The Power of Downtime

How important are rest, relaxation and recovery time?

Ask your vocal coaching expert Dr Anikó Tóth.

What do athletes use all the time? Muscles. Do they allow for recovery time, go for massages, have hot and cold showers and sleep? You bet. Why not you singers?

Singers and voice users in general sometimes forget that their vocal muscles also need a break from time to time.

Not only will getting enough sleep and downtime help reduce stress / cortisol levels in the body and improve mental health, but your levels of concentration will improve. This will allow you to use effective vocal techniques, rather than pushing the voice when tired or unable to focus.

After a night out, for example, ensure you have a proper lie-in (yes, I am encouraging you to do what you already want to do!), a good breakfast (which could include a protein, like eggs, for example), lots of water (more on hydration later!), and general R & R (rest and relaxation).

How do I rest my voice?

There are so many ways to relax vocally.

After concerts, gigs or a long day of voice use, you can actually do the same vocal warmups you did in the morning as a gentle warm down.

• Straw phonation is a great way to do this.

• Doing a little bit of vocal fry will relax your vocal folds.

• Steaming will give your vocal folds a warm, moist hug while also giving you a facial! Double win!

• Not continuing to talk for a while is also important.

• Hydrating with pure water is essential (hopefully, you will have been sipping from your dedicated water bottle all day!).

• If you’ve got a vocal issue, laryngeal massage and physiotherapy are becoming increasingly more popular - avail yourself of support, when you need it.

Remember, the vocal muscles, while powerful, are only tiny, and you’ve only got one set!

So, please take care of them. They are also housed in your body, of which you also only have one.

So, R & R for you, please!

Sleep when you need to!

(Open mouth not recommended for good vocal health!)

Try vocal coaching lessons with our vocal coaching expert Dr Anikó Tóth.

You can book a free consultation via the button below.

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