Tips to improve stuttering according to the book: McGuire Programme: for Getting Good at the Sport of Speaking-Souvenir Press (2015)

Tips to improve stuttering according to the book: McGuire Programme: for Getting Good at the Sport of Speaking-Souvenir Press (2015) * Be responsible for your stuttering. You are doing the stuttering, not anyone else (page 37) * Set a condition to yourself to always do your best speaking in all situations (page 38) * Stop using techniques/tricks. Don't avoid (page 62) * Change your entire speaking personality * Practice improving your physical and mental speaking habits * Build discipline to improve your personal speaking skill * Build confidence against feared letters/situations * Resist time pressure (page 50) * Eye contact (page 53) * Perfect timing: breathe out when moving your mouth. Don't pause. Speak immediately after breathing out * Don't let fear change your calm breathing and moving your mouth calmly (page 55) * Turn negative perceptions - i.e. a feared letters - into positive beliefs - I can overcome this letter. This is the overkill-technique where fear turns into a boring feeling * Find supportive friends: Accept that you are in the beginning phase to learn the speaking skill. Convey this also to listeners (disclosure). Explain to your supportive friends your new way of speaking * Concentrate on your performance (page 65) * Practice Hearing Yourself. Learn to know your own voice * Change your Intentions, Behaviors, Emotions, Physical state, Perceptions and Beliefs towards your speaking skill * Be assertive, i.e. by thinking: "I have the right to overcome stuttering" "I have the right to not listen to other people's judgement" (page 77) * Have a desire to speak comfortably (page 121) * Analyze how you are trying to not stutter VS how to speak correctly **Analyze your fears that result in a speech block:** * fear of being too slow vs desire to communicate quickly * fear of disrespect vs desire for respect * fear of being perceived as incompetent/insane vs competent/sane * fear of not speaking vs desire to shut up * fear of rejection vs desire for acceptance * fear, shame, guilt, self-hate, sense of isolation, panic * fear of relapse * fear of pressure to speak fluently from listeners * fear of experiencing the same bad experience from the past Aspects I don't agree with in this book: * "***Start to speak mechanically***" - I disagree, because in my opinion we should always try to endorse automatic natural speech. Changing the way you speak because of one's perception of a stutter, keeps the stutter cycle alive. * "***Focus your eyes on one specific point in order to distract yourself***" - I disagree, because distracting doesn't lead to learning from perception. Also, what happens if you are tired or unable to focus on one specific point? Yes indeed, stuttering returns the moment we PWS let up. I suggest to never apply distraction in order to choose for calmly breathing (or moving one's mouth) If you feel like I missed something, please share your viewpoint in the comments! Let's encourage a supportive stutter environment.