Michael Chad Hoeppner

From there, I've just developed these exercises working with real life communicators, both very high stakes communication situations like presidential candidates for debate prep, but also people much more, you know, junior, which would be like high school students trying to get better at speaking so they can give a good oral report.

Yes. So blushing, turning beet red, dry mouth. There's a whole bunch of things that people experience that are these physical manifestations of feeling tremendously nervous. Yeah.

Yes. So blushing, turning beet red, dry mouth. There's a whole bunch of things that people experience that are these physical manifestations of feeling tremendously nervous. Yeah.

Yeah. You use the tactics to unlock what I call a virtuous cycle of good communication. So you essentially fix the problem. with these kinesthetic tools. They use embodied cognition. They change the pattern dramatically. And then once the pattern is changed, what also tends to change is all those automatic responses that are happening when the pattern is not going well.

Yeah. You use the tactics to unlock what I call a virtuous cycle of good communication. So you essentially fix the problem. with these kinesthetic tools. They use embodied cognition. They change the pattern dramatically. And then once the pattern is changed, what also tends to change is all those automatic responses that are happening when the pattern is not going well.

There was a person I worked with one time who would always blush very, very intensely. And I mean instantly. She would start public speaking and instantly turn beet red. And she felt terrible about this and very self-conscious. And so the first thing she said to me is, I have to stop turning red. And I said back to her, that's not true. You have to stop moving your feet.

There was a person I worked with one time who would always blush very, very intensely. And I mean instantly. She would start public speaking and instantly turn beet red. And she felt terrible about this and very self-conscious. And so the first thing she said to me is, I have to stop turning red. And I said back to her, that's not true. You have to stop moving your feet.

She looked at me rather blankly. And what was going on was that she would begin speaking and totally different than how she would stand or use her body. If she was talking to a friend at the proverbial water cooler, she would begin to relentlessly shift her weight back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, almost like miniature pacing, but very rapid, rapid pacing.

She looked at me rather blankly. And what was going on was that she would begin speaking and totally different than how she would stand or use her body. If she was talking to a friend at the proverbial water cooler, she would begin to relentlessly shift her weight back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, almost like miniature pacing, but very rapid, rapid pacing.

At the same time, she'd be turning beet red and she'd be trying to hide this by continually smoothing back her hair over her face, trying to almost camouflage this activity with this motion of her hands over and over again. So I actually crouched down and I gave her feet some physical feedback to find stillness.

At the same time, she'd be turning beet red and she'd be trying to hide this by continually smoothing back her hair over her face, trying to almost camouflage this activity with this motion of her hands over and over again. So I actually crouched down and I gave her feet some physical feedback to find stillness.

I tapped on the top of her feet and put some books on top of her feet to keep them anchored to the ground. And when she did that, all of a sudden, magically, she actually took a breath in Her diaphragm dropped down, her lungs filled with air, and her entire communication instrument became still. And all of a sudden, she spoke more slowly for a moment. She breathed in. She got a better idea.

I tapped on the top of her feet and put some books on top of her feet to keep them anchored to the ground. And when she did that, all of a sudden, magically, she actually took a breath in Her diaphragm dropped down, her lungs filled with air, and her entire communication instrument became still. And all of a sudden, she spoke more slowly for a moment. She breathed in. She got a better idea.

She realized she actually has something to say to start the speech off, and she didn't blush.

She realized she actually has something to say to start the speech off, and she didn't blush.

A hundred percent. If a thousand percent was a thing, I would say a thousand percent. But a hundred percent, yes, precisely. Actors know this as inside out versus outside in approaching of a character. You can see this in other aspects of life too.

A hundred percent. If a thousand percent was a thing, I would say a thousand percent. But a hundred percent, yes, precisely. Actors know this as inside out versus outside in approaching of a character. You can see this in other aspects of life too.

I mean, anyone who has become aware of some of the sort of approaches or focuses for health and wellness and mental health, you hear people talk about saying out loud each morning some gratitudes or doing these physical things that are reminding you of some of the mindsets that you want to keep and Yes, absolutely.

I mean, anyone who has become aware of some of the sort of approaches or focuses for health and wellness and mental health, you hear people talk about saying out loud each morning some gratitudes or doing these physical things that are reminding you of some of the mindsets that you want to keep and Yes, absolutely.

I mean, if you want to go religious for a second, think of all the religious traditions in the world and how very often if there's a level of devotion that is trying to be unlocked, they actually do physical rituals, sometimes even regimens. And yes, these ways of acting, and if you want to use sort of philosophical language, acting virtuous can unlock positive feelings too.