I (17f) work in a kitchen and the head chef pointed out the other day that I say "um (name)" before I ask anything and he said can you please stop because its slightly annoying. since then I've noticed I say "um" an awful lot and even before this I'm always being told to stop mumbling by literally everyone especially family. I physically can't talk loud and the other day at college my throat actually closed up in a lesson and I couldn't even say one word to the teacher when I was asked a question, I just mouthed like a fish.
through my whole childhood I'd been told I talked too much so over the years I've become more quiet and now I can't help it. when I went into secondary school (on my own, no friends from my primary school went with me) I felt really separated and I lived half an hour away from my school too which made this worse. I struggled to make friends and I think half of it was the fact that I find it really difficult to talk. I do actually have friends in college where I am now thank the cods but I can't get over the fact that I can't talk to people. I actually had to move jobs because I found being a waitress so stressful due to the fact that I always mumble. (I was a waitress for a year and a half)
sorry for the side tracking but basically how can I get myself to talk louder, I constantly have to repeat myself and even then people can't hear me.
absolutely anything is appreciated thank you for reading x