I have written in my past blogs about the importance of posture and how it influences your speech.
I have developed a 10 point checklist you can use to help cue yourself when you are next rehearsing your speech. When you are standing up to present, go through this list, either mentally, or in retrospect to your speech.
Go through this checklist and either tick yes or no as you read down the page.
- When standing, am I standing in a Quasi–Military style, meaning : Am I standing super straight, like in the army? And has my back lost its natural S shape?
- When sitting or standing, how is my spine shaped? Is it slumped forwards?
- When standing, am I gripping my toes on the floor? Meaning, are my toes working hard to keep me straight? Are my knees locked and tight?
- Am I standing with my weight shifting? Is my hip jutting out one side and causing asymmetry?
- Am I standing like Mr Bean? Where my pelvis is pushed forwards, like how Mr Bean stands?
- Are my shoulder blades squeezed back together, causing my upper back to be super straight and narrow and tensed?
- Are my shoulders rounded and sunken, which leads to my ribcage being closed in.
- Are my shoulders creeping up towards my ears, leading me to breathe using my clavicle?
- Is my chin tilted up, because I am constricting my neck muscles and looking more than 90 deg up?
- Are my eyes looking up or down, and not at eye level of the audience?
Read through the list and rate yourself with yes/no. The more yes you have, the more you have to be aware of your posture. Look at my youtube video re: Postural habits, if you would like to learn more!