Great summer crew at group this week!

We started to brainstorm creating a Toastmasters group here at UVM to give members a chance to practice giving semi-formal speeches.  Check out this other group, King’s Speakers, which is a Toastmasters group specifically for people who stutter.

One member was happy to see that  his blood pressure and pulse were lower at a recent physical when he was speaking to the nurse. He thought this was great evidence that he is more comfortable with his stuttering compared to this time last year.  Measurable change!

We also talked about how hard it is when you know you have to introduce yourself to a new group of people — how anxiety builds up as you count down your turn. A lot of the pressure comes from trying so hard not to stutter, which causes more stuttering of course!

One member suggested that self-compassion is important in tough moments like that. Maybe trying to meet one smaller goal (making eye contact or not changing your words) is more manageable to help difficult situations feel like a success rather than aiming for total fluency.

Next time, it would be great to discuss this video of a comedian who stutters that has been circulating the internet. His stuttering is different since it was caused by a trauma later in life.

Looking forward to your thoughts on this when we meet again June 16th!