Summer has arrived! Yay!
This week in the studio, whilst we’ve been celebrating the arrival of the British summer, I’ve noticed that a few of my students have been experiencing some vocal challenges, so I thought it would be useful to write a little post with suggestions on how to care for your voice during this hot weather!
Keep hydrated - it’s the mantra of every vocal specialist, no matter the weather. But keep in mind, with the higher temperatures, you are likely to become dehydrated quicker, so drinking water more frequently will help, keep aware of your hydration levels, if you begin to feel thirsty, you’re already on the way to dehydration! Drink up!
Contrary to popular belief, drinks with caffeine such as tea and coffee will still hydrate you, maybe not as effectively as water, but it’s better than nothing. But maybe give alcohol a miss…
If you like to steam as part of your vocal health care, but this weather is putting you off, you may like to consider using a nebuliser. If you have any health conditions, it’s best to check with your health care provider first. As a nebuliser uses cool water vapour, it’s often a preferred method of introducing moisture to the surface of the vocal folds, especially when it’s too hot outside to consider steaming!
Rest - with the higher heat (and humidity) you may find yourself getting tired more quickly, that’s ok! Take time to rest, both vocally, as well as resting your body and mind.
Be aware of any tension/ holding patterns which might appear during your practice. If the heat is making you uncomfortable then it’s likely that discomfort will translate to tension, the four most common places to find tense holding patterns: Jaw, tongue, shoulders, abdominal muscles. Use gentle movement to release any tension which may be gathering in these areas (or anywhere else!).
Be kind to yourself - with higher temperatures, you may find everything takes more energy than usual, be kind and give yourself grace.
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