Fillers you can't get rid of....um, like, you know?

If there is one thing I have learned from Toastmasters, it is to be conscious of speaking clearly and avoid those awkward filler words whenever possible. When people get nervous they have a tendency to speak fast and say "um" a lot. When I mean a lot I mean everything other starting sentence begins with "um" or it is used in between words as a filler. Unfortunately this is a very common habit and it can be difficult to break. I find myself catching myself when I get nervous because I tend to speed up and then I realize that I need to slow down. However, a lot of people don't realize they use so many fillers or talk fast. If you happen to notice you have this tendency, it can be helpful to have a friend or co-worker track the amount of um's and likes you have when you speak because then you can work on improving your speech. It was never really an issue for me until I learned that this habit can be so distracting and even unprofessional at times. So, like if you want to um improve the way you speak, uh it is important to try to cut down on the fillers, you know?!