Although it is not something most people think about, the voice is one of the most important tools a human being has. As a singer and actor my voice is my instrument, but even for those who do not rely on their voices for their art or their livelihood, the ability to speak and have your thoughts heard is the essence of being human. Therefore, I strongly feel that our voices are truly valuable gifts of which we must take diligent care.

1. Hydrate

Staying hydrated is crucial to maintaining one’s vocal health. A layer of mucus protects your vocal folds, and you must drink water in order to maintain that lubrication. It is not enough to drink a ton of water right before a speech or performance. You must be drinking water consistently in order to be internally hydrated.

2. Don’t Smoke

This one may seem like a given, but I cannot stress its importance enough. Smoke is not meant to be inhaled. You know how, in elementary school, you were taught fire safety and told to crawl on the floor so that you are below the layer of risen smoke? That’s so that you DON’T INHALE THE SMOKE. Smoking causes severe inflammation of the vocal folds and can also cause the formation of vocal polyps. Furthermore, it degrades lung function, which impedes proper breathing and therefore prevents healthy projection of the voice.

3. Warm Up

This tip is particularly applicable to people who use their voices for a living such as singers, actors and public speakers. Any athlete will tell you that you MUST warm up before a game or a heavy workout. If you don’t, you will hurt yourself. The same is true of your voice. The vocal apparatus is a delicate set of muscles that must be gently and thoroughly warmed up before heavy use. So stretch, do tongue twisters, vocalize and whatever else you need to ensure that you are prepared to work safely.

4. Don’t Scream

Sometimes you have to raise your voice. That is just a part of life, particularly if you are an actor or public speaker and need to deliver your message to a large number of people. In these cases, do not scream. Project. The difference between these two is the part of the body from which the sound is launched. Screaming involves pushing the voice from high in the throat, which is straining and incredibly damaging to the voice. Projection, on the other hand, originates from the lower abdomen. To healthily project, be sure to engage your core and “throw” the sound from that place.

5. Enunciate

There is a common misconception that the only way to make yourself better heard is to increase your volume. This is not the case. Oftentimes, all you need to do is to enunciate. Clear diction allows your words to be more effectively communicated without putting any unnecessary strain on the vocal apparatus.

6. Relax

Anxiety causes tension, particularly muscular tension. Your hand cramps while taking a test, your neck is sore after a long and stressful week, etc. This same fact applies to the various muscles involved in the vocal apparatus. Consider using relaxation techniques such as deep, consistent breathing or meditation to prevent stressing, and thus damaging, the voice.

7. Sleep

The time we spend asleep is the time the body takes to rebuild itself, to heal and to remedy all the little damages that have been done over the course of the day. This is especially applicable to healing the vocal apparatus after a day of use.

8. Don’t Talk When You Don’t Need To

There is a Buddhist teaching which expresses the importance of “Right Speech”. Right Speech involves refraining not only from the use of hurtful language, but also from UNNECESSARY language. According to Buddha, if you do not need to speak, don’t. This is a useful philosophy in a moral as well as a practical sense as unnecessary use of the voice leads to vocal fatigue.

9. Be Careful What You Drink

It is fairly common knowledge that milk and acidic fruit juices can increase mucus production in the throat and, therefore, you should not drink them before a vocal performance, but there are beverages which are even more threatening to vocal health. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks, for example, dry out the throat and tighten the muscles of the vocal apparatus, thus restricting vocal function. Alcohol can also dry out the throat and cause irritation.

10. Avoid Whispering

Dangerous use of the voice is generally associated with being too loud, but whispering can cause more strain on the vocal apparatus than speaking. This is because, when you whisper, you speak without allowing your vocal folds to vibrate and rub against each other. This causes severe fatigue and has a strong drying effect on the vocal folds.

11. Get “Scoped”

Getting “scoped” is a slang term for undergoing a laryngoscopy, a procedure during which a laryngoscope is passed down the throat so that the appearance of the vocal folds and surrounding organs can be observed and assessed. If you find that you lose your voice often, or you are experiencing chronic vocal fatigue, you may look into receiving a laryngoscopy.

In the end, whether you are a singer or a yoga instructor, a lawyer or a garbage collector, all people want to be heard. You only have one voice. Care for it, and use it well.