Stress can affect your voice in many ways, from causing tension and fatigue to reducing your range and resonance. As a vocal coach, you may encounter clients who are dealing with stress from various sources, such as work, family, health, or performance anxiety. How can you help them cope and improve their vocal health and performance? Here are some tips to consider.
Before you offer any advice or intervention, you need to understand the nature and severity of your client's stress. Ask them open-ended questions about what is causing them stress, how they feel about it, and how it affects their voice. Listen empathetically and respectfully, without judging or interrupting. You may also want to observe their vocal habits, such as how they breathe, speak, and sing. Look for signs of vocal strain, such as hoarseness, tightness, or pain.
We have an issue with blame not stress If we keep it simple-the overriding reason we are stressed is because we think that something did or will go wrong. That is the definition of blame. This is why I spent the last 15 years unpacking blame and helping clients recover from this unknown addiction. It is the foundational reason we have mental stress which leads to physical stress. This is important, because all the time we try and get rid of stress, using various tools and techniques, including meditation or breath, we are shooting the messenger. This approach initially comes with short-term benefits, but it leads to long-term consequences. Start looking at stress as encouragement to look at your honest self and unconscious motivations.
Breathe, just help people to regulate their breathing. One step at a time.know your audience and topic, don’t be afraid to ask questions of your audience.
I have found that an effective way of supporting a client with internal or external stressors is to teach them the "mindful pause" - and use the RAIN practice by Tara Brach: Recognize what is happening. Allow the experience to be there, just as it is. Investigate with interest and care. Nurture with self-compassion.
If your eyes are the windows to your soul, then your voice is the doorway to your emotions. Further, The Mayo Clinic has identified 'Vocal Biomarkers', which are distinct voice features indicating numerous health conditions. I offer remote 'Inner-Voice Scans' using a cutting-edge bioresonance voice analyser that registers over 8,000 frequencies across 12 octaves of your voice to determine which emotions are affecting multiple organs and tissues in your body, as well as your general mood. Personalised balancing harmonics – frequencies & therapeutic tones disguised by music – are then generated to rebalance your body and mind in as little as 6 minutes a day! Patients and clients have described the Inner-Voice Scan as “life-changing”.
Rightly Said...Listening to them, Observation and Focus on Pain Points, helps create a more robust & first time right approach to help them with your advice.
As a vocal coach, you are not a therapist, and you should not try to solve your client's personal problems. However, you can be supportive and compassionate, and help them find appropriate resources if they need professional help. You should also set clear and realistic expectations for your role and your sessions. Explain what you can and cannot do for them, and how you can help them achieve their vocal goals. Respect your client's privacy and confidentiality, and do not share their information with others without their consent.
I start each new client session with 3 questions: 1) What is your goal? 2) What is needed to achieve it? 3) How long does it take to get there? Then I can devise a unique plan to help the client find success. No, I'm not a therapist, however using your voice and sharing your voice and words with the someone makes one incredibly vulnerable. It's vulnerable for voice professionals (singers, actors, broadcasters) because their identity is very closely connected to their voice but it's also vulnerable to others. Many of my clients have had their harshly voices critiqued in the past & there's fear and sometimes trauma there. It's important to be mindful of what a client is bringing into the session so you can best help them.
Truly, no infringement in their private space yet offering generic & widely accepted remedies as alternative, may work out as realistic solutions, they may need in those hours.
It is important very important to know and communicate to your client what you, as a voice coach can offer and what not. I agree that a voice coach isn’t a therapist. With a background in psychology and communication, I bring these expertises all together in my work as a voice coach. Working with the voice impacts a clients personality and psychology. In my work I see people increasing performance and confidence through finding their voice. Bringing this new voice into their way of communicating, gets them more heard, more seen and taken more seriously. Very empowering!
Once you have assessed the situation and established boundaries, you can provide your client with some practical tips to help them cope with stress and improve their voice. These may include encouraging them to practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation, suggesting they adopt a healthy lifestyle such as eating well and avoiding smoking, teaching them vocal exercises and techniques to strengthen their vocal cords, and helping them develop a positive mindset to boost their confidence and motivation. Additionally, drinking enough water, sleeping well, avoiding alcohol or caffeine, setting realistic goals, and celebrating progress can all help prevent vocal damage, enhance range and tone, and prevent vocal fatigue.
Some way to get started: 1) Hydrate. It takes 4hrs for the water you drink to hydrate your vocal folds, & the folds don't have their own hydration/lubrication system so maintaining systemic hydration is imperative. 2) Grab a straw. Humming through a straw is the perfect way to warm up your voice in the morning, before an important meeting or presentation or anytime you want to sound your best. Wrap your lips around the straw (don't let any air escape) and hum: sirens (from the bottom of your range to the top) hills (smaller sirens that increase in range) or your favorite song. 2-3 minutes, 5x per day. 3. Steam. Your vocal folds lie below your epiglottis, so anything you swallow doesn't touch them. Steam does. It's soothing & hydrating.
Finally, you should follow up with your client and monitor their progress and feedback. Ask them how they are feeling, what challenges they are facing, and what results they are seeing. Praise their efforts and achievements, and address any concerns or difficulties they may have. You may also need to adjust your approach or plan according to their changing needs and goals. Remember that each client is unique, and what works for one may not work for another.
As a vocal coach, you can help your clients under stress by being a good listener, a supportive partner, and a knowledgeable guide. By following these tips, you can help them cope with stress and improve their voice in a healthy and effective way.
The voice is made of skeletal muscle, the same type of muscle you work in the gym, so in order to create lasting change you must practice. Just like you can't cram fitness or strength (you'll hurt yourself if you try to) you can't rush or cram making changes to your voice. A habit of 20 minutes of so of practice daily is usually both effective in terms of establishing new muscle memory and making positive changes and also do-able in terms of a client's schedule.
The voice is something we all have, but few people think much about before you need it and it's not there. Regardless of occupation, being able to speak clearly and confidently is important. By making small, specific changes you can create a voice that is authentically yours and commands a room living within a body that isn't afraid to use it.
You could also include supports they can use outside of lessons. Emphasise the importance of self-care activities outside of vocal training, such as hobbies, relaxation, and spending time with loved ones. Having a list of activities and supports is always a helpful resource to have on hand
Before even discussing the problem, use your position as a vocal coach to introduce deep breathing. Play calming chords, or background music if you don't play instruments to provide an atmosphere of guided meditation. Not everyone wants to talk about their problems during a session. Then for those that want to discuss them, put on your life coach hat and essentially ask questions, in order for them to find their own answers.