A sore throat is exactly what I was dealing with earlier this month in Hรคmeenlinna, Finland. I was speaking at the Summer School of Rhetoric (Retoriikan kesรคkoulu). 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.
๐ญ. ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐
Drink room temperature waterย consistentlyโsmall sips every 10โ15 minutes is better than chugging. Herbal tea is greatโespecially licorice root or chamomile if you have them. No alcohol, no coffeeโtheyโll dry you out.
๐ฎ. ๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐
Useย non-mentholated cough drops or lozenges with glycerin or honeyย if possible. (Luckily I had some with me.) Menthol can feel soothing but may dry out the vocal cords.
๐ฏ. ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ
If you can,ย 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! ๐ซ๐ฎ ๐ The hot steam was very soothing for my sore throat.
๐ฐ. ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐
Avoidย dairyย (can thicken mucus),ย spicyย orย acidic foodsย (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!
๐ฑ. ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ฒย ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ-๐๐ฝ๐
Start this about 3โ4 hours before the speech. Donโt wait until right before.
โ Lip trillsย (brrrrr with your lips)
โ Hummingย at a comfortable pitch
โ Gentle pitch glidesย (an โngโ or โooโ sound)
Avoid anything that feels forced or pushes your range. With a sore throat, you want to keep it gentle.
๐ฒ. ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Anxiety tightens the throat.ย Breathe deeplyย (inhale for 4, exhale for 6โ8) to relax. Focus onย connection, not perfectionโyour 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.
