Everyone knows that drinking and driving is dangerous and should never be done. But surprisingly, many people feel the same way about drinking and speaking. In order to seem professional, speakers put off giving in to drinking water during a speech or presentation to the point that their throat goes dry and their voice becomes a hoarse screech. Well, here is your reassurance: there is nothing wrong with drinking and speaking as long as you follow a few basic rules.
First of all, try and stick to room temperature water and avoid drinking other drinks such as booze or soda as they can make you belch, burp, or even make you gassy. A mistake most speakers make while drinking water is that they do it nervously- they take a sip every ten seconds and do it quickly, as if they are scared of doing it. This is a tell tale sign of nervousness.
The right way to do it is to pace yourself. During a 30 minute presentation, stop a couple or up to three times to patiently take a sip and carry on. The more you act embarrassed about it, the more nervous you are going to seem. Finish your thought and step back to drink some water. If you are using a bottle instead of a glass, take the cap off beforehand and keep it off for easy and quick access.
As for the temperature of the water, try to keep it to room temperature and avoid icy cold water as the former is the most relaxing to your throat. Make sure your movements aren’t too jerky and fast so as to avoid spilling on yourself. All in all, if you are thirsty, have a drink.