If you’ve ever lost your voice after a long day of networking, presenting, or speaking at a conference—you’re not alone. Conventions and events common places for vocal strain to sneak up on professionals. And for those who rely on their voice to teach, lead, sell, or perform, the consequences can result in limited or painful conversations or distracting hoarseness.

For professional voice users, anxiety, periods of high stress, or mental health dips directly impact the muscles around the larynx. Just as for others, stress and anxiety might lead to reflux or knots in your shoulders, for singers and actors, stress and strain go to the voice, causing voice fatigue, loss of range, or even complete voice loss.

Your voice does more than help you communicate—it can also reveal important clues about your overall health. Persistent hoarseness, changes in speaking pitch, voice fatigue, or breathiness may all signal something about your vocal health.

A lingering cough might seem harmless—but for singers, speakers, teachers, and other vocal professionals, it can quietly wreak havoc on your voice.

As summer gives way to fall, you may notice an impact on your voice. Any seasonal/wather change can have an effect on your voice—especially for singers, speakers, and other vocal professionals. Just ask any singer who has flown into Denver for a tour date.

When we talk about vocal health, the conversation usually focuses on technique, hydration, vocal load, or environmental factors. But one of the most overlooked — and most powerful — forces impacting the voice is mental health.

Your voice doesn’t exist in isolation from your emotions. Anxiety, depression, burnout, and chronic stress all who up in the body — and the voice.