How to express yourself?

Question

There were times that I find myself at a loss for words when faced with stressful situations, and I feel that it interferes with my ability to interact with people. Can you suggest some ways to improve the way I express myself?

Answer 1

Everybody has experienced getting tongue tied once in a while so don’t be overly worried if you feel that you are not expressing yourself well under certain circumstances. But if you feel that it is happening a lot to you, then here are some suggestions that I think will help you better talk your way out of certain situations:

Practice makes perfect – there is really no substitute to constant practice when it comes to communicating and the only way to help you become comfortable in expressing yourself is by doing it constantly. Practice by talking more with your family and friends. Or, you can still practice even when you are not around people. Try talking in front of a mirror and watch your own body and facial expressions.

Prepare your thoughts – this is important if you will undergo an interview or will present a topic at a meeting. Prepare what you have to say in advance and anticipate the questions that will be thrown your way. You might not remember all the things that you’ve planned to say but it will make it easier for you to talk in more details about the topic.

Talk slowly – to allow your audience to absorb your words. It makes no sense to waste all your energy in your preparations only to blow it by talking so fast that the audience cannot understand your words. 

Answer 2

I think in order to learn how to express yourself better, you must know three things: what you want to say, your audience, and your own vocabulary.

Knowing what you want to say is about the mastery of your topic. To do that you have to do your own research first and create a mental outline of how you want to deliver what you have learned.

Your audience will determine the way you talk. Speaking in front of a group of college students is different from talking one on one with a construction worker. Shape your delivery according to the type of audience.

Your own vocabulary will limit the way you can deliver your message so try to expand it by reading and studying. Sometimes going through a thesaurus before a speech might do you a great deal of help.