Stuttering Help – Stuttering Tips On Managing A Speech Block
ByWelcome to another Q&A video session of Stuttering Dissolution. Today’s question is from Vassilios and the question is:
“Hi Chazzler, for a problem of coordinating breathing and speaking, what tips can I use when I stumble on a word?”
So the question is basically “What To Do When Hit A Speech Block?“
Thanks for this question Vassilios. This is a question that most of us want to figure out because one of the worst nightmares we have is to get stuck on a word in front of others and go through all the negative emotions it brings to us.
In this video I’m going to talk about what to do in those types of situations. I am going to give you 3 tips and share 2 exercises with you which you can apply to be able to manage those types of situations in a better way.
Stumble on a word while speaking was a HUGE fear I had for years. I used to ask myself “what if I stumble on a word and block in front of people?” , “What will they think about me?”, “will I make a fool of myself in front of others?”, “will I embarrass my family and friends?”
As soon as I felt that the block was coming I could feel the PANIC, then I BLOCKED and of course the SHAME followed every single time!
I just didn’t want to be in that situation… and even worse, I didn’t really know what to do when that happens. So, my strategy was “don’t speak if you don’t have to”, which I should admit was a pretty sick strategy for a person like me who had a lot to share and communicate with others.
So the process for me was like: panic, block (with frozen body and mind), shame and all other negative emotions…
Here are my 3 tips for you:
1) As soon as you feel the block, stop and don’t force the block. Forcing the block will give you nothing else other than getting lost in the moment
2) Let that block go and try to start over (it’s always better to start over fresh than struggling to push out the block). This time when you start over from the word which gave you trouble, focus more on using your most effective physical and mental speaking tools and techniques to be able to manage your speech in a better way… and the best resource which I strongly recommend you for that is SDOGTP (Stuttering Dissolution Outer Game Training Program) You should definitely watch the video on http://stutteringdissolution.com/outergame if you are interested to learn the best and most effective speaking tools, techniques and strategies, which you can use to successfully manage your speech in real life speaking situations…
3) When you face such a situation, your aim should always be managing your speech, not speaking “perfectly” to hide your stutter. If you get lost in nonsense thoughts such as “what others will think about me?” and you try to mold yourself depending on other’s “possible expectations” from you then you’ll lose this game even before you start it. I know it is easier said than done, but the fact is it can be done!
Now let me share 2 exercises with you:
1) The best way to eliminate a fear is to face it. Therefore, I’d suggest you to do what is known as “voluntary stuttering” to desensitize your fear. I know it is not easy to do it but in the future videos I’ll address “voluntary stuttering” in detail and you’ll see that it is a lot different and simpler than what a lot of people think it is.
2) The second exercise is about getting used to time pressure. When we panic and expect to hit a block we tend to rush the moment so it’ll be over. This is not a right strategy, what you need to do is being comfortable with time pressure. Therefore, giving pauses in your speech on purpose is a good exercise to counterattack this tendency.
That wraps up today’s video/article. I hope you enjoyed and benefited from it…and if you do please like, share and subscribe. Also, feel free to comment below and let me know your experiences on getting stuck on a block.
Take care and I’ll see you in the next video very soon.
All the best,
Chazzler
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