How to Streamline Breath Control for Presentations (even if you have stage fright)

Streamlined breath control on stage creates convincing presentations and boosts your confidence too. This expert guide will get you started. 

Breath Support Onstage [EXPERT FRAMEWORK]

Our Breathing System & Speech

One of the first things we develop as a small foetus is the rudimentary respiratory system. Our lungs start growing as a 3 week old embryo, and by the time we’re a 6 week old embryo our primitive glottis has formed. By week 13 our vocal folds / cords begin to form.

Our respiratory system fires into gear for the first time, at birth! Although the don’t remember it, the cold air of the hospital room enters our respiratory tract and that first gasp of breath is what gives us the pressure to vibrate our vocal folds for the very first time and release our first sound.

Our voice has arrived in the world. It might feel ironic that most of us scream on arrival. As such, the scream of a newborn signals the relief of life! We got through the birth canal or c-section. We’re breathing and thus living. 

Let’s use this real case scenario to learn more about how to troubleshoot the breath mechanism, especially when we are nervous. 

Breath is both our life force and voice force.

But when you’re presenting if you notice breath calibration concerns, what is happening?

What Causes Breath Calibration Problems when Speaking?

2 factors account for breath support issues that typically arise among nervous presenters and speakers:

1. The natural body response to the stress cycle - our breathing is intimately linked to the stress cycle, which we’ll discuss shortly.
2. Vocal Skills - untapped vocal coordination when speaking wil unravel your speaker profile, especially if facing nerves

"Breath is vocal petrol"

Dr Sarah. Founder at CADENZA

The stress cycle and your breathing

Many speakers face breathing setbacks, despite no medical respiratory conditions, that arise when communicating under pressure and stress. To understand this better we need to take a look at what happens when our body reacts to stress and in particular how this affects our breathing and speaking.

Many speakers face breathing setbacks, despite no medical respiratory conditions, that arise when communicating under pressure and stress. To understand this better we need to take a look at what happens when our body reacts to stress and in particular how this affects our breathing and speaking.

Catabolism: a metabolic process in which complex molecules are broken down into simple ones with the release of energy; destructive metabolism

Collins Dictionary

The stress cycle, also known as fight and flight mode disrupts our homeostasis.  When we perceive danger, our sympathetic nervous system kicks into the stress response, also known as the “fight-or-flight” response. What a lot of people don’t realise is that the sympathetic nervous system Interestingly the sympathetic nervous system interfaces with nearly your entire body, firing all blood vessels, sweat glands, arrector pili and viscera so if it’s feeling sweaty, clammy, or your heart is racing any or more reactions are likely. The only structures the stress response can’t impact are areas of your body that don’t contain blood vessels. So your nails, cartilage or hair are safe! 

When you’re nervous on stage or running away from a bear or in the boardroom, your body goes into catabolism which is the state of high energy expenditure to help you get out of the situation fast. Even though it’s not good etiquette to run out of the boardroom or jump off the stage as soon as the fear hits, your body will react as though you’re going to. 

Let’s take a look at typical functional changes the body experiences in the stress cycle under the sympathetic nervous system.

Many speakers face breathing setbacks, despite no medical respiratory conditions, that arise when communicating under pressure and stress. To understand this better we need to take a look at what happens when our body reacts to stress and in particular how this affects our breathing and speaking.

The sympathetic nervous system & how it impacts you onstage

The stress cycle impacts systems in your body which is why performance anxiety can feel so terrifying, debilitating and breathless all at once! It pays to be informed of what mechanism change for you on stage that impact your breath support and bodily comfort. Stage fright and breath calibration issues are not purely psychological, they have a physiological beginning.

It all begins with the suprarenal gland which starts firing epinephrine (adrenaline) into our bloodstream.

But your skin is also in the game too. 

Your skin may also react with goosebumps, vasoconstriction (by which your blood vessels narrow and tighten which increases your blood pressure), sweating is also common.

Then there is the heart. Your heart rate is likely to increase as well as the strength of the contraction, which is why you may feel your heart pounding in your chest.

The feeling of compression, tension or breathlessness also relates closely to what occurs in your lungs.

The fight-or-flight response involves widening of the airways of your lungs (bronchodilation) thus increasing your airflow. This leads to changes in breathing patterns. Not only do your breathing tubes widen to get more air in to fight or run, your breathing rate increases. This is why it can feel like you are puffing, hyperventilating or running out of breath.  

Many speakers face breathing setbacks, despite no medical respiratory conditions, that arise when communicating under pressure and stress. To understand this better we need to take a look at what happens when our body reacts to stress and in particular how this affects our breathing and speaking.

All vital physiologic systems of the body are inherently programmed, through rigorous fine-tuning… to preserve a predefined steady state… essential for life and wellbeing.

Tsigos, 2000

Common Breath Concerns Among Presenters

A plethora of issues can undo your voice tone and clarity and it’s common for untrained orators to show a mix of airflow concerns that affect their delivery. 

If you’re facing breathing concerns when presenting or speaking while nervous take a moment to check off specific breathing factors are getting in the way. Do you notice any of these behaviours? 

• gasping
• running out of air mid-sentence
• rough and breathy tone
• heaving, panting and puffing before or after a phrase
• the urge to throat clear mid sentence
• breath holding
• chest, voice or postural tightness
• visible respiratory movements: excessive chest movement, shoulder elevation on inhalation, body bracing (to get more air in), excessively wide stance (due to the inability to find the postural support system for projection
• vocal strain
• volume trail off
• strident shouting
• coughing while speaking
• unexpected voice cracking, croakiness or huskiness

Breath Support Solutions for Presenters

Your body’s reaction can be managed. So if you’re struggling with the previous, here’s what can help. Consider that all performers, artists, actors, singers go through the same body reactions as you on stage or on camera but they instead have mastered vocal calibration and coordination when speaking even under pressure.

If you want to improve your voice, you need to know this...

There are 6 voice elements that must be calibrated. Without gaining mechanical and performance based skills, producing a charismatic and eloquent tone will be a gamble.

The Vocal Presence Profile will prescribe exactly what your voice needs right now. It includes a pre appointment assessment, the Voice Tone Test, which you can take no matter where you’re based. This allows me to analyse your voice acoustics, performance pressure factors and career needs before meeting with you in a 1-1 appointment in person or online. 

By the end of this appointment, you will understand exactly what is going wrong vocally and have a clear plan to gain vocal eloquence, power and presence. I am wholeheartedly committed and passionate about making sonic knowledge accessible because everyone has a right to a engaging and expert speaking tone.

Receiving an expert appraisal of your speaking skills is a decisive step in the right direction for communication growth because it will allow you to sharpen your focus on the core skills that need improvement rather than floundering and wondering what it is your professional speaking needs. Don’t leave it to your friends, family, colleagues or boss or worse still ChatGPT, to tell you what it is that your professional speaking needs- employing an expert to undertake a comprehensive analysis of your communication, voice and delivery will be more productive, personalised and affirming. 

💡 Takeaway:

All performers, artists, actors, singers go through the same body reactions as you on stage or on camera but they instead have mastered vocal calibration and coordination when speaking even under pressure.

Conclusions

Humans are experts at reading and interpreting speech signals. Our message delivery is measured for its merit and worth. Cadence predicates our connection and impact. Most profound personal and business relationships begin with a conversation. It's always valuable to improve.

At Cadenza, we train optimised stage presence for executives, leaders and experts so that the integrity of their thoughts, intentions and messages remain intact once in the boardroom, on camera or stage, using speech science principles and the CADENZA protocol to both set you and your listener at ease for the conversations that matter.

Breath support gives your voice tone the necessary foundation it needs to be consistent, clear and credible. Clear voice puts you and your listener at ease. If you got this far, no doubt your eager to present your insights better.

I have many resources and science-backed tactics that can assist you. Get in touch for more info.

References

• Jimenez, B. P. (2015). "The effects of “performance adrenaline” on the performing singer." Voice and Speech Review 9(2-3): 149-167.
• Tsigos, C., et al. (2000). Stress: Endocrine Physiology and Pathophysiology. Endotext. K. R. Feingold, S. F. Ahmed, B. Anawalt et al. South Dartmouth (MA), MDText.com, Inc.