During this time of year, the cold, the wind, and the allergens in the air all work to make one sick and eventually lose their voice. Since there are so many vocal performances near the end of the semester here at Kenyon (#acappellaseason), it is especially crucial to keep your voice healthy, whether you’re singing in a concert or you’re loudly cheering your friends on from the audience. Here are some tips to help you out!
1) Drink Lots of Tea
Drinking herbal teas such as chamomile, peppermint, ginger, or licorice root all have different healing and preventative properties. Throat Coat tea is especially helpful when you have a sore throat.
2) Drink Honey
Adding a generous amount of honey to your tea or just drinking straight honey can help soothe a sore or dry throat. You can usually find honey straws at your local farmer’s market; they’re a quick and easy way to drink honey on the go. Sucking on honey, glycerin-based lozenges also promotes vocal health. Try to avoid any lozenges that contain menthol; they tend to either dry your throat out or numb your throat so you strain it more without realizing that you’re further hurting yourself.
3) Keep Hydrated
Continually drinking water is incredibly important! The dry, cold air makes your throat dry out much faster than it usually would. Drink water! Cannot stress this enough!
4) Take Zinc and Vitamin C
Zinc and vitamin C help prevent colds and promote a healthy immune system. You can take them as pills or supplements or eat foods that are rich in these vitamins.
5) Sleep
Getting at least 7 hours of sleep is crucial for trying to stay healthy and keeping your voice well-rested.
6) Stay Away From Alcohol and Smoking
Alcohol makes you dehydrated and smoking is bad for your throat and lungs. If you’re already losing your voice, these things can make it much worse.
7) Stay Away from Caffeine
Like alcohol, caffeine makes you dehydrated. While you may need your morning cup of coffee to function as a human being, try to limit your caffeine intake as much as you can in order to help your voice mend.
8) Gargle With Warm Salt Water
This is something I’ve done since I was little. Whenever my throat hurts or I feel like I’m losing my voice, I mix a teaspoon of salt into warm water and gargle a few sip-fulls. The salt helps kill any bacteria that may be in your throat and helps to soothe any discomfort.
9) Use a Humidifier
This is something that I find especially helpful. It keeps the air moist while you’re sleeping or just sitting in your room. You can find some pretty affordable options on Amazon.
10) Stay Warm
This has a double meaning! It’s important to stay warm physically by protecting your throat with a scarf. It’s also very, very important to make sure you warm up your voice enough before you do any kind of singing for an extended amount of time.
Stay healthy and happy singing!