An Often Overlooked First Step to Speaking Fluently

Do you struggle to speak confidently in English? Do you often feel very nervous or anxious while speaking, even though you know you’ve put in a lot of effort and you have a high level of skill?

In this video, I’ll show you how to overcome this hurdle by practicing one of the most important aspects of expressing yourself well in English – cultivating calm within your body.

It’s often overlooked, but cultivating calm is essential for Intermediate and Advanced English speakers who want to improve their communication skills. In my Speak English with Confidence course, I start by asking people to notice how familiar it feels to be stressed. We often imagine and practice feeling stressed, but we don’t do the same for feeling calm.

Why is that?

I believe it’s because we spend so little time nurturing a sense of peace within ourselves in our modern, technologically connected, busy lives. Yet, we expect to magically find that calmness in high-pressure speaking situations. If you’re not actively seeking to create calm in your life, it’s difficult to reach for it in those high-stress and high-risk English speaking situations.

So, the first step towards greater confidence in speaking English is to begin to create more calm within your life and your body.

Here are five ways cultivating calm as a practice directly helps you to speak English with more confidence:

1. Reduced nervousness:
   By cultivating calm within the body, we can be more aware of what is happening in our body and allow ourselves to work with it, rather than against it.
2. Improved focus:
   When we’re calm, we’re better able to focus on the task at hand, especially when speaking in front of others. This can help us feel more confident and in control.
3. Increased clarity:
   When our body is relaxed, and our mind is calm, we’re better able to articulate our thoughts more effectively.
4. Better vocal control:
   When we’re nervous or anxious, our vocal cords can tighten up, making it harder to speak clearly and confidently.
5. Greater overall confidence:
   When we feel calm and centered within our bodies, we’re more likely to feel confident and in control in all areas of our lives. This can translate into greater confidence when speaking in front of others of course.

So, by now, you understand the importance of cultivating calm to feel more confident when speaking English. But, how can you actually do that? Besides yoga, breathwork, meditation, and exercise, there’s one more option that’s near and dear to me – cultivating calm by connecting with nature.

By spending time in nature, you can disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and create a peaceful environment that can help you feel more calm and centered. Whether it’s by taking a walk in a nearby park or going on a weekend camping trip, connecting with nature can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety.

In my next video, I’ll be sharing a review of a fantastic book called “Talk to the Trees: Wake up to Wisdom, Wonder and Calm.” It’s a book which can help you connect deeply with nature.

No matter how you start to do it though, remember, the more you practice learning what it feels like to experience peace and calm within you, the more you will be able to allow that state. Tell me: what do you like to do that helps you feel calm?