Stamina doesn't happen overnight. Whether you are training for a marathon. Honing your duration of focus. Or talking all day. Stamina must be created over many smaller moments of focus, deliberately resetting when off-course, and dedicating to the activity for longer periods of time without burn-out, inefficiency, or injury. And no, vocal rest alone doesn't lead to a better voice long term. Emy was struggling to get through a 20 minute livestream. Yet this was the main way she preferred connecting with and growing her audience, and she was starting to gain some notable traction. We established a foundation of voice health, warming up, addressing any other factors draining her energy, and learning to listen to the signals that her voice and body were giving her, so that she didn't just "push through." Improving vocal stamina for speaking is never a 'no pain, no gain' situation. Ever. It's approached with intention, specificity, repetition and resets to expand on the strength and flexibility of the voice, while opening up new levels capability so you can speak with more ease during all the activities you love and that are needed for the success of your business, without strain. Stamina starts now, not later. Simone Biles made Olympic history again at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and is headed off onto a 30-city gymnastics tour. Between the end of the Olympics and the first tour stop, she won't be chillin' on the couch. Yes, rest will be involved, especially as she needs to recover her calf strain, yet, there still needs to be steady conditioning since stopping workouts completely can mean muscle loss begins occurring within 2-3 weeks. So, what do your speaking voice and Simone Biles have in common? Both need stamina, dynamic power and soothing active recovery methods to perform a peak levels! Most people think they can use their speaking activities as a warm-up, or assume that just by talking a lot, that their voice will stay in shape. That is not true. If you are speaking with strain, a quality change like hoarseness, weakness or pitch breaks, or your voice is fading out before the end of the day or week, it's more likely that the way you are talking is actually making the issue worse. That's where voice care and specific exercise comes in. The tips in your gift here get you started. Then, you have to choose, just like Simone does every day when stepping into the gym, to do your vocal workout and ensure that the voice is feeling, sounding and performing as effectively as possible. It reduces your risk of injury, encourages longevity, and instills more confidence in how you are being perceived. When your voice is soothed and feeling powerful, it rises above the rest! Athletes come in all shapes, sizes and levels of training. Your vocal mechanism is similar. The shape and size of your larynx, vocal folds, throat, mouth, nose and how well you power the sound via your breath contributes to either optimal speaking, or, puts you at more risk of sounding flat, disengaged, mumbled, or worse, sustaining an injury. If you use your voice to do your job, you are a vocal athlete. And just like other athletes, training and conditioning to your peak performance is crucial so that you reduce strain and fatigue with talking, feel less unsure and nervous in front of a group, or simply want to be heard and assert yourself without compromising who you are and what you're here to do. Training and conditioning are not a 'quick fix' or 'overnight success'. You have to intentionally prepare in advance, dedicate the time, and be open to guidance from an expert mentor who can take you to that next level. No athlete would prepare for their sport mere days before a big event. Thus, if you are doing speaking engagements, leading a launch, conducting client and consulting calls, or preparing for the teaching year in the classroom, now is the time to ensure your voice is supported. The energy of ‘later’ or ‘holding off’ in one area of life can spill over into other areas of life as well. Notice if you find yourself saying ‘I’ll do it when…' If yes, there are likely some underlying beliefs that are running the show, making you feel you can't do/be/have what it is you want right now, no matter what, and thus you perpetuate a vicious cycle of spinning your wheels rather than leaping forward in faith and trust for what you desire to achieve. When your speaking voice is optimally performing, your voice sounds clear and strong, you have stamina to increase your visibility through audio/video content creation, daily calls, speaking on more stages with confidence, and feeling more comfortable in expressing your whole self -- while keeping your voice healthy long term! If you’re curious which might be the best fit for you, book your no-obligation call to explore what’s possible for you now and your true voice expression! A result of this 30-45 minute call is to help you get clear on how your voice impacts your influence, effective communication, and job performance, as well as determine if any voice issues are occurring, with at least 1 strategy provided that you can implement. We will both determine if working together on your speaking voice goals is a good fit. Book now: https://go.oncehub.com/voiceDiscoveryCall
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AuthorVoice Activator. Lover of the Larynx and Lake Life. On a mission to elevate women's self-worth & wellness via their voice. one delightful tween daughter. Dabbles in professional voice-over occasionally. Reminding you that You and Your Voice Are Worthy! Archives
August 2024
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