Talking

I relate strongly. I can sound depressed, and used to mumble so much I was often told off. I do it less often as I've gone on, but any mumbling or confusion or not being able to express myself might be picked up. In the case of mumbling, I'm not really aware of the mumbling - partly because your voice sounds different in your head to when you hear it played back because the sound normally conducts through bone. I'm more likely to be aware of the stumbling, or when someone draws attention to it.

Some of it is self-confidence, some is practice. Trying to speak clearly to a large room shows you can do it, but if you're caught off-guard when you're in your own mental space, it still happens.  I think believing that other people might not like what I said was one reason I got into the habit - you were forced to answer as a child and knew you might be told off for the answer.

So learning drama or singing or improv or performance can help the situation arise less often, definitely. When it does arise, just take a breath and ride it through.

I relate strongly. I can sound depressed, and used to mumble so much I was often told off. I do it less often as I've gone on, but any mumbling or confusion or not being able to express myself might be picked up. In the case of mumbling, I'm not really aware of the mumbling - partly because your voice sounds different in your head to when you hear it played back because the sound normally conducts through bone. I'm more likely to be aware of the stumbling, or when someone draws attention to it.

Some of it is self-confidence, some is practice. Trying to speak clearly to a large room shows you can do it, but if you're caught off-guard when you're in your own mental space, it still happens.  I think believing that other people might not like what I said was one reason I got into the habit - you were forced to answer as a child and knew you might be told off for the answer.

So learning drama or singing or improv or performance can help the situation arise less often, definitely. When it does arise, just take a breath and ride it through.

Also wondering about a speech and language therapist if it's a big problem. They can probably work out what the problem is and teach some tricks appropriate to you. Maybe stuff to do with relaxing, breathing using all your lungs, using chest resonance from humming a low not, physically expanding and being active. I might try a singing coach myself.

I recall that I was working on a farm and basically was about to have some heavy machinery crush me and someone observed that I can be loud if I need to.