There are certain things you should never do when you feel like you are going to loose your voice. Or you already have. Many factors play a part in our voices losing their stamina, and it is up to us to keep them healthy.

These 5 pearls of wisdom will help you feel better and sing better the next time you are preparing for that performance.

Losing Voice Tip 1: Whisper

That’s right, whispering is just about the worst sound you can make when it comes to losing your voice.

I know it seems like the thing to do when you don’t have a normal sounding voice, but whispering will simply make the vocal chords scratch against one another, making your lost voice problem worse. 

Pro Tip: try to place your voice in your nose or above and project softy to decrease the grating on the vocal cords.

Tip 2: Don’t shout

This one seems more obvious, but sometimes you may think that it’s the only way to communicate with someone.

I must say that I’ve lost my voice a time or two yelling at a ballgame or screaming at a concert. It happens, and you must be aware of how shouting affects your voice.

Pro Tip: If you like to speak loudly and jovially, try projection from your belly (and again, having a relaxed throat is key!)

Losing Voice Tip 3: Don’t laugh too hard or too loud

I couldn’t believe it, but when one of my voice teachers told me that I couldn’t laugh anymore, I laughed. Whoops!

If you tend to have a guttural, hearty laugh like I do, it makes sense that loud laughing can strain on your vocal cords. Sounds funny, but it’s true (if you want to go ahead and laugh, I’ll let you!)

Pro Tip: try to laugh internally or from your belly, this might decrease the urge to cough if you also have a cold.

Tip 4: Drink less liquid (or sugary drinks)

Now, I’m not talking enjoying that refreshing iced tea or lemonade or other mixed drink. I’m talking about pure, clean water: with no ice!

For some of you that is a travesty, but the colder the water, the higher the chance that it might put a “freeze” effect on your vocal cords. Just the thing you don’t need for your already tired voice.

Pro Tip: warm teas with lemon and/or honey help soothe and treat the voice.

Tip 5: Don’t cough from your throat

It may seem difficult, but try to cough from your diaphragm.

Keep your throat open and push your stomach muscles in when you feel the need to cough. It might produce a sort of wheezing sound from your throat, but that’s better than the raspy grating of your vocal cords when you cough with them squeezed together.

Pro Tip: you can practice this exercise by doing a “Darth Vader” kind of breathing. Just be sure to keep the throat open!

Losing your voice

Losing your voice doesn’t have to be awful or painful. Just keep some of these tips in mind when it happens, and you will be on your way to recovery in no time.

A little voice TLC never hurt anyone anyway, right?

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