You know you have vocal abuse but you don’t know what to do about it. Some may tell you to whisper (truly a no-no!) while others tell you to stop talking. Neither is the answer. Whispering is very hard on your vocal folds (cords) and should never be done. And, most people are not in a position to stop talking for months or even a year to stop the discomfort or pain.
The real problem with vocal abuse is that if you can alleviate it by not speaking or singing for a certain amount of time, it will only return if you continue with the same vocal habits that started it in the first place.
There is a method that you can learn that will end your vocal abuse and result in a better speaking voice to boot! You will need to break your old habits, however, and instill some new ones.
1. Learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm. Not only is this a requirement for your voice, but you will also find that it is the best means of controlling nervousness in any form of public speaking. In addition, you will discover many other health benefits that have nothing to do with the voice or presentation skills!
2. Find the optimum pitch of your speaking voice. In the majority of cases, it will be lower in pitch than your habitual voice. (Pitch refers to the highness or lowness of sound, not the volume which is the loudness or softness of sound.)
3. Use your chest cavity to power your voice. The result will be a voice that has resonance and vibrates in your chest when you speak.
Because vocal abuse is primarily caused by misplacement of the voice in which you are placing a tremendous amount of strain on your vocal folds and throat, once you use your chest cavity as your primary sounding board, you will not only notice an immediate difference in how you sound but you will also experience much greater ease in talking. There will be no strain. Powering your voice in this manner alleviates the pressure on the throat and voice box.
How far can you go without a voice? Don’t allow your hoarseness or persistent sore throats to continue. Break your old voice habits; instill healthier one; and, I guarantee your vocal abuse will be no more.
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic and discover the best means of sounding more mature.
Additional Resources covering Public Speaking can be found at:
Website Directory for Public Speaking
Articles on Public Speaking
Products for Public Speaking
Discussion Board
Nancy Daniels, the Official Guide to Public Speaking