157. Transform Communication Anxiety in 5 Simple Steps

“Anxiety is a common human experience,” says Alejandra Siroka, as she shines a light on communication anxiety—something many of us face, especially during the holidays or in tense social situations. How can we speak with clarity and confidence when nerves take over? In this episode, Alejandra offers five simple steps to help shift the dynamic.

 

From grounding yourself through mindful breathing to visualizing more positive interactions, Alejandra shares tools that calm the nervous system and build confidence. She reminds us of the power of preparation—having thoughtful topics or questions ready can turn an anxious conversation into a connecting moment. This episode is an invitation to approach communication with more ease and compassion. You can transform your communication anxiety, and if you use these steps as a practice, you will decrease your communication anxiety over time. What could change for you if you practiced these steps?

 

Quotes

• “Confidence is the antidote to anxiety. And, by the way, the etymology of the word confidence is ‘to have faith.’ In this case, it means to have faith in your ability to talk to others with clarity, with presence, with kindness, with strength.” (05:07 | Alejandra Siroka)
• “When we breathe into the belly center, our voice comes from that area down below instead of coming from the throat area. And when our voice originates in the belly, it is stronger, more resonant, more confident.” (08:08 | Alejandra Siroka)
• “Anxiety is not innovative. When we have anxiety, we view in our mind’s eye something that has already occurred in the past.” (09:13 | Alejandra Siroka)
• “Thinking of others helps us decrease anxiety because anxious thoughts are usually about us, our performance, our abilities, and how we may be seen by others in negative ways.” (13:01 | Alejandra Siroka)
• “Even in situations when people experienced a lot of trauma, if you ask questions about sweet and funny memories when they were kids, you will find surprising answers and connecting conversations.” (15:05 | Alejandra Siroka)

 

Links

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Podcast Music composed by Gary Lapow: open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMh