One of the first things you need to understand about public speaking is that you must breathe correctly and efficiently to continue speaking with proper cadence and intonation. The best presenters out there know the importance of breathing and the advantages it gives them when they’re speaking. If you feel nervous on stage, and this is a real issue, focusing on proper breath control will be a significant part of your improvement in public speaking skills.

1. www.presencetraining.co.uk
This reflex is a primitive yet vital
part of our sympathetic nervous
system, triggered when we
perceive danger, giving us the
best chance of survival.
THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT
MECHANISM
THE IMPORTANCE OF
BREATH CONTROL
DURING PUBLIC
SPEAKING
One of the best ways to
counteract that is to calm down
when you need to, using proper
breathing.
LOOK INWARD
Sit in silence for a few
moments and listen to
yourself. Ask yourself what
you feel at the moment.
Accept and acknowledge
what you’re experiencing,
the negative feelings, the
sensations in your body.
Take a deep breath into your
body, and as you do that,
slowly count to five.
BREATHE
Release each breath slowly as
you move forward, pursing your
lips and feeling your breath
leaving the body.
Focus your awareness on your
breathing for at least ten slow
breaths, counting every time.
NOTICE
Expand your awareness, noticing what’s happening with
your body now. Notice the space around you, take in the
room, and the sounds around you, pay attention to any
tension you feel in your body and try to breathe and bring
your attention to those locations.