Slow Talk
June 29th, 2006 by dashh
From time to time I would like to share with you all some techniques that have helped me deal with my social anxiety. One of those techniques is called Slow Talk. I was introduced to this technique through the handouts of Dr. Richards’ Overcoming Social Anxiety: Step by Step tape/handout series that was the core of the SA support group I attended. The technique is actually very easy to practice although you may feel a little awkward getting use to it. It involves just reading something out loud to yourself but slowing down your speech just enough so that you notice a difference. I would practice reading aloud in slow talk for about 20 minutes a day – usually reading over the handouts from the series in the evenings in my room. I usually really exaggerate and slow my rhythm way down when I practice, which in time has helped me to naturally speak just enough slower in social situations to remain more calm.
Many people with social anxiety are so anxious and wound up when we have to speak to someone or talk on the phone that we end up talking way too fast. Then, that faster speech just feeds back and can lead to more anxious thoughts and feelings and of course the cycle continues. It is also very hard to communicate with others when you speak so fast. What I have noticed is that by practicing slowing down my speech I automatically begin to speak slower in a lot of social situations that I used to just freeze up in or talk too fast during due to anxiety. It takes a lot of practice but in time you begin to just naturally slow down and enunciate better and it also helps me to think clearer since my mind isn’t racing as much. It has been a while since I practiced this technique so I think I’ll revisit it again to help reinforce it – so slow it down and check it out yourself.
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duff wrote on 06/30/06 at 12:48 pm :
Nice! It’s great to hear that slow talk is a recognized technique. This is definitely something I’ve used to remain calm and cure myself of stuttering.
I find it useful to think of just slowing down my speech just 10%. It doesn’t have to be so slow to be hypnotic induction, just more enunciated and clear and ever-so-slightly slower. Focusing on making a resonant tone and enunciating clearly also helps.
Ryan Oelke wrote on 07/3/06 at 8:23 am :
Hey Shawn, thanks for sharing this great technique. I’ve never tried it before, but I’m going to because I know it will help. I’ve sort of tried slowing my speech down in the moment, but that’s really hard. I start worrying if the other person notices my slowing down. Better to make it a habit through practice. When I do speak more slowly, I feel much more confident.
You know something strange, before I knew I struggled with SAD, I tried “techniques”, but then I had a negative view about trying a technique. Like, having to use a technique in the first place meant something was wrong, and I didn’t like that. Obviously at that time I had no idea about SAD or that I was trying to cope with it. But now when I go to consciously try a technique, I have a positive view, a lot of confidence. Interesting how formally recognizing SAD for me has been helpful with that.
Shawn wrote on 07/8/06 at 6:03 am :
Hey Duff and Ryan,
Thanks for the comments - yeah slowing down just 10% is an excellent rule of thumb Duff! It is hard to remember sometimes but that is where reading over something everyday helps to drill it into me to slooow down
It really is an amazing technique once it starts kicking in - one that everyone in my SA support group has been able to benefit from greatly.
-s