A Guide to Rapid Vocal Healing
It is pretty hysterical that I’m writing this blog post right now attempting to offer advice to all of you out there who may have a waning, sore, tired voice as I sip my herbal honey tea and point to my children this morning instead of talking to them. Oh the irony! A sore throat is no fun.
I am not a medical professional but have years of expereince managing and taking care of my voice. Why? When you have relied on your voice for the 40+ times I have traveled around the sun, one naturally pays very close attention to respiratory health and overall wellbeing. This may especially be the case for me as one of my first major singing jobs caused me to lose my voice with vocal nodes and I almost lost a major opportunity singing. I have paid close attention to the myriad of experiences I have had as a Singer and Vocal Coach to ensure that my voice is ready on any given day to sing and project my voice. As a Vocal Coach for the last decade, I help singers achieve healthy vocal technique and understand the warning signs that come with any vocal or respiratory issues.
Since the pandemic, respiratory illness and viruses, as you all know too well, have been on the rise. Public health measures, vaccination, and individual hygiene practices all play crucial roles in mitigating the impact of respiratory infections. Between my kid’s germs they bring home from school and my students I teach, the bugs run rampant. I do all that I can to steer clear, and get enough rest but sometimes it can be a challenge to understand if we are ill, tired, or being affected by allergies. How does one know? Between the seasonal changes, global travel, antibiotic resistance, diminishing air quality and viral evolution, it is no wonder that illness occurs so frequently.
It is so important to focus on my vocal health especially when your job require hours of intense focus in singing, if your job requires constant talking or perhaps you are a busy parent constantly engaging with your children. If you are someone who loves to sing or has to rely on your voice in your career, I’d love to share some vocal health tips to combat those tough days when you need to be at your best.
How To Prevent and Heal Vocal Hoarseness and Vocal Fatigue
We’ve all been there, skipping past our bedtime to finish up that powerpoint that needs to be ready to go by 8AM, laughing with friends on the phone to the wee hours of the night, or watching Jimmy Fallon with “one more” glass of our favorite beverage. Or even worse, it’s that time you have been working tirelessly to prepare that perfect 10 of a presentation, adding in just a few more slides for that big impact, or knowing that the speech you have to give tomorrow stands between you and the promotion you have been requesting for years. Staying up late, missing sleep can wreak havoc on our vocal health and a sore throat is sometimes our bodies’ first red light to notify us that our systems are out of balance.
My closest friends are in the corporate world and the stress can get intense. Auditioning and performing can also take an incredible toll on our stress level. As performers, come on, let’s face it, we are ridiculous, over-achieving, perfection hunters. It’s exhausting! It’s hard to quit at the end of a long day and get the sleep we so desperately need. And it’s ironic that by the end of a long day our voices can stand up to whatever we ask it to do into the wee hours. Why? Because our voices are uber warmed up! Being so connected and so busy all day, our bodies are more primed and more relaxed. It’s no secret that if you want your best performance…do it in the evening.
But let’s go back to reality, our own time clock does not govern our schedule, we have to be on our A game when our calendar tells us to do so, right!? Let’s talk about those incredibly important days of our lives that feel like the epicenter of our beings…that major presentation you have to give at work today, the biggest speaking engagement you’ve worked so hard to book is HERE, the gig you’ve been rehearsing for months, or even worse, it’s the day of the most important audition of your life. You didn’t sleep a wink, you are excited, nervous, anxiously preparing for your big day and you wake up feeling like the only place you belong in the world is back in bed!
You slowly realize a new day has begun only to feel tired, crabby, sore throat, deflated, questioning, not only why the timer on the coffee maker didn’t work, but why you feel so terrible and cloudy and annoyed that you rocked the midnight oil.
Well thank goodness for some handy at home remedies that can change the whole game when you need to be somewhere on time. Just hang in there and stay the course….it will get better! Remember that although you feel spent, you are prepared. You got this. You are right where you were meant to be and go forth trusting the process!
Some Reason(s) You May Be Suffering from a Sore Throat:
- Overuse of Your Voice
- Lack of Quality Sleep
- Dehydration
- Muscle Tension
- Respiratory Illness (If you have acute pain, sinus pressure, headache…listen…if it’s bad, go to the doctor!)
- Allergies
- Dry mouth
If speaking or singing is a major component to your work day then keep reading! I can help you through a few vocal health tips and tools of the trade to get you back on track and feeling confident to let those vocal chords of yours soar into your best performance yet.
I’m not a doctor, and pain is pain and sadly allergies are only becoming more acute. If you have been suffering for 3-5 days and your symptoms don’t change or are getting worse, please go to your doctor or an urgent care center and talk to the professionals.
You Get One Body, One Life…Take Care Of Yourself!
It’s hard to work through these ailments, but the advice I’m about to give you can help support and give you comfort regardless of any medication you are on and can support what your doctor is advising. These tips can be added to your daily routine not only to improve your vocal health but your health overall. Your body is your temple, treat it with upmost respect, love and care.
So whether it is a virus, an infection, allergies or just exhaustion that is bringing us down, remember, our voice and nasal passage come into contact with a myriad of chemicals and pollutants with every breath and part of our lung’s job is to filter out what we don’t want and ensure that our systems are getting clean oxygen with every inhale to help our body function at an optimal level. I can address more on this later as I love to learn and share about respiration, but just know, that your mouth (and nose) is an extremely busy intersection in the body with lots of traffic determining its course. We must treat it with care.
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Preventive Measures:
- Provide practical tips for maintaining good vocal health on a daily basis.
- Discuss hydration, proper warm-up exercises, and techniques for vocal relaxation.
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Speedy Recovery Strategies:
- Outline specific exercises and practices that expedite vocal healing.
- Include information on rest, vocal exercises, and lifestyle adjustments.
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Nutrition for Vocal Health:
- Explore the connection between diet and vocal well-being.
- Highlight foods and beverages that support vocal health and those to avoid.
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Professional Advice and Techniques:
- Feature interviews or guest posts from vocal coaches, speech therapists, and professionals in the field.
- Share their expert tips for quick recovery and maintaining a healthy voice.
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Mind-Body Connection:
- Discuss the psychological aspects of vocal health.
- Explore the impact of stress and anxiety on vocal performance and recovery.
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Technology and Tools:
- Introduce helpful tools and technologies for vocalists.
- Include information on apps, devices, or techniques that aid in vocal training and recovery.
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Real-Life Stories of Recovery:
- Share success stories of individuals who have overcome vocal challenges.
- Highlight their strategies and the lessons learned during their journey to vocal health.
Remember to tailor the content to your target audience, whether they are professional singers, public speakers, or individuals looking to improve their vocal health for personal reasons.
Here’s the How To:
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So the first thing I will ask you to do is wait as long as possible before you start speaking. #notalking Practice vocal rest. Let your body warm up whether you are dragging your sleepy feet into the shower, throwing clothes on your children to get them to the bus on time or starting out in the kitchen to make breakfast, use your movement to warm you up not your voice.
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Do some light stretching: arms over your head, gentle head turns, release your torso over your legs and reach to the floor gently all of which will begin pumping your blood around to all of your organs and will assist that all-body warm-up you need after laying still all night long. Exercise of any kind is an extremely important piece of vocal health. I’ve posted a link at the bottom here with a quick & easy, super effective vocal warm up. The key here is GENTLE. TAKE IT EASY and slowly get yourself moving, don’t expect the world from your sleepy frame…let your morning routine be a gentle, gradual process with intention.
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Erase the thought from your mind that you need to “warm up” your voice. So many of us do it….we spend all day warming up, oooooing and aahhhing all day, practicing and wrangling our voice all day only to get to the main event and feel tired and hoarse. Listen, if you are not feeling your A game, practice vocal rest as long as possible. Text message your friends and family and tell them not to call you, you are taking it easy on your voice today. Wait until 1 hour before your speaking engagement or singing gig or audition. THAT’S GAME TIME! 1 hour prior is when you can start those warm-ups, stretch out, get your body warmed up and primed and you will build into that full expression and volume in your voice. This way your vocal warm-ups are focused and effective and you will have given your voice the best care that it needs.
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Second, drink water. Warm water will wash away and dilute any buildup sitting in your throat and cleanse your insides. Get hydrated! Try to drink at least 8oz in one foul swoop.
A couple of these other remedies have helped me tremendously on “game day.”
Gargle with a little salt water…don’t swallow! This is a remedy as old as time itself. I often forget to do so when I’m sick and am grateful to my friend and my doctor reminding me to try it every morning. Use a 1/2 teaspoon of salt diluted in a half a glass of warm water and just gargle away and then spit. It’s an amazing tonic for a sore, swollen throat.
Add some lemon to your water to drink. Lemon is another incredible body tonic. For those of you who haven’t tried it…I challenge you to give it a try for a couple days in a row. Comment below and let me know how different you feel. It works wonders! Sometimes I can make it until 10am before drinking my coffee because I feel refreshed and awake even after a rough night of sleep.
Let’s talk about Apple Cider Vinegar, the “mother!” Braggs Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar is the greatest product I have ever added to my pantry. My voice, my gut, my whole-being has improved immensely using this vinegar as part of my morning routine. I add a small splash to hot water with lemon, or just to cold juice and let it work its magic!
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So you are getting into the routine of your day and you feel panicked either because you have a cold, your voice hurts or you are realizing that your fatigue is a real, ginormous monster that your coffee may not even be able to overcome! Please people if nothing else, take #5 with you through your day….BREATHE. The breath is your voice’s pillow. Focus on your breathing, let the breathe keep you calm. The breathe is more important than the sounds that come out of you! Again, there is irony here because the breathe is often the first activity that stops when our body comes under fire. Stress seems to derail the breath in an instant. Just remember this: breath is survival. If you remember to breath, everything else that is good and productive will follow. Just breath. 🙂
Some of these tips may seem so redundant and simple but I can promise you, with years of experience under my belt, that practicing these vocal tips can make a world of difference on the pain factor, the endurance and quality of your voice. Your vocal health is so important, these easy remedies can have a big impact. You’ll also feel good knowing that you are taking care of yourself…how empowering is that! So a quick recap! Practice vocal rest. #notalking Do some gentle stretching to warm up your sore throat. Wait for it… Save all your vocal warm-ups for an hour prior to “game time.” Get hydrated and stay hydrated throughout the day. And lastly, don’t forget to breath. Use the breath with intention allowing it to keep your stress and body awareness in check!
I hope these tips guide you through an amazing day of progress and success. I want to break it all down as to not overwhelm you. My goal is offer you some simple, easy steps that can get you on your way to feeling good and far away from a sore throat; I want to empower you to find your best voice, it’s in there! Now go out and rock the world! You’ve got this!
