Eliminating Crutches and Fillers (Ums, Ahs)

Crutches or verbal fillers such as "um," "ah," "ehh," "well," "I mean," "you know," "like," are interruptions in the flow of your speech that can project doubt, nervousness, or lack of preparation.

Although their very occasional use may be imperceptible, their excess is distracting and detracts from professionalism.

Learning to control them is important for effective communication.

Why they appear (nervousness, word search, lack of preparation)

Crutches usually appear when:

We are nervous or uncomfortable: In stressful situations such as an interview, we tend to fill silences unconsciously.

We are looking for the right word: As our brain searches for the next idea or word, we use fillers to avoid silence. This is exacerbated if we try to use complex or memorized language.

Lack of preparation or structure: If we are not clear about the message or the structure of what we want to say, we are more likely to hesitate and resort to crutches.

Practical techniques (The "No" symbol, conscious pause, focus on the message).

There are specific techniques to reduce crutches:

The "No" symbol technique: print your main crutch surrounded by the international symbol for forbidden (red circle with diagonal slash).

Stick this symbol in places you look at frequently (cell phone, computer screen). Over time, your brain will associate the crutch with the "stop" signal.

Replace the crutch with a pause: The most effective solution is to replace the filler with a brief, conscious silence.

When you feel the need to use a crutch, stop, take a breath and organize your thinking. Strategic pauses sound much more professional than "ums" and "ahs."

Focus on the message, not the crutch: Don't become obsessed with not saying the crutch as you speak, as this can make you more nervous.

Concentrate on communicating your ideas in a clear and interesting way for your interlocutor.

The importance of recorded practice (Audio/Video)

The most effective way to identify and correct crutches is to record yourself speaking (audio or, preferably, video).

Listen to yourself/look at yourself: Analyze your recordings to identify when and why you use crutches. Count how many times they appear.

Practice repeatedly: Record yourself again, trying to apply the pause and focus techniques. Repeat the process until you feel comfortable with reducing the crutches.

Use notes/schemas to reduce memory load.

Often, crutches appear when we try to remember what to say next. To reduce this mental burden:

Use an outline or keynotes: keep a simple outline of your main points (few key words, large print) handy.

This allows you to easily remember the structure without having to memorize exact phrases. Briefly referring to your notes is better than filling your speech with "