Rachel Ley has some calming advice for those anxiety filled meeting moments:
Imagine the moment just before you open your mouth to speak in a pitch… Imagine the moment just as you step into a new networking event for the first time, or… Imagine the moment just before the first wave of delegates arrive onsite…
Whether these thoughts invite excitement or anxiety, it could be argued that dealing with a range of emotions is simply a feature of everyday business life, and most of us will have some form of remedy to help battle nerves or stressful situations. Yet, as we reach for the nearest app or pill bottle, we forget that our bodies are actually equipped to help us when we need it most.
The way we breathe affects how our nervous system operates.
I truly believe that the simple act of breathing is our superpower. Most people will have heard of the ‘fight or flight response’; this is the sympathetic nervous system at play – triggered by the amygdala when danger or something to ‘fear’ is about to strike, it is responsible for hyper-alertness, sweaty palms, racing pulse and so on – many of the feelings we identify in moments of anxiety.
Our bodies have a natural way to balance the extremities of the sympathetic nervous system by using the little talked about parasympathetic nervous system. Responsible for rest and digest, and accessed mainly by breathing, it will come as no surprise that the nerve endings for the parasympathetic system live in the lower lobes of the lungs, thus the deeper you breathe, the calmer you will feel.
There are many breathing exercises you can deploy – box breathing, 4-7-8 breathing exercise, bee-breathing and many more. All of these actions will help to bring your heart rate down and make you feel better inside.
The way we feel inside affects the way we sound.
If your voice has ever shaken when you presented or faced confrontation, then you will know how disruptive and devastating it can feel. The vagus nerve, which sits in the throat is part of the autonomic nervous system and it connects muscles of the larynx, some of the pharynx, the velum and the diaphragm to nearly every internal organ. Thus, it is responsible for communicating our internal emotional state via the structures concerned with making sound, our voice. The only control we have over it is to send messages through our breathing to the diaphragm – another powerful argument for us to understand and connect with our breathing. But how does our breathing affect others?
The way we sound affects the way we listen and respond to others. Connection to others via the breath is palpable. Getting to grips with a solid technique and opening awareness to others via facial gestures and body language ignites neurons in the brain which react to the impulses and actions of others, whether mirror neurons (physical) or echo neurons (sound). In short, the more centred or present we are with our breath, the more likely it is that the mirror and echo neurons of others pick up our intentions and responses.
Possibly more than ever, developing coping strategies both for anxiety and for better communication has to be a priority. In whatever way works for you, just remember that breathing is your superpower – it can make your ordinary, extraordinary.
Rachel Ley is a Speaker Coach who helps teams and individuals communicate out loud effectively, perform under pressure and present with impact.
Contact: rachel-ley.co.uk
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