Becoming a confident public speaker means being aware of how you present yourself in every situation.  Now that most of us are working from home and communicating through video apps and computer cameras, we should still remain aware of how we’re coming across.  

   A few things that I work on with clients who are presenting in person, in front of groups, also apply in these circumstances.  Number one, being grounded. To help you avoid rocking back and forth in your chair, which can be a distraction, imagine you are growing roots into the ground.

Make sure you can sit with your feet flat on the floor and are in what I call an ‘up and out’ position. Imagine the soles of your feet have roots reaching down into the earth. The tops of your feet are growing up to your ankles, shins, thighs, your pelvis, your vertebrae are stacked neatly on top of each other, your neck is released, shoulders down and back, and energy is surging out through the top of your head to the sky. You should feel a sense of lightness in your body, instead of feeling compressed. This is called kinesthetic lightness. 

Use your hands!

  Now that your hands are cleaner than they’ve ever been, don’t be afraid to use them to communicate. This kind of body language can make what you’re saying more engaging. Keeping your hands moving also frees your breath, as opposed to holding your hands by your sides which can restrict your breath. When that happens, you tend to breathe from your upper chest, restricting your vocal variety. Speaking in a monotone can cause your audience to lose interest.  So use those hands to make yourself a more effective speaker.