27th Issue of Newsletter

Free Your Voice from Speaking Anxiety

Reader,

Let's find out what happens inside your body when you stress about something

... whether it's your upcoming presentation, a meeting with an important client, or any other stressful situation.

I'm no medical doctor, but let's try ;)

Your adrenal glands release 2 kinds of hormones, known as stress hormones:

• Cortisol
• Dehydroepiandrosterone (Don't try to pronounce it, let's call it DHEA 😉)

Both hormones play a crucial role during times of stress:

Cortisol sees stress as a threat and prepares you to deal with it ...

Think of it as your body's defense mechanism.

It helps in converting your body's fat and sugar into energy that your body and brain can use during stressful situations.

It also restricts some other bodily functions that it sees as unimportant during times of crises

... for example, reproduction, growth, and digestion.

Which explains a lot why people with chronic stress suffer from stomach issues, difficulty in making babies, depression, and limited growth, right?

Reader, have you ever noticed you don't feel hungry during stressful times?

Well, I dunno about you, but my stomach shuts its operation down and I forget that I need to eat to survive.

It's because of the cortisol release in our bodies.

In contrast ...

DHEA hormone sees stress as a growth opportunity, and it helps your brain grow from stressful experiences.

It's like testosterone but, instead of the body, it makes your brain stronger.

Also, it counters some of the effects of cortisol.

Now ...

as you can clearly see both hormones are doing something crucial and beneficial for us ...

One serves as a defense mechanism (cortisol) and the other helps our brain grow stronger (DHEA).

So, neither one of these is a bad guy, right?

But here's the catch ...

The ratio in which both hormones are released determines whether your response to a stressful event is gonna be positive or negative.

Lemme explain:

This ratio of DHEA to cortisol release is called the growth index:

For math geeks ...

Growth Index = DHEA / Cortisol

So, the higher growth index is better for you as it will make you mentally stronger and more resilient in responding to future stressful events.

Think of it this way ...

High Growth Index triggers a fight response.

Low Growth Index triggers a flight response and avoidance behavior.

We can make the growth index higher either by increasing DHEA release or by decreasing cortisol release.

Simple math, right!

But research shows that you cannot lower the release of cortisol simply via mindset shifts.

.... Though you can do so by taking medicine (beta-blockers etc.), those would also block the release of DHEA, which we don't want.

Plus, beta-blockers have some side effects.

The good news is that you CAN increase DHEA release by mindset shifts and working on your beliefs about stress and stressful events.

And by increasing DHEA levels, you will increase your growth index.

In simple terms ...

Your mindset shifts about stress and limiting beliefs can help you:

• trigger a fight response
• grow mentally with superior problem-solving skills, and
• become resilient in handling future stressful events

Reader,

Now you know why a mindset shift is a powerful tool to fight against your speaking nerves.

That's a wrap!

(This week's issue is inspired by the book The Upside of Stress)

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BRINGING IT HOME

TL; DR

You cannot completely get rid of your speaking nerves

... but you can ALWAYS get better at managing them by working on your mindset and belief systems.

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Feel free to reply to this email if you have questions or feedback on this newsletter.

Note: You can access all previous newsletter issues by clicking here.

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TWO MORE WAYS I CAN HELP YOU

1 - Free Discovery Call - Book your free discovery call now to uncover the root of your anxiety and fast-track your journey from nervous to confident speaker 🎤. Seize the opportunity and take that first step toward transformation!

2 - Social media - I share practical tips and insights on public speaking and communication skills. If you are active on Youtube, Instagram, or ​Threads, let's connect.

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Best,

Waqas, Founder & Speaking Anxiety Coach

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