Be prepared in the cold period

I don't wish to sound like a Government health warning, but this time of year with the common cold, flu like symptoms and in the worst cases, Swine Flu, could play havoc for your voice and communication effectiveness. When you feel unwell it is always a challenge to speak clearly and with charisma - or energy. Sneezing, coughing, having a sore throat and having catarrh also make it more difficult to speak confidently.

With these symptoms, it is easy for the body to get dehydrated, which can potentially cause harm or even damage to the vocal folds - and your voice. It is especially important at this time of year to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Central heating is on which dehydrates the body, and this, with cold/flu symptoms is potentially very harmful to the voice.

In the next few days I will focus on different cold symptoms, and how best to cope with these when working.

If you have any questions, or would like to bring up a specific issue, call me on 0844 576 3015 or contact me