Caring for Your Voice

Your voice is a living thing

Your voice comes from two tiny folds of tissue in your throat (the vocal folds (sometimes called vocal cords)) vibrating hundreds of times every second as air from your lungs passes between them. The sound they make is then shaped by your throat, mouth, tongue and lips into the voice people recognise as you.

Those folds are small, soft and wet. Like any delicate tissue, they work best when they’re hydrated, rested and not pushed too hard. Whether you’re a teacher, a singer, someone learning to change how her voice sounds, or just a person who likes a good chat, these habits are worth knowing.

The everyday basics

• Drink water through the day. The vocal folds are kept moist from the inside, by your whole body’s hydration. Sipping regularly beats chugging a litre at once. Pale-yellow wee is a decent sign you’re on track.
• Breathe steamy air. A hot shower or a bowl of hot water (careful!) with a towel over your head helps moisten the surface of the folds directly. Lovely after a big day of talking.
• Rest your voice when it’s tired. If your voice feels scratchy or effortful, that’s your body asking for a break. Quiet time is real voice care.
• Avoid shouting and long stretches of talking over noise. Bars, gigs, construction sites and loud cars make us push. Lean in, move somewhere quieter, or use gestures.
• Don’t whisper to “save” your voice. Forced, breathy whispering can actually strain your folds more than gentle, soft speech.
• Clear your throat less. Harsh throat-clearing bangs the folds together. Try a sip of water, a swallow, or a gentle hum instead.
• Go easy on the drying stuff. Smoking and vaping, lots of alcohol and very dry air (aircon, heaters, planes) all dry the voice out. You don’t have to be perfect, just notice what helps.

Warm up before you work it

Singers warm up, and so should anyone about to use their voice a lot or practise something new. A good warm-up is gentle and short - 3 to 5 minutes is plenty:

1. Relax your body. Roll your shoulders, stretch your neck slowly side to side, give your jaw a little massage with your fingertips.
2. Breathe low and slow. Let your belly and ribs expand as you breathe in, rather than lifting your shoulders.
3. Hum. A soft “mmm” on a comfortable note, feeling a little buzz on your lips.
4. Lip trills or straw phonation. Blow air through loosely closed lips so they flutter (“brrr”, like a motorboat), or hum through a drinking straw. These are famous among voice teachers because they balance air pressure and take load off the folds.
5. Gentle slides. Slide up and down on an “ooo” like a siren, staying well inside what feels easy.

You’ll practise a guided breathing warm-up in the next seed.

Know the warning signs

Effort and tiredness are normal after a lot of talking. Pain is not. Stop and rest if you notice:

• pain, burning or a “lump” feeling in your throat
• your voice cracking, cutting out or going croaky
• needing to push harder to be heard
• tickling, coughing or tightness that wasn’t there before you started

Meet the speech pathologist

A speech pathologist (AU), speech and language therapist / SLT (UK) or speech-language pathologist / SLP (US) is a university-trained health professional who works with voices, speech and swallowing. Many specialise in voice - helping teachers, singers, people recovering from vocal strain, and people who want to change how their voice sounds, including gender-affirming voice training.

You don’t need to be “sick” to see one. Think of them like a personal trainer for your voice who also knows the medical side.

Kindness, always

Your voice is connected to your feelings, your energy and your sense of self. If you’ve ever felt shy or uncertain about how you sound, you’re in very good company. Caring for it (physically and emotionally) is the first step to enjoying it. 💗