“A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that is very important for good health.” Dalai Lama

We all continue to work through a pandemic, and to minimize stress and be present and effective with my clients, I am creating calm and balance every morning of every day.

I start each day with an hour of meditation, which creates a calm and focused mind and frees my breath, which supports my voice. Then, I do a daily 10-minute vocal warm-up of articulation, breathing, and projection exercises to be ready to communicate effectively and address the vocal needs of my clients.

The human voice is a powerful instrument for communicating both professionally and personally. In these times of high stress, it is natural and easy for anxiety to creep into our voice, causing our pitch to rise higher and we speak too quickly. Both of these can cause you to lose track of what you are saying or, worse yet, completely forget about it.

To stay present in the moment and communicate with a calm, confident, credible, and engaging voice, here are some other ways to create calm and balance in your life and still sound confident, persuasive, and engaging.

Daily participation in your favorite exercise, whether it is going to the gym, playing with your children, swimming, dancing, walking, yoga, biking, hiking, any of these types of activities will help awaken your breath.

Visualization Techniques, Jack Canfield’s “Visualization Techniques for Affirming Desired Results: A Step-by-Step Guide”, is a good idea. Visualization activates your creative subconscious, programs your brain, generates internal motivation, and activates the law of attraction.

Self-hypnosis techniques to manage stress. Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, conducts groundbreaking research on the roots of compassion, happiness, and altruism.

Daily breathing exercises, I can recommend “Breathing: the master key to Self Healing “by Dr. Andrew Weil. In it he says,” If I had to limit my advice on a healthier life to just one piece of advice, it would be just learning how to breathe properly. “

A calm mind can give you the “voice power” to communicate powerfully, confidently, and persuasively in times of great stress.

Performing well in life requires outstanding communication skills, no matter the field, and excellent vocal skills are the foundation for outstanding communication, and an important first step in achieving both is consulting a professional speech or voice coach. It is the best investment you will make in your professional and personal life.