Take care of your voice and improve its quality
If you use your voice professionally, for example as a singer, actor, teacher, lecturer, presenter or journalist, you must fully understand the needs of your speech organ. Here are some tips to help you make healthy changes and habits in your life that will positively affect your voice.
Your body, your soul, your mind are one. They are like communicating vessels. Your voice must also be in perfect harmony with your body. Everything that concerns you, also concerns your voice. Remember that your whole body is a unique instrument of its kind. What determines its uniqueness is the realm of your mind, the realm of your spirit and your emotions. Be in harmony with your voice. Listen to your body, contemplate your thoughts, emotions and analyze your experiences. This will provide you with the knowledge on how to take care of your voice and how to protect it. This contemplation will allow you to discover the true potential of your voice instrument and unlock its true sound.
Every day allow yourself to relax. You can use one of many relaxation techniques, such as yoga, tai chi, or martial arts. You can also go for a walk, read, listen to music, meditate silently, or dance. Even a few moments of relaxation can bring incredible effects to your voice. Try to stop for a moment and focus your attention on your breath. Think of some pleasant, some delightful moments and experiences that happened to you. This detachment from reality will help you calm your thoughts, relax your muscles, and feel at ease. This, in turn, will allow you to produce sounds with the lightness of a butterfly. Find a relaxation technique that works best for you and use it whenever your voice refuses to obey you. This will also help you deal with stress, stage fright, and all the negative emotions that have a negative effect on your voice.
A healthy body and mind are also linked to a better voice. Exercising regularly and staying fit help keep your mind healthy. Physical activity is an excellent way to eliminate stress and physical tension. Through exercise you provide your body with strength, vitality and the right dose of positive energy. Find the type of exercise that suits you best, do it regularly and you will soon notice the differences in your energy level. Your voice will also start to sound more energetic.
To get the most out of your speech organ, you must first learn about its structure. You need to know a bit of theory that will give you some insight into how your voice works in different situations. Look for any information you can find on different vocal and speech techniques. Find some books for actors and singers, consult with experts, attend singing classes, courses and exercise regularly.
Here are some simple steps you can take today to improve the quality of your voice:
Talk slower. The slower beat will help you produce calm, healthy, and more accurate sounds.
When you speak or sing, try to open your mouth more. This will help you avoid any tension in the muscles responsible for the formation of the sound.
Think of something pleasant when you speak or sing. This will make your voice sound softer.
Regardless of what profession you use your voice for, remember to warm it up properly first. To avoid straining your voice, do some simple physical exercises, like squats or jumping jacks. Relax your body and calm your mind. Take a few deep breaths. You can also yawn, stick out your tongue, make faces, or snort like a horse. After you finish using your voice, it’s also important to let it cool down. Do some voice exercises like you did before. It relaxes the muscles in the joints and stretches the body.
Protect your voice from sudden changes in temperature. It causes changes in blood flow and makes your voice sound unnatural. Try to maintain a constant temperature that is convenient for you and ventilate the room where you work as often as possible. If you work in a room with air conditioning on, drink more water to keep your mucous membranes hydrated. Avoid talking, singing, or yelling outdoors, especially in low temperatures or strong winds.
What you eat can also affect the quality of your voice. It is important to maintain a balanced and healthy diet that will have a positive impact on your body, as well as on your speech organ. Poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits (except citrus), and herbal teas are recommended to improve the sound of the voice.
Drink a lot of water. Water hydrates your entire body, which also positively affects your mucous membranes and vocal cords. The amount of water you should drink depends on your lifestyle and also on your health. If you suffer from any disease, especially kidney problems, you should first consult your doctor. Drink water, not only before you use your voice, but also during and after your work. Remember not to drink too cold water.
Coffee, strong tea, and alcohol are bad for your voice. You should not drink more than one cup of coffee a day. If you have to drink more, have decaf coffee instead. You should also limit your intake of any other caffeinated beverages to a minimum. Avoid drinking strong brewed black tea for a long time as it can dehydrate the mucous membranes. Do not drink large amounts of alcohol directly before or after using your voice. Alcohol dries out mucous membranes, slows down muscles, and lowers the energy level needed to produce good-quality sounds.
Smoking cigarettes is the biggest enemy of your throat. Smoking not only damages your overall health, but it also dries out your vocal cords and bombards them with chemicals contained in cigarette smoke. This also applies to passive smoking. As a result, your voice may sound flat and your breathing may become shallow.