2023.06.29 – 0910 – How The Audience Reacts To Your Nerves How does the audience react to your nerves? Nerves not only affect you; they also affect your listeners. They want to feel taken care of, that they are in safe hands. They’ll feel comfortable, if they think you are. If you sound nervous, they may: · Question your competence – “why is she nervous if she’s supposed to know what she’s talking about?” · Feel sympathy – “that poor woman, this must be so awful for them…” And you don’t want peo...
Jun 28, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 910
2023.06.28 – 0909 – How Video Meetings Can Cause Stress VOICE BOX How video meetings can cause stress: More focus is needed to process non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, tonal variation, body language The self-awareness of being watched may make you feel that you are performing and lead to performance anxiety Delays or latency: even a 1.2 second delay can make you perceive the responder as unfriendly or unfocussed. In a real-life conversation silence is normal, but on a video c...
Jun 27, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 909
2023.06.27 – 0908 – When You Simply Can’t Speak At All The clinical name for hoarseness is ‘dysphonia’ and complete (or almost complete) voice loss is ‘aphonia’. Often the symptoms are caused by infection, physical abnormality or disease, but emotional distress can also be at the root, when it is referred to as a ‘psychogenic’ voice disorder. Extreme performance anxiety may include paralysis: freezing, fainting or losing the ability to talk at all. [1] In the singing world (where of course, arti...
Jun 26, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 908
2023.06.26 – 0907 – The Vocal Effect Of Mic Fright Vocally: · When stressed, the muscles that control the larynx can become tense. [1] (Periods of prolonged muscle tension in the larynx can lead to a lack of coordination of the vocal control system that can cause vocal fatigue and even vocal damage.) · Tension is likely to harden surfaces and make them smaller. So, holding your shoulders and throat in this state, and having a jaw that’s barely opening, will make any vocalisation higher and thinn...
Jun 25, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 907
2023.06.25 – 0906 – The Respiratory Effect Of Mic Fright Respiritorally: · Held tension will restrict your ability to drop your diaphragm and open up your lungs · ‘Fight-or-flight breathing’ into your upper thoracic chest cavity and the clavicular area of your throat, meaning your breaths will naturally be shorter and shallower · You won’t be able to take in a proper amount of oxygen, a natural calming chemical · You’ll be forced into mid-sentence snatched breaths, and end-sentence croaks as you...
Jun 24, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 906
2023.06.24 – 0905 – The Physical Effect Of Mic Fright Physically: · Sweating under the arms, down the back and clammy hands · A stomach somewhere between a butterfly house or churning like a cement mixer and in extreme cases, vomiting (or a feeling of it) and diarrhoea or a feeling to rush to the toilet · A racing heart, or sometimes a rapidly-dropping heart rate · Blurred vision · Trembling or in-chair fidgeting, shuffling from foot to foot as though wanting to run away Skeletally: · Your physi...
Jun 23, 2023•1 min•Season 3Ep. 905
2023.06.23 – 0904 – The Mental Effect Of Mic Fright The effect of nerves and stress on the body psychosomatic /ˌsʌɪkə(ʊ)səˈmatɪk/ adjective 1. A physical illness or condition caused or aggravated by a mental factor such as internal conflict or stress 2. relating to the interaction of mind and body. Extra adrenaline upsets your natural hormonal equilibrium causing ‘microphone-itis’. It’s not a nice list of symptoms and side-effects to have one or more of these. Mentally: · Concentration evaporati...
Jun 22, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 904
2023.06.22 – 0903 – The Studio ‘Caveman’ This survival mechanism developed so humans could react quickly to life-threatening situations. But even though we don’t experience many saber-toothed tigers down the high street, our mind can still perceive some unusual situations as stressful, triggering the original reactions. Of course, very often we can neither fight or flee: our ‘caveman brain’ tells us to attack the interviewer or rip the mic off the stand – but our ‘modern brain’ tells us we can’t...
Jun 21, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 903
2023.06.21 – 0902 – Mic ‘Flight and Fight’ Mic fight and flight [1] The ‘fight or flight’ response is well known: an automatic physiological reaction that’s perceived by the ‘caveman’ in us as stressful or frightening. The sympathetic nervous system is activated, triggering an acute stress response that prepares the body to confront it, or get away from it. A cascade of adrenaline, noradrenaline and acetylcholine make the heart pound, pupils dilate and breathing quicken. Muscles tense with the i...
Jun 20, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 902
2023.06.20 – 0901 – Lack of Prep Time · Lack of time or effort to prepare mentally – perhaps you are tired, ‘under the weather’, in pain or returning after a break. There may be distracting ‘life events’ in your head: deaths and illnesses, relationship breakdowns or financial pressures. Even if you can’t step away from these physically, try and do so mentally, from the editorial process in the newsroom or studio: the talk and the technicals. Prepare for your performance: the message and the mood...
Jun 20, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 901
2023.06.19 – 0900 – Confidence And Self-Esteem · Lack of confidence – most of us have a fear of failure, but we can only survive and thrive by putting ourselves in a situation in which we are tested, and you can’t easily replicate being on air without actually being on air. You’re also more likely to experience performance anxiety if by nature you’re a ‘worrier’ and tend to get anxious or upset in everyday situations · Lack of self-esteem – that we subconsciously seek immediate approval from the...
Jun 18, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 900
2023.06.18 – 0899 – Underlying Reasons For Mic Fright What the underlying reasons could be So, just why are some broadcaster-performers exhilarated and energized in front of the mic, while others feel a crushing sense of fear and dread, and sometimes see studio work as something that must be endured rather than enjoyed? These can be summed up by: [1] · Lack of experience – you simply need more ‘on-air miles’ especially if you’re working with new people, especially ‘difficult’ or ‘famous’ people ...
Jun 17, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 899
2023.06.17 – 0898 – Causes Of Mic Fright So, what’s going on? Extreme nervousness is one of the most unpleasant experiences to go through: physical and mental suffering that, if you are a broadcaster, may be in public and recorded and be played back - not just in one’s mind but also on social media for years to come. glossophobia /ˌɡlɒs.əˈfəʊ.bi.ə/ noun The f ear of public speaking ( speaking to a group of people ) Deriv: Greek glosso- (tongue, language) + -phobia (fear). “ Year after year in th...
Jun 16, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 898
2023.06.16 – 0897 – Studio Excitement Excitement Yes, finally, nervousness might be excitement in disguise [1] . Physiologically, they certainly have some of the same symptoms: knees shaking, heart racing, hands sweating, gut misbehaving… Nervousness is often seen as a negative experience to do with fear and potential survival, shying away from risks and limiting success. Excitement is a positive experience, in which we can take advantage of potential possibilities and opportunities by showing c...
Jun 15, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 897
2023.06.15 – 0896 – Studio Sensitivity Sensitivity to snarkiness Like a physical issue any underlying emotion can also be ‘heard’ in your voice: angry or anxious, stressed or depressed, walking on eggshells or on cloud nine, your voice won’t be natural unless you are ‘centred’. All of these situations manipulate your mindset: how do I feel, how do others see me, am I letting them see the ‘real me’? and will affect your hormones, your physical tension and your body language. Your emotions might b...
Jun 14, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 896
2023.06.14 – 0895 – Studio Workaholism Workaholic-ism Stress may come from being too focused on your mic work, at the expense of your family and friends, hobbies and health. If you have too much on your plate or are continually hunting around for scraps, then anxiety may be caused by being too laser-focused on working hard: being a workaholic . A versatile voice belongs to someone who is experienced in the world, not world-weary, who brings life experiences to the recording, not exhaustion from ...
Jun 13, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 895
2023.06.13 – 0894 – Studio Perfectionism Perfectionism You may get stressed in the studio because everything has to be ‘just so’: asking for take-after-take because the next one will “ be the best one ”; continually cogitating about the cadence of every sentence; editing and re-editing so much that your saved files have names like ‘final’, ‘final version 2’, ‘final version 3’, ‘final final edit’ and ‘final edit, this one’. Those with perfectionism set themselves unreasonable goals. Constantly st...
Jun 12, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 894
2023.06.12 – 0893 – Studio Imposter Syndrome Imposter syndrome Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by self-doubt and nervousness before turning on your mic or camera? You feel as though you’re “ not good enough ” and that you “ may be found out ”, “ exposed as a fraud ” and “ don’t deserve success ”. That’s even though you know you’ve had ten tons of training and continuous career accolades. This may be imposter syndrome , a misplaced feeling of inadequacy that affects many successful people, (but...
Jun 11, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 893
2023.06.11 – 0892 – Studio ‘Voice Confrontation’ Voice confrontation (or “ I Don’t Like My Voice! ”) You may be visibly uncomfortable hearing your voice live, in your headphones, or when your recorded-voice is played back. You may become stressed at what you think others may think about your pitch, accent or diction. As we have seen before, this is down to a mix of physiology and psychology . First, the sound of your voice that you normally hear ‘live’ is a mix: partly out of your mouth and in t...
Jun 10, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 892
2023.06.10 – 0891 – Studio Embarrassment Embarrassment As a voice-over, you have perfected a cast of characters while alone in your home studio and then you get your big break: a director wants you for a big-budget part! You sit in the big-city studio, the microphone facing the control room and through the glass you see directors and producers, engineers and executives, script-writers and sales managers, assistants and interns… they’re talking but you can’t hear them… and you feel like a goldfis...
Jun 09, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 891
2023.06.09 – 0890 – Studio Disillusionment Disillusionment On occasion, you may simply not feel up to presenting a podcast. Your voice may be fine but you’re not ‘feeling it’, not in ‘the zone’ and don’t know why. This may be boredom or negativity about the podcast topic , maybe disillusionment or resentment about its ‘return on investment’, the amount of work balanced with the number of downloads, feedback, reviews or sponsorship and it gets harder and harder to keep up the momentum. You may be...
Jun 08, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 890
2023.06.08 – 0889 – Studio Claustrophobia Claustrophobia Sitting alone in a home studio booth with several screens, a mic and a mixer, but no air conditioning, recording a voice-over session for an hour, or an audiobook for even longer, may be enough to make anyone feel odd. If you feel a need to break out and run away, it may not be down to nerves, but claustrophobia or loneliness. You may feel these emotions, and others may hear them in your voice which may become dull and drained, tense or ne...
Jun 07, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 889
2023.06.07 – 0888 – Studio Depression If it’s not nerves, stress or anxiety, it may be something else Let’s not just stick with ‘feeling nervous’, there are other feelings and emotions which may arise in and around a studio and affect your voice, sometimes these are temporary feelings, and sometimes they can last a long time. Here we look at other things that go on in your head, and how they affect what comes out of your mouth. I am not a health professional and I would always urge you to seek p...
Jun 06, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 888
2023.06.06 – 0887 – Studio Anxiety Anxiety is persistent and may not be linked to a specific situation. The intensity may ebb and flow, but it never completely goes away, and with ongoing feelings of unease or dread, anxiety can prevent you from doing something you enjoy and make it difficult to focus and go about your day. Persistent anxiety has links to physical illness including gastrointestinal conditions and heart disease. [1] Again, all of these thoughts feelings and emotions may be heard ...
Jun 05, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 887
2023.06.05 – 0886 – Studio Stress Stress may be seen as ‘extreme nervousness’. It too is triggered by a ‘presenting situation’ and is usually short-term. If controlled appropriately, a rush of chemicals in your blood can lead to a heightened state of awareness, and a more powerful performance: a stressful person may be loud and energetic, seemingly thriving on the pressure (‘nervous energy’ or ‘nervous tension’), with symptoms similar to nervousness: a raised heartbeat and faster breathing. But ...
Jun 04, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 886
2023.06.04 – 0885 – Studio Nervousness Nerves, stress and anxiety Nervousness, stress and anxiety are part of the same bodily reaction of fight-flight-freeze which we’ll look at in a bit more detail later, and because they have similar symptoms it can be hard to tell them apart. Here is a rough, non-expert guide. Nervousness may be triggered by a specific situation but it doesn't usually prevent you from getting on and doing that thing. Think of a great opportunity to present your first professi...
Jun 03, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 885
2023.06.03 – 0884 – Mic Fright " The actor's nightmare ", “…what it must be like to give birth" Laurence Olivier, on stage fright INTRODUCTION Do you want to express yourself, but it feels like a boa constrictor gets hold of your throat? [1] In this section, we look at powerful mind shifts that can help you get a better broadcast, podcast and voice-over voice. Yes, because the mind does affect the voice. Indeed, you are your voice: what you say is shaped by your culture and experiences, dreams a...
Jun 02, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 884
2023.06.02 – 0883 – Self Massage Self-massage · Put your first and forefinger together on each hand. Gently at first and then with stronger pressure stroke by stroke, draw your double-fingers in a diagonal line down the side of your neck from just behind your ear across to where your throat starts, just short of your ‘Adam’s apple’. This massages the large sterno-cleidomastoid muscles which support, turn and nod the head. · Now place one palm on top of the back of your other hand and rotate them...
Jun 01, 2023•6 min•Season 3Ep. 883
2023.06.01 – 0882 – Vocalisations of Different Voice Sounds These are sometimes described different, with different words and terms [1] . Ok let’s go for this: · Aphonic – a whisper · Biphonic – two pitches at the same time · Breathy – air in the voiced is heard · Creaky – the sound of friction between surfaces · Flutter or bleat – like the bleating of a lamb · Glottalized – another term for vocal fry, the low clicking sound · Pressed – loud and harsh · Wobbly – a variation in sound Yawny – soun...
May 31, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 882
2023.05.31 – 0881 – Surgery And The Voice Surgery If you are given anaesthetic, it’s likely you will be intubated, that is have a tube put down your throat and past your vocal folds, to help you breathe. This process can cause: · Dislocation of your vocal folds - or more specifically the cartilage that attaches to them · Injury to your vocal folds – the hard tube is inserted somewhat blindly and can rub or scrape on its way down · Inflammation – where cartilage is exposed to any further damage, ...
May 30, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 881
