I cannot tell you how many people complain to me that they are losing their voice by the end of the day. When this occurs, often they have little, if any, voice the following morning. And, it is not just happening to those on the campaign trail. This type of vocal abuse is common among trainers, teachers, coaches, professional speakers, moms, and even those who spend much of their day on the phone or, because of COVID, holding Zoom meetings or podcasts.
Losing your voice is neither good for your vocal health nor for your career. If you are like the majority of those in the workforce, being able to speak is a prerequisite for your job.
Unfortunately, this occurrence is not going to improve until you make some changes. Vocal abuse, which can be characterized by chronic hoarseness, a persistent sore throat, or loss of voice, is the result of excessive wear and tear on the voice box and throat. What is happening is that you are creating undue stress in those two areas. Even whispering for any great length of time is a no-no because the voice box itself is then required to do all the work.
If you learn to place your voice in your chest cavity when speaking, you will immediately stop the vocal abuse and discover that you have more voice by the end of the day. Sleep and good nutrition can also help in this respect but changing your voice placement is what you must do if want the abuse to end.
Most people are powering their voice from the throat and voice box as well as the mouth and nose. Your sound vibrates and is amplified by all four of these cavities which are known as resonators. If you use your voice heavily throughout the day, then the result is that you begin to push harder and harder as the day wears on to be able to continue to talk.
In addition to the 4 resonators I just mentioned, you actually have a 5th one as well. It is your chest cavity: it has the size and depth to power your voice for greater lengths of time with much less strain on your throat and voice box.
And as an added bonus, when you begin to use your chest cavity, you will discover a richer, warmer, resonant sound. Imagine eliminating your vocal abuse once and for all and discovering a deeper, more mature-sounding voice in the process. Let your chest do your talking and you won’t lose it by the end of the day!
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If you would like more information on discovering your ‘real’ voice and ending your vocal abuse for good, visit my voice training programs page. In addition to my streaming video training, I also work privately by means of Zoom sessions.