A single-speaker YouTube short by Raele Altano giving a concrete exercise to reduce filler words: pick a mundane object, record about a minute describing it, listen back and count filler words, note when they occur, and repeat the exercise several times per week to build awareness and reduce reliance on fillers. The tone is practical and encouraging.
The secret to cutting out filler words when you speak is that there is no secret. You have to practice. Have to practice talking and get used to articulating your thoughts without filling those gaps with ums, likes, so's, etc. So how do you practice quick independent exercise for you? Pick an object around you, anything. And honestly, the more boring the object is, the better. Like a bottle of water. Start recording yourself and start describing that object. How it looks, how it feels, where you got it, any emotions or feelings that it brings up for you. Just talk, record yourself for about a minute and listen back to the recording. I know it can be cringe to listen to the sound of your own voice, but this is important. And being aware of when you use filler words will help you start eliminating them sooner. So listen to the recording, listen to how many filler words you're using, count them, pay attention to when you feel like you need to rely on them within your sentences and within what you're describing, and just start to become more aware. And do this exercise two, three, four times a week. The more you talk, the more aware you will become and the better you'll be able to speak without relying on so many filler words. You don't have to cut them out entirely. We're not robots, we're human. But being able to articulate yourself without, you know, like so all the time is a flex. Let me know if you try this exercise and let me know how it works out for you.
