Who needs vocal rest?

How often do you rest your voice? So many people neglect this important component of vocal hygiene (routines that keep your voice healthy), but it’s a very simple way to avoid injury to the vocal cords. When working towards voice modification, it’s important to understand that you are in the process of retraining your muscles to produce sounds in a new way. Changing vocal habits that you have been using every day for your entire life takes a lot of work and practice, and can potentially put you at risk for developing “hyperfunctional” behaviors. Hyperfunctional behaviors include excessive laryngeal tension, speaking beyond a comfortable range for long periods of time, or over-contraction of the muscles used when speaking.

Many believe that whispering is a healthy way to modify your voice when experiencing vocal fatigue. Surprisingly, this technique can cause more harm than good. Whispering can cause increased tension in the muscles that are involved in speech production. If used frequently enough, whispering may cause the speaker to develop hyperfunctional speaking patterns. This can lead to a vicious cycle whereby the speaker causes even more damage to their voice. 

A good rule of thumb is to allow yourself approximately 10 minutes of vocal rest after every hour of prolonged speaking. This is especially important if you are working towards voice modification, and/or if you use your voice often for your job. Additionally, you should definitely rest your voice if you find that your voice is hoarse, strained, or fatigued as the day goes on. Other red flags to look out for include the need for increased effort when speaking, sudden pain/tightness in the throat, as well as any pain or general discomfort when speaking. 

Other routines you might consider adapting to keep your voice healthy include improving your hydration (with water intake or humidifiers), avoiding alcohol, caffeine, smoking, vaping, or second-hand smoke exposure, and avoiding prolonged speaking at an uncomfortable pitch or volume. 

As always, if you experience hoarseness for more than two weeks you should consult your doctor or an otolaryngologist (ENT).