A sore throat is exactly what I was dealing with earlier this month in Hämeenlinna, Finland. I was speaking at the Summer School of Rhetoric (Retoriikan kesäkoulu). On 5 June, I ran a full-day workshop for 25 people and on 6 June, I gave a 40-minute talk to 200 people at the conference.
The evening after my workshop, my voice was shot. I had been fighting a cough for a few days and a full day of audience interaction had taken its toll. My throat was sore and my voice made me sound like a bad version of Barry White!
Not great before a big talk the following day, but not a time to panic. There are things that you can do, and I did them.
𝟭. 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆
Drink room temperature water consistently—small sips every 10–15 minutes is better than chugging. Herbal tea is great—especially licorice root or chamomile if you have them. No alcohol, no coffee—they’ll dry you out.
𝟮. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆
Use non-mentholated cough drops or lozenges with glycerin or honey if possible. (Luckily I had some with me.) Menthol can feel soothing but may dry out the vocal cords.
𝟯. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺
If you can, inhale steam: hot water in a bowl with a towel over your head, or even just standing in a steamy shower for a few minutes. I was lucky … I was in Finland so there was a sauna in the bathroom! 🇫🇮 👍 The hot steam was very soothing for my sore throat.
𝟰. 𝗘𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁
Avoid dairy (can thicken mucus), spicy or acidic foods (can irritate). Fruit (bananas) and bread are what I turn to keep my stomach full. A spoonful of honey also helps, it is anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial. In the green room at the conference centre, there was a jar of honey for just that purpose! I love working with professionals!
𝟱. 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺-𝘂𝗽𝘀
Start this about 3–4 hours before the speech. Don’t wait until right before.
– Lip trills (brrrrr with your lips)
– Humming at a comfortable pitch
– Gentle pitch glides (an “ng” or “oo” sound)
Avoid anything that feels forced or pushes your range. With a sore throat, you want to keep it gentle.
𝟲. 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Anxiety tightens the throat. Breathe deeply (inhale for 4, exhale for 6–8) to relax. Focus on connection, not perfection—your energy and intention matter more than flawless vocal tone.
In the end, my voice held up and the talk went very well. I’ll share some other tips from the experience in future posts.
If you ever find yourself with a sore throat before a speech or presentation, remember … there are things that you can do to help.
