Insights and Strategies for Humans Speaking

Different speaking contexts create different types of nervous system activation, and effective speakers learn to match their regulation strategies to each environment. This post explores five distinct speaking scenarios - boardrooms, main stages, difficult conversations, virtual presentations, and impromptu moments - detailing the specific nervous system challenges and tailored regulation techniques for each. Rather than one-size-fits-all solutions, readers learn to build a personal "regulation portfolio" that adapts to the unique demands of precision under scrutiny, performance energy management, interpersonal conflict navigation, digital dysregulation, and rapid pressure response.

This follow-up post delivers five evidence-based techniques for balancing your nervous system before, during, and after high-stakes speaking situations. Learn quick regulation methods like the Physiological Sigh (30 seconds) and Micro-Orienting (15 seconds) for in-the-moment reset, plus foundational practices like Coherent Breathing and the Voo Sound for vocal-specific nervous system preparation. Based on research from Stephen Porges, Peter Levine, and Bessel van der Kolk, these tools help speakers achieve "calm intensity" - the optimal state of high arousal matched with high regulation for dynamic, engaging performance.

This blog post explores the vagus nerve (Cranial Nerve 10) through the lens of a personal vasovagal episode experienced during blood donation. The author explains how this "freeze" response provided insights into the vagus nerve's role in voice production and performance. The post covers the vagus nerve's dual functions - somatic (conscious) and autonomic (unconscious) - and how its sympathetic and parasympathetic branches work together to regulate everything from vocal muscles to fight-or-flight responses. The author connects this neurophysiology to practical voice work, explaining how understanding vagal responses can help speakers and singers manage high-stakes performance situations by balancing sympathetic arousal with parasympathetic regulation.

In "When Voices Disappear: The True Cost of Silencing Ourselves in Collaboration," I examine how we often diminish our voices in collaborative settings, believing we're serving the team when we're actually limiting everyone's potential. Inspired by a revealing moment on Project Runway, this post challenges the false binary between harmony and discord, offering a more powerful alternative: bringing our full "voltage" while remaining curious about others. Learn a simple five-step practice to maintain your authentic voice in your next collaborative project.