Be mindful of how you use your voice 

Warm-up – if you are going to be using your voice a lot, begin your day with some gentle humming and gliding up and down through your range. 

Quantity – if your voice is tired, try to talk less. As much as you can, take yourself away from situations that require talking more than is necessary. 

Quality – limit the loud. If you have to project your voice, utilise as much resonance as you can, or use some amplification. Avoid places with a lot of background noise, find a quieter place to have a conversation. 

 Take care of your whole self 

Hydration – make sure you are drinking enough liquid, spaced throughout the day. 

Nutrition – fuel your body with the most nourishing and delicious food that you can. 

Exercise – find something you enjoy, exercise doesn’t need to feel like a punishment or a chore. 

Sleep and rest – anxiety is the biggest factor in voice problems, try to find a moment to switch off from your worries. 

 If you are ill 

Your body will be needing energy to get well again, so your voice will be more tired and vulnerable at this time. Rest as much as you can, and do steam inhalations  morning and night. 

All medications will have some side-effects, ask you GP or pharmacist how they may affect you and your voice. 

If you think you may have reflux (voice much worse in the morning, persistent throat symptoms), you can try changing your diet, eating earlier in the evening and taking Gaviscon Advance before bed. 

If these don’t make a difference, then this may be another over-sensitisation. (See leaflet: Reflux and Other Persistent Throat Symptoms) 

Smoking and Vaping – please try and avoid these, it will affect your voice. 

If you are experiencing a negative voice change that does not resolve after 3-4 weeks, consult your doctor and ask to be referred to a specialist voice clinic. 

A list of NHS voice clinics is available from the British Voice Association (BVA) website.