How often do you think about your voice? Like most of us, you probably consider your voice as a tool that gets the job done. Unless you’re a singer you don’t give it a second thought until, that is, it stops working for you. When our voices don’t sound like they should, whether through a bout of laryngitis or even a common cold, it affects nearly every area of our lives. Here are ten reasons why your voice is important and why you should take care of it:
1. Your voice is part of your identity. Listeners make all sorts of assumptions about you based on what your voice sounds like, including: socio-economic status, personality traits, emotional state, health and age. Some keen listeners can even estimate a speaker’s height and weight based on their voice.
2. Your voice is unique. No two voices sound the same. This is due to the size and shape of your vocal tract, and the size and shape of the rest of your body.
3. If you’re a parent, then hearing your voice has the ability to ease your child’s stress.
4. Many occupations rely on a strong, clear voice. If you’re a teacher, or your job involves lots of conversations and verbal presentations, caring for your voice is a must. Your livelihood may depend on it.
5. Your voice makes an important first impression. When finding yourself in new situations, you want to make the best impression as your voice says a lot about who you are.
6. Taking active steps to care for your voice is important to keep it healthy and strong, well into the future.
7. Your voice is the only one you’ll ever have. Not taking care of your voice can result in long-term damage that is hard to recover from.
8. Proper voice care will keep your voice healthy for all the daily demands you place on it.
I hope you agree that your voice is unique and worth taking care of. Read our BLOG for our top tips for caring for your voice this winter season.
If you have concerns about your voice, our Speech Pathologists would love to have a chat with you. Contact us to discuss how Newcastle Speech Pathology can support your voice care.
Written by Alison Speech Pathologist Newcastle Speech Pathology
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