Honor Your Innate Rhythm: Refuse to be rushed while speaking
Have you gotten feedback that you speak fast? Are you afraid to pause while speaking?
You could be trying to keep up with your racing thoughts. Or you may trying to get a word in in an oppressive work environment.
Either way, rushing while speaking can take away your confidence and authority (and actually lead to people interrupting you more).
When we’re rushing, we’re far more likely to ramble or repeat ourselves, because we’re not taking conscious micro-pauses to plan where we want to go next.
We’re also making it harder for our audience to process what we’re saying (most people struggle to process new information on their feet).
And when we feel unsafe or uncomfortable, our perception of our pacing gets totally inaccurate.
Speaking fast unconsciously is almost always the result of multitasking, speaking and thinking at the same time.
It doesn’t work just to tell yourself to slow down or speak slower.
We have to replace the habitual pattern with something pro-active like pausing on purpose instead of filling unconsciously.
I even like to use conscious filler to take the conversation especially if I’m in a space where people takeover and talkover.
Make a decision to take your time and take up more space (even as the anxiety tells you to shrink and speak faster).
Here are my tips:
Don't just tell yourself to "speak slower". Instead, focus on something proactive like pausing on purpose instead of filling unconsciously.
You can even use conscious filler to take the conversation if you're in a space where people takeover and talk-over.
Make a decision to take your time and take up more space (even as the anxiety tells you to shrink and speak faster).
