Shoulder

Welcome to Your Weekly Words with Julie Avis Rogers, where public speaking meets personal flourishing. In these posts (the video and the written transcript below), I’ll share one word to enhance your effectiveness as a public speaker while also giving a boost for your soul! This week’s word is *shoulders* so let’s dive in!

Our shoulders are some of the wisest parts of our body and so much is communicated in our shoulders.

Meanwhile, I have noticed that the mind can be very adept at deceiving us: It can tell us that we are *not* stressed when we really are or that we’re feeling fine when we actually are quite nervous. But the shoulders– they are the truth tellers!

Think about this in your own life:

When you are tired, what do your shoulders tend to do?
When you are stressed, what do your shoulders tend to do?
When you are feeling nervous or small, what do your shoulders tend to do?

And most importantly, when you are feeling confident and at ease, what do your shoulders tend to do?

In the coming days, check in with your shoulders every once in awhile. They will have a whole lot to show you!

In particular, I’d love for you to be aware of your shoulders while speaking publicly. In my coaching work with clients, I have found that the shoulders are a place where we can immediately zero in to identify how an individual is feeling and then make some small adjustments that not only help their whole being feeling more at ease, but also communicate confidence at the same time.

So for you out there, take note of what your shoulders tend to do. Maybe they hunch together when you are nervous. Maybe they ride up towards your ears when you are afraid. Maybe they drag downwards when you are feeling uncertain. Your ability to check in with your shoulders and make adjustments is a small yet powerful step you can take to help your body feel more grounded and at ease and then in turn, they can help communicate that groundedness and ease to those you are speaking to.

Take a deep breath and take good care of those wise shoulders!

Ready for more? Click here to book a free exploratory session with me where we can discuss your questions or concerns about public speaking and if I might be able to support you on your speaking journey. Visit my website to learn more about how to become a more confident, authentic public speaker while boosting your personal flourishing along the way!