Today (June 23^rd) is National Hydration Day – a perfect reminder of why you should ALWAYS have a drink of water handy when you speak! Have you given a speech, or appeared on television, without a thirst-quenching glass of water by your side? If so, I’m sure you’ve had moments when you’d give anything for a sip of some high quality H2O. Where’s The Waterboy when you need him?

Having water by your side has multiple benefits. One: clearly, if you’re nervous your mouth will get dry. That can lead to weird mouth noises, like this, and that’s never good. Plus it’s harder to pronounce words when your mouth is dry, and you certainly don’t want to be tongue tied.

Two: It’s a better alternative than coffee. You should be mindful of drinking coffee when you take the stage or the TV set. Coffee can make your mouth dry and speed up your heart, which can then make your mouth even dryer. It’s a vicious cycle. Trust me, you’ll have enough adrenaline when you’re speaking; you don’t need an energy boost from coffee.

And three: taking a drink is a great way to buy time and reorganize your thoughts! If you’re giving a speech and you feel yourself getting nervous, figure out a natural way to ask for a round of applause from the crowd. That allows you time to take a sip, refocus your energy, and regain your confidence. Even if it’s not an applause break, find a natural pause or shift in your storytelling, and grab your water. And don’t be in a rush about it; there’s nothing wrong with pausing for a drink.

Who knew something as simple as water can make such a huge impact! Trust me, having water on hand will lead to drinking in your success.

If you’d like to work on your public speaking just reach out to me here.

Have a great day!

Dave