What Can You Do To Remedy a Tired Voice?

If you ever feel that your voice is tired and SERIOUSLY needs a break, don’t ignore your natural instinct. Do not push and force yourself to sing even when you know it’s doing you more harm than good. What can you do? Simply take a break!  In my line of work I’ve met many people experiencing such symptoms, and so I want to talk a little bit about what you ought to do when your voice needs a rest. This article will look at the importance of vocal rest for singers. After all, your voice is your instrument. And so you ought to look after it!

Superstar Janet Jackson was put on vocal rest and advised by her doctor to reschedule her Oct. 24-25 2015 concerts in Salt Lake City and Denver. On Sunday, Oct. 25, the singer posted about additional tour date cancellations on social media. She tweeted, “Must postpone Kansas City & St. Louis... Doctor’s orders! Hold onto your tickets! I'll be back in Omaha.” Janet rescheduled to resume her Unbreakable tour in Omaha on Friday, Oct. 30. That’s how important vocal rest is to Janet Jackson. And by now I’m sure you’ve realized how important this is for you too. And so let’s take a closer look at what you should be doing on your vocal rest.

Vocal rest or voice rest is the process of resting the vocal folds by not speaking and singing typically following viral infections that cause hoarseness in the voice, such as the common cold or influenza or more serious vocal disorders such as chorditis or laryngitis.

The purpose of vocal rest is to hasten recovery time. It is believed that vocal rest, along with rehydration, will significantly decrease recovery time after a cold. It is generally believed, however, that if one needs to communicate, one should speak and not whisper. The reasons for this differ, however. Some believe that whispering merely does not allow the voice to rest and may have a dehydrating effect.

And so your first step to recovery would be to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. And to neutralize the strain in your throat, ensure you take a daily dose of 1000 milligrams of effervescent vitamin C dissolved in a glass of water.  I know firsthand, the benefits of topping up on Vitamin C. If you weren’t feeling so great, suddenly you will begin to experience a lot more relief—which is exactly what you need on vocal rest. However, I wouldn’t recommend whispering on your vocal rest period. It can be a strain in itself. If you absolutely have to speak, then use your voice but speak very softly. But if you really want to be on your way to quick recovery, then you'd better keep your mouth shut for a while.


You are the instrument, learn to sing like a pro!

JOETT

Vocal Coach & Author "Letters from a Vocal Coach"
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