiety with breathing, begin by learning how to breathe properly. Proper breathing involves using your diaphragm, the large muscle below your lungs that contracts and expands when you inhale and exhale. Diaphragmatic breathing maximizes oxygen exchange and minimizes carbon dioxide buildup. To practice diaphragmatic breathing, lie down on your back or sit comfortably with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Inhale through your nose, feeling your abdomen rise as your diaphragm lowers, while keeping your chest still or moving slightly. Exhale through your mouth, feeling your abdomen fall as your diaphragm rises, while keeping your chest still or moving slightly. Repeat this cycle for several minutes, focusing on the sensation of your breath and the movement of your diaphragm.

3 How to use breathing exercises

Once you master the diaphragmatic breathing technique, you can use it to perform various breathing exercises that can help you calm your public speaking anxiety. These exercises can be done before, during, or after your presentation, depending on your needs and preferences. For example, the 4-7-8 technique involves inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and exhaling for eight seconds. This can help you slow down your breathing, calm your nervous system, and reduce your stress. The box breathing technique involves inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and holding your breath for four seconds. This can help you create a rhythm of breathing, focus your attention, and clear your mind. The alternate nostril breathing technique requires inhaling through one nostril while closing the other with your finger, exhaling through the opposite nostril while closing the other with your finger, and repeating the cycle. This can help you balance your left and right brain hemispheres, regulate your emotions, and enhance your creativity.

4 How to apply breathing to your speech

Breathing is not only a tool to calm your public speaking anxiety, but also a skill to improve your speech. It has the power to affect your vocal quality, volume, tone, pitch, and pace, influencing your audience's perception, engagement, and response. To apply breathing to your speech, take a deep breath before you start your speech to establish presence, confidence, and authority. Use commas, periods, and other punctuation marks as cues to breathe during your speech in order to avoid running out of breath or speaking too fast. Additionally, use your breath to convey emotion and intention in your speech; for example, breathe deeply and slowly to show calmness and seriousness or breathe lightly and quickly to show excitement and enthusiasm.