Do you take extra care when it comes to protecting your voice?
While waiting at a stoplight in my car watching gusts of exhaust swirling outside, I got to thinking about how grateful I was for the panes of glass separating me and my breathing apparatus from nearby toxins.
If you don’t have your breath, it makes everything so much more difficult, especially if you depend on your voice for work.
Here are just a few ways that you can protect yourself from the elements and external sources of irritation.
Wear a Scarf or Neck Warmer
One way to keep your voice in good working order, especially in the winter months, is to create a barrier between your mouth and the elements. Cold air can be assaulting, particularly for those who suffer from asthma or COPD. That said, breathing in cold air isn’t pleasant for most people at the best of times. For the voice professional, it can result in other challenges and affect your instrument. By wearing a scarf or neck warmer, you are able to control the temperature of the air you are breathing in thereby minimizing the likelihood of your vocal folds drying out, coughing or laboured breathing.
Stay Away From Smoke and Exhaust
This may go without saying but smoke of any kind is an irritant. Smoke is also not healthy for you to consume. If you find yourself in a situation where you are in the direct path of cigarette smoke or otherwise, do your best to stand out of its way. Wash any clothing that has been exposed to smoke to help stamp out smoke-related breathing issues. If there is wind blowing the smoke your way, or perhaps the exhaust from a vehicle, do your best to get out of its path. With that in mind, if you’re in the car, learn how to use the recirculation feature (sparingly and when appropriate) to keep external pollutants from being pulled inside.
Be Fragrance-Free
Even if you aren’t affected by strong scents, people around you may be. What can you do to help out? Buying fragrance-free laundry detergent and dryer sheets is one way to follow suit. Perfume, cologne, body lotion and hair products that hang around aren’t helpful either. Many workplaces have adopted the fragrance-free way of life. Be mindful of others and also take into account how strong fragrances might be impacting you and your vocal performance.
What Lengths Do You Go to for Protecting Your Voice?
Don’t see your strategy listed here? Contribute your coping mechanisms and ways that you care for your voice to the comments below!
Best wishes,
Stephanie
FlickrCC/Garry Knight/Texting Chilly, no changes made.
Related Topics: asthma, COPD, Protecting the Voice, talent, Vocal health, voice