What Stress Does

Under pressure, your vocal cords tighten, your breath shortens, and your pitch climbs. Listeners may read that as uncertainty, even when your words are accurate. The fix starts below the neck: breath, posture, and pace. Steady those, and the voice has room to settle.

Before a high-stakes conversation, spend two minutes box-breathing: four seconds in, four hold, four out, four hold again. Do it in the hallway or parked car. By the time you speak, your pace has slowed and your first sentence has a steadier base.