How you stand, sit and hold yourself affects the clarity and strength of your voice.

“Women tend to cross their legs and their arms; if [your body is] twisted or unbalanced, your head comes forward, and your voice becomes strangled,” explains Dr Mahler. So you sound tense, and your voice is weaker and unclear.

TRY THIS: Stand with your feet apart, knees relaxed, and pelvis tucked under, with your chest out and shoulders back. Keep your shoulders and arms relaxed and place your hands in front, one holding the other wrist.

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To speak with a clear, strong voice, you need to breathe deeply, and to do this effectively your diaphragm – the muscle below your lungs – must be soft and flexible.

“When we feel stressed our diaphragm lock, and the lungs, which sit on top of the diaphragm, can’t expand properly. Instead of expanding downwards, they expand upwards, which makes the voice tense,” says Dr Mahler. And a tense voice gives away that you are nervous, angry or worried.

TRY THIS: Use a “cover cough” to release your diaphragm. Cough as if you’re clearing your throat and pull your stomach in sharply.

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Our throat is home to our larynx, which helps us create sound. And when we feel emotional, the larynx closes.

“[When that happens], we get that semi-closed, tight voice,” explains Dr Mahler. The vocal folds in our throat also get in the way. These are bands of stretchy tissue sitting just under the epiglottis. This valve covers our trachea, or windpipe when we swallow.

TRY THIS: Keep your neck upright, so your larynx sits flat – and smile. “If you lift the cheeks under the eyes, the vocal folds retract back into the lining of the throat, and the best way to do this is by smiling,” says Dr Mahler.

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Elvis Presley knew how to make the most of his voice. “When he started to sing and when he finished a phrase, he had his mouth open,” Says Dr Mahler. “However, when we are under pressure, we [tend to] shut our mouth to block communication.”

TRY THIS: Open your mouth about 3 cm wide and sound out vowel sounds from the back of your throat. “Loosen your jaw and keep the air flowing by blowing raspberries,” says Dr Mahler. 

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If we look upwards, our voice tends to rise, and when we look downwards, the tone and volume drop. So when you need a “reasoning voice”, and want your words to have an impact and be listened to, you should keep your gaze steady, advises Dr Mahler.

TRY THIS: Maintain eye contact but keep your face soft by nodding, blinking or smiling. “Blink about 15 times a minute to avoid staring uncomfortably,” says Dr Mahler.

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Our voice becomes muffled and quiet when we’re static, often when we’re nervous. Our diaphragm locks, and our
mouth and throat close.

“Our legs can feel weak or numb, but movement sends blood to the lower body and reengages it,” says Dr Mahler.

TRY THIS: When you’re talking, either one-on-one or in a group, move slightly to release tension. If you’re sitting, move slightly back in your chair, then forward. If you’re standing in front of an audience, move around a little.

Text: bauersyndication.com.au

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