How to Stop Stuttering When You're Nervous: 5 Practical Techniques
Heather Gross, M.S., CCC-SLP
Although anxiety isn’t the root cause of stuttering, feeling worried that you might stutter can affect the smoothness of your speech. Anxiety related to speaking creates a feedback loop, where fear of stuttering leads to increased tension associated with speech. However, there are techniques you can use to break this cycle and manage your stutter when you’re feeling anxious.
Key takeaways
Research shows that about 60% of adults who receive speech therapy for stuttering also experience social anxiety.
Negative thoughts associated with stuttering can actually lead to increased stuttering. People may then avoid situations in which they have to talk.
When you feel anxious about speaking, your sympathetic nervous system becomes activated. You may experience a racing heart, trembling, difficulty breathing, or stomach pain.
A speech therapist can teach you techniques to manage your stutter and help you respond to perceived speaking “dangers” with courage and confidence.
Helpful techniques include breathing strategies, slowing your speech, noticing tension in your body, and joining a support group.
Support for people who stutter
Speech therapy can build your confidence and help you speak more freely. Find the right speech therapist for the support you need.
Get startedWhy do people stutter when nervous?
“What if I stutter?”
“I’m going to stutter on this word.”
“What if I get stuck?” “What will they think of me if I stutter?”
Racing heart, trembling, difficulty breathing. Tingly hands, chest pain, stomach pain.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Research shows that about 60% of adults who receive speech therapy for stuttering, also known as stammering, also experience social anxiety. That’s compared with just 6.8% of the general population. Many people who stutter worry that their stuttering will hurt their ability to participate in social activities and advance in their career. Negative thoughts and beliefs associated with stuttering can actually lead to increased stuttering. People may then avoid situations in which they have to talk.
When you feel anxious that you might stutter, that’s your nervous system telling you that speaking in front of others doesn’t feel safe. The brain remembers negative experiences and associates painful memories with stuttering.
So, how do we retrain the brain so that our nervous system recognizes speaking as a fulfilling and positive experience, one that leads to human connection?
Stuttering is a speech fluency disorder affecting about 1% of adults and 5% of children. Learn what causes stuttering, the 3 types, and how speech therapy helps.
What happens in your body when you feel anxious about stuttering?
Our body’s autonomic nervous system is responsible for automatic, involuntary functions of the body, such as our heart rate and breathing.
The autonomic nervous system is made up of two systems: the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system activates the “fight, flight, or freeze” response, which stimulates stress when triggered. When our body perceives a stressor, the sympathetic nervous system becomes activated. Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are produced by the adrenal glands. Our heart rate increases. Blood pressure rises. Our lungs hyperventilate.
When this process happens repeatedly, our bodies go into “survival mode,” meaning our bodies are on high alert. Your nervous system doesn’t recognize the difference between having to make a speech and coming into contact with a tiger. If you’re a person who stutters, when you’re standing in front of a group of people, anticipating having to say your name, or preparing to make a phone call, your sympathetic nervous system might respond.
Then, when the perceived danger is gone, the parasympathetic system activates. Your heart rate decreases, blood pressure lowers, and blood flow returns to the vital organs. The parasympathetic nervous system allows for healing to occur.
An experienced speech therapist will use a holistic, whole-person approach to help you better respond to perceived speaking “dangers” with courage and confidence.
Social anxiety is common among people who stutter. These exercises can help you manage stuttering, reduce stress, and feel confident in your speech.
How to prevent stuttering in everyday situations
Here are 5 expert techniques to help calm your nervous system, avoid stuttering, and create positive experiences when you speak.
1 Try using breathing techniques
When practiced regularly, breathing exercises can reduce anxiety, increase the quality of your sleep, improve digestion, and so much more. Many people who stutter and people with anxiety tend to take quick, shallow breaths, which doesn’t allow enough oxygen to enter the body. The breath is also what turns the voice on! Dr. Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 breathing is often recommended. However, there are thousands of breathing techniques if this one doesn’t work for you. Try to inhale through the nose, then increase the length of the exhalation. The exhale is what calms the nervous system.
2 When you're scared or anxious, allow your body to shake and move!
Rather than holding adrenaline in and creating more tension in your muscles, allow the adrenaline to move through your body. This will release tension, which will allow your breath to move freely.
Self-advocacy means speaking up for what you need in order to be yourself. Learn 4 ways to advocate for yourself as a person who stutters.
3 Slow your speech rate
Stuttering techniques to slow your speech rate include pausing, stretching out your words, using over-articulation, and increasing mouth opening. These types of techniques are taught in speech therapy sessions and can help prevent stuttering.
4 Notice where you're holding tension in your body
Is your tension associated with a negative thought, emotion, or experience related to stuttering? Simply begin to notice when and where you have that feeling. Over time, you can retrain your brain to replace negative thoughts and emotions with positive, fulfilling interactions and compassionate practices.
Stuttering can't be "cured" in the traditional sense, but speech therapy helps control it. Here's what to expect from stuttering therapy.
5 Join a stuttering support group
Find a community of individuals who understand the challenges you’re going through. Know that you are not alone. Social connections stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, the “rest and digest” response.
Working with a licensed psychotherapist or counselor, along with a speech therapist trained in stuttering therapy, can help you manage your anxiety and experience the joy of connecting with others through speech. Click here to get matched with a speech therapist who's experienced with stuttering and available when you are.
Online speech therapy for stuttering
Expressable treats people of all ages who stutter. We provide speech therapy online, so you work one-on-one with a licensed speech therapist from the comfort of your home, at a time that works for you. See our stuttering treatment guide to learn more about our approach.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech and occupational therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication, feeding, and developmental skills, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 4,500 5-star reviews from our clients (4.83/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech and occupational therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
