Q: Relax your jaw to make your speech a lot clearer with some exercises.  Make wide chewing motions while humming gently. Stretch every muscle in your jaw and face. Open your mouth as wide as possible (as if you were about to yawn), while moving your jaw in circles, and sideways. Open your mouth wide, as in the previous exercise, and shut it again. Repeat 5 times. Make a buzzing sound with your lips together, but don't clench your jaw. Just like breathing, your posture plays a large role in your speech clarity, and it's something that we sometimes forget to take into account.  For best speech clarity you should stand straight with your shoulders back and your weight evenly distributed. Do some shoulder rolls and standing side bends to help with your posture.These simple exercises will also help you with your breathing, and you can even do your jaw strengthening techniques while you stretch. Doing vocal warmups will loosen you up and prepare your voice so you can speak clearly and effectively.  Even if you're not singing, you can do some scales or just hum. Try singing your tongue twisters too. Do some “Whooos!” going up and down. Picture your voice like a ferris wheel going round and round. Hum and pat your chest. This can help knock out any phlegm you may have. When you clench your teeth you're causing a lot of strain on yourself and it can be a sign of stress. And speaking with a clenched jaw will prevent you from opening your mouth enough to enunciate and speak clearly. If you find yourself clenching your jaw, practice some of the warmups, and take a moment to take a deep breath slowly exhaling by letting your breath buff your cheeks out, as if you're letting air out of a balloon. Your vocal chords are like a machine that needs to stay well oiled. Gargle some lukewarm water with a pinch of salt to keep them limber. This helps relieve tension in the throat.
A: Practice jaw exercises to enhance clarity of speech. Watch your posture. Warm your vocal chords. Avoid speaking with clenched teeth. Stay hydrated.

Article: Spend a few minutes each day just “being.” Find a comfortable place to sit and check in with your breath. Breathe deeply through your nose for about 3 seconds. Hold the breath for 2 seconds. Then, exhale for about 4 seconds.  If you lose count or find your mind wandering, just return your focus to your breath. After you’ve practiced  mindful breathing a few times, you can use it to bring yourself back to the present if you ever experience stress or anxiety. Use your senses to fully take in the environment around you. One at a time, bring awareness to what you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste.  For example, if you’re outside, you might see a gorgeous blue sky above you and towering trees. You might hear cars passing by or children playing. You might smell freshly mown grass or the scent of food cooking in a nearby restaurant. Your mouth might taste the spearmint flavor of your chewing gum. As you get used to savoring, spend time bringing awareness to the different sensations you experience on a daily basis, such as eating mindfully or listening to classical music. Ever complete an activity without having any real memory of doing so? Cut down on that by focusing on one task at a time. Start single-tasking the different activities you complete each day to be more present. Instead of washing the dishes while cooking dinner, for example, focus totally on cooking dinner. Notice the smells of garlic and onion, hear the clinking sound of the stirring spoon against the pot, see the steam rising from the pan. Then, once you have completed that task, focus totally on every aspect of washing the dishes. Rather than getting lost in a rush of emotion and not knowing why, start putting your thoughts and feeling into words. This may help you get perspective on the feelings and even help ease negative ones.  Let’s say you have a sudden craving for junk food. You might backtrack and question, “What am I thinking and feeling?” You might be thinking, “I have no friends” and feeling lonely, which prompts you to reach for something comforting. However, if you become present and name the feeling, you can give yourself what you really need, such as a hug from a friend or playtime with your dog. Technology often interferes with your ability to live in the present, so commit to unplugging for a little while. Power off your phone or put it on silent and engage in constructive activities, like spending time with family or writing in your journal. If a few hours each day seems too difficult, start with one hour at the end of your day before bed. Then, gradually increase the time so that you have more of your evening free for the here-and-now. When you don't value the work you do, it's easy to stay distracted or contemplate other things (like hitting the time clock). By doing work that you find meaningful, you can remain present and feel more fulfilled overall.  To get back in touch with the value of your work, revisit who your work impacts, such as how it changes customers lives. Make a list of the positive contributions your work makes to society. If you have trouble finding any value in your daily work, talk to your human resources representative to explore different ways you can become more engaged with your work. Or, see a  career counselor who can help you find a profession that uses your skills more meaningfully.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Sit still and focus on your breath. Practice savoring with all 5 senses. Make each activity the star. Name your thoughts and feelings. Turn off your phone for a few hours each day. See the value in your daily work.

Q: If you are focusing on a paper article or a book chapter, it may be easier to work from a paper copy. Go ahead and print out a clear copy of the work. Try to create a photocopy that leaves plenty of open space in the margins. You can also file away this paper copy for future reference as you continue your research. Carefully consider what writing tool to use for your notations. If you choose a yellow highlighter, just make sure to use it in a limited fashion, otherwise it becomes less meaningful. A pencil is a good tool to use because you can go back later and edit your comments for clarity, if needed. If you are visual learner, you might consider developing a notation system involving various colors of highlighters and flags. If your comments begin to overflow the margins, then you may want to use another piece of paper for extra annotations. Just make sure to write down the page numbers for each comment or marking. You could also divide the page up according to sections of the article. If you are borrowing a book or have a work that you’ll need to return unmarked, then you can use sticky flags or Post-it notes to make your annotations. Just be sure to choose a size of Post-it that will provide ample space for your comments. And, you’ll want to handle the text carefully or your Post-its could fall out. Depending on how you’ve taken your notes, you could also remove these Post-its to create an outline prior to writing. After you’ve finished reading and completed your annotations, then combine all of this knowledge into a single paragraph. This 3-4 sentence paragraph should identify the thesis and include a brief summary of the work. It can also mention any notable sources. This rough annotation can then be used to create a larger annotated bibliography. This will help you to see any gaps in your research as well.
A:
Make a photocopy of the article. Choose a writing tool. Create a separate notation page, if needed. Use Post-it notes. Complete an annotation paragraph.