How to Free Your Voice From Tension: Discover Your True Vocal Potential

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How to Free Your Voice from Tension: Discover Your True Vocal Potential

In 1984, Ann Brennan aspired to be a politician, driven by her frustration with the state of the country. She decided to run for office, which meant she had to speak at a political gathering. However, Ann knew very little about politics and had never delivered a speech before.

Back then, Max Atkinson, my speechwriting mentor, was a researcher studying the speaking styles of politicians. He was tasked with coaching Ann for a documentary called Claptrap. His mission was to help her achieve outstanding results in just a few weeks. With a team of advisors, they crafted a terrific speech. The night before the event, during their final rehearsal, Ann’s delivery was flat and lifeless. Weeks of preparation seemed doomed to fail.

Enter Cicely Berry, the team’s voice coach. She marked Ann’s script with arrows and highlights to guide her delivery, emphasising energy and vocal variety. The next day, Ann transformed her performance. In just four minutes, she elicited six bursts of laughter, ten rounds of applause, and a standing ovation. Her voice brought the words to life, inspiring and entertaining the audience.

Our voice holds tremendous potential. It can inspire, motivate, and move people into action. In a meeting, your voice should give words more meaning than an email can through your body language and vocal expression. However, to use your voice effectively, you must prepare your body first. A tense, tight, and tired body will reflect in your voice.

Common Causes of Vocal Tension

Several circumstances can cause us to ‘lose’ our voice as we grow older. Not all may apply to you, but even one can negatively impact your delivery:

• Being teased, bullied, or criticised for speaking up.
• Working in an open-plan office where speaking loudly distracts others.
• Being interrupted by others who believe their voice is more important than yours.

I once worked with a tall, broad Scottish man who, despite his imposing stature, whispered in a high-pitched mumble. We worked on his breathing, relaxing his jaw and lowering his pitch until his full, natural voice emerged. Initially worried due to past feedback from a manager about being intimidating, his team found him warmer and more connected when he spoke naturally.

Another client spoke too quickly, feeling rushed due to a childhood of interruptions. Slowing down gave her words more thought and consideration. A young woman I worked with had a downbeat tone, a defence mechanism from being teased by students. Coaching restored her powerful and convincing voice.

Single events that negatively impact our voice often stick with us, overshadowing numerous positive responses. People forget these negative incidents quickly, but we must learn to let them go too. Great ideas spoken powerfully can create change, and resistance is often a sign of their potential impact. Keep things in perspective, and remember the positive feedback and support you’ve received.

Free Your Tension

Our muscles need tension to function, but poor posture, anxiety, and stress can lead to chronic tension that blocks our voice. Tension can build up slowly over the years, going unnoticed until it reaches a crisis point. For example, tense your feet as much as you can. Notice how this tension spreads up your body and affects your breathing. The same is true for tension in any part of your body; it limits your ability to breathe, speak, and move effectively.

The physical techniques in this section can help release stress, calm the mind, and free the voice. Let’s explore each area:

Head and Neck

Your head weighs as much as a bowling ball. If not balanced properly on your neck, it creates tension and strains your voice. Common misplacements include pushing the head forward or pulling the chin towards the neck. To overcome this, imagine a thread from your spine, through your neck, to the top of your head, gently pulling your posture upright.

Jaw

Speaking with conviction takes courage, but many people clamp their jaw tight to suppress their voice. Start with a soft chewing motion to warm up your jaw muscles. Place your hands on your face, rub your jaw muscles downwards, and open and close your mouth, easing the tension until your jaw feels loose and relaxed.

Face

Facial expressions engage your audience and convey emotions. With 43 muscles in the human face, use them to express yourself, even on the phone. People will hear your expressions in your voice.

Shoulders

Tension in your shoulders can be heard in your voice. Stand comfortably, grip your hands behind your back, lift your shoulders to your ears, then release the tension, dropping your shoulders and swinging your arms freely.

Stomach

Butterflies or knots in your stomach make it harder to breathe. Tense and release your stomach muscles to alleviate this tension without collapsing your posture.

Legs, Buttocks, and Feet

Tension in your lower body can lead to breath-holding. Consciously tense and release the muscles in your buttocks, thighs, knees, calves, and toes. Check your legs and feet during important meetings and soften your knees to release any tension.

By addressing tension in these areas, you can power your voice effectively, making your speech more impactful and engaging. Remember, freeing your voice begins with freeing your body.

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