Still more about presenting when you’re ill

This is turning into a bit of a series, isn’t it, although I didn’t mean it to when I started, with my first post on this topic. I’ve carried out the ‘experiment’ with the sweets from this post a couple of times now and it seems to work, for me at least.

So here are a few more semi-random tips.

Breath in through your nose. That’s generally good advice, ‘cos that’s what your nose is for after all, but it’s particularly important if you’re ill, or have travelled in the cold. The reason is that the extra ‘piping’ inside you warms that air that little bit more before it arrives in your lungs, getting it closer to the temperature of your body. I can vouch for this one personally, as I’m still fighting a chest infection, sadly….

Tea (and coffee) will dry your throat out. If you’ve got a dry cough or anything similar, try and avoid them. On the other hand, there are drinks which will encourage your body to produce more fluids – milk, if you can drink it (I take mine in hot chocolate, which makes it so so so much easier to drink!

). If you’ve got a flemmy cough, avoid these. A little bit of common sense and self-medication can go a long, long way!

Make a really serious effort to remember to breathe with your diaphragm – keeping your chest relaxed if you can. If you’ve got some kind of bug, it’ll inhibit your breathing in your upper chest quite a lot (potentially) so getting the power from the lower parts of your lungs makes more sense.

Warm up! You should always do this, of course, but if you’re not feeling 100% you may find you’ve ‘retreated into yourself’ a little bit so that you are more inhibited and less expansive in your gestures and so on that you normally would be. (For some people that’s a good thing, I know, I know!). Onstage that can come over as a little less credible. Get the blood flowing and get your face/lips working before you start, not as you go along.

I hope those help. Don’t forget though, that my very first bit of advice is the best: if you can avoid making presentations when you’re ill, do so!

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