Your Voice Matters - Part 1

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The way that we speak can influence how our message is received.?

No matter how strong your message is, if your voice falls flat, you will have trouble achieving the results that you want.?

Sometimes, this can come from a lack of confidence. Maybe you’ve been teased, bullied or criticised for speaking up about something you believe in. Maybe your friends, family, or co-workers have interrupted you in the past. Maybe you’re worried about being too loud.

If you believe in your message, then it’s worth sharing.?

Here are some strategies for bringing your voice back to life:?

Free Your Tension

Tension can manifest itself in your body in all kinds of ways, but if you are tense, it’s more difficult to communicate freely.?

Here’s where we see tension most often and what you can do to release it:?

• Head and neck?

Imagine a piece of thread going up from your spine, through your neck and the top of your head. Imagine someone holding this thread above your head and gently pulling your posture upright.?

• Jaw

Start with a soft chewing motion to warm up your jaw muscles. Then, place your hands on your face, just in front of your ears. Softly rub your jaw muscles downwards to help release them further. Now, open and close your mouth, opening wider each time, until you have eased away all the tension and your jaw feels loose and relaxed.?

• Face

This is going to look silly, but the payoff is worth it. Begin by scrunching your face up as tightly as you can. Squeeze your eyes and mouth shut. Now, make your face as big as possible. Open your eyes and mouth wide, and stick out your tongue. Repeat a few times until your facial muscles are relaxed.?

• Shoulders

Stand comfortably, with your arms loose by your sides. Grip your hands together behind your back. Lift your shoulders up to your ears, as high as you can. Now, release the tension, drop your shoulders and swing your arms freely, forward and backward. Your shoulder should settle lower, and the muscles in your neck, shoulders and back should feel more free.

• Stomach

To release the tension in your stomach, simply tense and release your stomach muscles. This doesn’t mean collapsing your posture. Sit or stand upright, then tense your stomach muscles as tightly as you can. Then, holding your upright posture, release.

• Legs, Buttocks and Feet

You may be wondering what your lower body has to do with your voice, but tension in your legs, buttocks and feet can lead to breath-holding, which impedes the delivery of a confident message. Working downwards, tense the muscles in your buttocks, thighs, knees, calves, and toes as much as you can. Then, work back upwards, releasing the tension as you go, beginning with a wiggle in your toes.?

Learn to Breathe Again

One of the reasons releasing tension is so important is that it impacts our breath, and our breath is linked to our emotions. Notice how your breathing changes based on how you’re feeling. When we’re surprised, we gasp. When we are sad or relieved, we sigh. When we’re frightened, we hold our breath.?

One way to reconnect with our breath is through diaphragmatic breathing:

• Stand or sit upright, keeping your body fairly relaxed. Place one hand on your stomach.?
• Push all of the air out of your lungs, making a ‘shhhh’ sound, squeezing your stomach gently inwards as you do so, until you have no air left.?
• Pause for two seconds, keeping your hand on your stomach, then relax and allow the air to come back in naturally.?

Freeing your voice is the first step toward communicating your message.

Stay tuned for my next newsletter, where I’ll cover how to bring your words to life.

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This, and many other tools, exercises, and stories can be found in my new book Lift Your Impact, which is available here in the UK and here in the US! Bulk purchases can be made here.