Summer is here! There’s so much to enjoy about the beautiful weather finally arriving. To make sure you’ve got a voice to last you through the fun of it all, check out these three hot tips to keep your voice cool as a cucumber!
- Slip ‘n slide! Remember that old summer gem? You put a long sheet of plastic down a grassy hill, turned on the hose, and slipped and laughed your way down on your belly like a baby seal. Such fun! The vocal folds are a lot like a slip ‘n slide, if you can believe it! They like to be kept wet and slippery, so they glide past each other with ease. Imagine what would happen if you turned off the hose and took a running leap and tried to slide down the hill on your belly… OUCH! I can almost feel it! Your vocal folds feel the same way. They don’t like it when there’s friction between them, so keep them well lubricated! Keep well hydrated so your vocal folds stay plump and moist, and breathe in moist air so the surface of them stays slippery and slick! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
- Hip Hip Hooray for summer! There’s so much to cheer about when the weather gets nice. Rooting for your ball team, calling out across the ultimate frisbee pitch, calling to friends through crowds at the theme park… you name it, there’s loads of fun ways you can strain your voice! I think we all know that loud volumes for long periods of time is hard on our voices, but I don’t want you to miss a minute of the summer fun! Instead of yelling your entire message (Hey you kids get down off that thing or you’re going to knock your teeth out if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times!), consider using full volume to get someone’s attention (Hey!) and then waiting until you’re closer to share the rest of what you have to say. Try interjecting some clapping, whistling, stomping, or other rowdy behaviour to cheer your team on! And if you need to use a big voice for an extended period of time, don’t forget to give yourself a cooling off period after. A little rest will do you good!
- Hot, Hot Heat! Summer is full of opportunities to eat things that set your digestive tract on fire! What’s not to love about carnival food, iced coffees, cold beer, wine spritzers, and sharing platters on a patio? Well, the raging acid reflux you get afterwards, that’s what’s not to love! Enjoy your summer indulgences, but if you want to keep the reflux at bay (which you do, because you don’t want it burning your voice!), just remember: try not to eat within a couple of hours of lying down, try to graze rather than gorge, raise the head of your bed to allow gravity to help keep things where they belong, and pace yourself with foods that set of your reflux. This way, you can have your treats without a side order of indigestion!
If you’re doing it all right and your voice is still not giving you any love, contact me and I’ll help you get it right so you can get back to doing more of what you love!