We’ve all heard it – that wobble in your voice on your very first word of your presentation. We’ve all stood in front of a group of peers, terrified, only to be betrayed by our voice as it shakes wildly, putting our nerves front and center. So how on Earth are you expected to speak even if your voice shakes?

This isn’t a sign of weakness or fear – it’s just physiology. And, it’s working PERFECTLY.

​Here’s a quick truth and a few simple ways to handle it next time. Here’s how to speak even if your voice shakes.

Your voice shakes because your nervous system just got the memo: we’re doing something important – high stakes. Our nervous systems are what keep us alive and alert. They are also what help us to rest and recuperate. Your nervous system is a beautifully designed, intricate highway of two-way messages between your brain and your body. It is working 24/7 to keep you safe from threats.

The problem is when it perceives a threat to be more dangerous than it actually is.

This system, which once helped us run fast away from hungry predators, now can’t differentiate a scowling audience from a ravenous tiger. It labels both as “dangerous” and sets off a series of symptoms meant to help us run from or fight that threat.

When we are out of our comfort zone, we all feel this in different ways:  shaky hands, a tight chest, our hearts pounding, our breath shallow and rapid, our mouths drying up, legs trembling… the list goes on. One common symptom is a shaky voice.

While your nervous system has prepped all muscles with the energy necessary to run or fight (hence the shaking), it has also prepped the voice to scream – to intimidate the threat or to warn others of it. That’s why your voice shakes. Those muscles are prepped and ready to scream. But you can’t scream your presentation to your audience – that’s not socially acceptable.

While all this can feel like your body is being hijacked, and you have no control over what happens, nothing could be further from the truth.

The truth is that you CAN take control back. That same energy that is causing you to shake can be channeled in a way to cause you to speak with presence. It can also help you create a true connection with your audience.

I’m not about to promise a cure-all. This takes work, and sometimes, in new speaking situations, you might feel like you’re back at square one.

For example, I feel pretty comfortable standing in front of 25 sleepy 18-year-olds and getting them to laugh. It’s a totally different story in a Zoom meeting, I will notice my throat dry up and my voice catch. But there are ways to speak even when your voice shakes.

Confidence grows from moving through the shake, not waiting for it to stop. And we do that by building steadiness. Here’s how:

Spend a moment really feeling your feet – what parts do you notice connecting with the inner sole of your shoes, or the floor? Where do you notice pressure? What about your ankles? Any sensations there? Don’t try to change anything – observe.

I know, you’ve heard this a million times before. But seriously – take a breath in and out through the nose. As you exhale, drop your shoulders down. This is signaling to your body that you’re OK. It will respond in kind. You can do this right before you speak, or after your first couple of sentences – as soon as you notice the shakes. This is how you continue to speak even when your voice shakes.

​This one you might not have heard of. Not many speaking coaches will tell you this – but let those first few sentences shake a little. This has a two-fold effect:

1. The vibration of your voice is a natural soothant for your nervous system. Let it do its work.

2. You become instantly relatable to your audience because guess what? We ALL have felt nervous on stage. And therefore, we are ALL rooting for you while you demonstrate courage and perseverance up there.

These short steps highlight that the goal isn’t to get rid of anxiety; it is to work with it. Here are a few more ways to help you stop shaking when nervous.

The next time you notice your voice shaking, take a moment to follow the above 3-step routine. Know that you don’t have to do all three – choose one that works for you. Each time you do this, your comfort zone expands a little more. So, each presentation will feel a little easier. And as the stakes get higher, the audiences get bigger, your comfort zone will expand alongside.  You can try a few more yoga-led breathing practices for public speaking as you become more comfortable.

So, here’s the truth. Your body isn’t hijacking you. It isn’t working against you. It is working perfectly FOR you, and you CAN work with it to speak even when your voice shakes. Just three simple yoga-led steps, as shown above, will lay the foundations to taking back control and start building connection – both with yourself and with your audience.

If you want to go deeper on this, I invite you to sign up for my free audio series. This is a collection of six audios, each helping to build awareness of what happens when you present and to integrate techniques you can use to speak even when your voice shakes.