10 Ways to Use Your Voice for Emotional Wellbeing

It’s not just a buzzword. Emotional wellbeing is a real thing that we all need to spend time nurturing.

We also carry a pretty fantastic tool with us wherever we go. Getting to know our voice and actively using it to foster a sense of emotional wellbeing is a perfect way to move forward on a path of personal growth and discovery.

It’s something I have both loved and struggled with for nearly two decades. Getting thrown into the big bad adulting world pushed me into a journey that has been filled with challenges, every single one of them relating in some way to my voice and self-expression.

As a singer and vocal coach, my voice has been both a gift and a curse. I grew up in a musical home, singing was just something we did. We weren’t too great at verbally expressing our feelings, however, but that is a whole other story!

As an adult, wife, and mother, I faced the grownup trial of expressing myself, especially when it came to conflict or expressing my needs and desires. At the same time, my environment pitted itself against me, adding physical wellness problems to the emotional wellbeing challenges. Pollens, asthma, dust, mould, fragrances, food intolerances, nutritional deficiencies, auto-immune conditions… It felt like an onslaught at times.

For so many years, I felt like I was stuck between inner-world chaos and an outer-world battle. Somewhere in the middle, I got lost, and so did my voice. I lost my voice. My range reduced, tone dulled, breath control went to buggery. While I was disconnected from my voice, my head was unclear, I was easily overwhelmed, and my memory was not at its best. It felt like the more I was disconnected from my voice and the more it deviated from my true sound, the more my emotional wellbeing (and physical, for that matter) suffered.

Since dealing with many of the external influences, I have turned my focus to my inner world to heal my voice. From breathing and vocal exercises to learning to speak my truth, I’m rehabilitating my voice and discovering ways to incorporate this healing into my everyday life.

Here are 10 ways to use your voice to help boost your mental and emotional wellbeing.

(Hint: Most of them don’t even involve singing!)

1. Sigh

This is one of my favourite things to do with my voice, which might seem odd coming from a singer and voice teacher! I love a good sigh. It feels great, it reconnects me with my voice in a subtle, publicly acceptable way (as long as it’s not overdone), and the science supports its brilliant benefits.

It’s kind of like the opposite of taking a deep breath. If you’ve checked out my blog about The Importance of Correct Breathing, you’ll understand that great breathing and health are all in the exhale. Letting out all the air and making space for more of the good stuff just happens naturally when we sigh. Exhalation at this level helps to relieve tension and anxiety.

Leah Weiss, Principal Teacher at Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Program, gives sighing the thumbs up for emotional wellbeing.

“That relief is the result of a sudden change in respiratory patterns. At nearly two times the volume of a regular breath, a single sigh is a loud, disruptive, and practical way to push your body’s reset button. It’s nature’s built-in bullhorn.” – Leah Weiss, PhD, Principal Teacher, Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Program

Still not convinced? Check out what psychologist Paulette Sherman, PsyD, has to say about sighing.

"Research says sighs express a mismatch between your emotions and ideals; it’s the recognition that something is wrong, but you need to let it go." – psychologist Paulette Sherman, PsyD

Go on… try it if you’re not already a fan. If you are in a place where it is possible, add a little extra sound to your sigh. It feels great and your voice gets a mini workout.

2. Tempo and pitch play

The human voice comes in all shapes and sizes – or pitches and tempos to be more precise. When you talk to people, try switching up your vocal game. To calm things down, go for lower and slower. Want a more lively energy around you? Raise your voice a few tones and speak a little faster.

Modifying your voice to suit your environment, or perhaps even modifying it to adjust your environment, is a wonderful exercise in intentional vocal expression. Of course, you can’t do it all the time – there are clearly situations and moments that this is not appropriate – but when it’s done right it is an exciting way to feel empowered through the use of your voice.

3. Experiment with vowels

Making different vowel sounds has a totally different effect on your mind and body. For healing, we should really explore different vowel sounds and let them do their work. Physiologically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and energetically, we respond differently to each of the five core vowel sounds. If you’re familiar with the chakra energy system, it is interesting how each vowel sound corresponds with a different chakra in sound healing.

eee (as in “see”) – Seventh, or Crown Chakra. The colours for this chakra are violet and white.

aye (as in “day”) – Sixth, or Third Eye Chakra. The colour for this chakra is indigo.

eye (as in “high”) – Fifth, or Throat Chakra. The colour for this chakra is blue.

aah (as in “laa”) – Fourth, or Heart Chakra. The colour for this chakra is green.

oh (as in “flow”) – Third, or Solar Plexus Chakra. The colour for this chakra is yellow.

ooo (as in “who”) – Second, or Sacral Chakra. The colour for this chakra is orange.

uuh (as in “up”) – First, or Root Chakra. The colour for this chakra is red.

Learn more about Vocal Toning with Vowels.

4. Talk to yourself

It probably goes without saying that you should pick your times wisely for this one. If you have complete privacy, I can’t recommend talking to yourself enough. There are some amazing benefits to vocalising when there are no prying ears around.

First up, you can experiment with tone, volume, and words in a way that you most likely wouldn’t at any other time. Secondly, you get those pesky words that zoom around in your head, well, out of your head. If that’s not a good reason to talk to yourself, I don’t know what is!

Although it might not be a habit you want to get into on a daily basis, taking time to hear your voice without the influence of people around you, different environments and personas, or judgement in general, makes it an exercise well worth investing time in.

5. Ask for time

I love this one, and it’s a recent addition to my vocal wellness and emotional wellbeing journey. I’m still learning to speak with flow. For some people, it feels like words flow so effortlessly, especially when confronted or feeling challenged. Not so for me! Often it feels like personal expression is a foreign language, where whatever I want to say is being translated in my head before I speak. It can make seemingly easy conversations hard, while also making hard conversations even harder. When you’re communicating (or trying to communicate) with one of those lucky “verbal flow” peeps, it can be hard to keep up or find space to express yourself with clarity and confidence.

You can create that space with one short question – “Please, can I have some time / a moment?” Explain to them that your communication strengths lie in other methods, such as writing, or that you sometimes find it overwhelming or triggering to be pushed into expressing yourself. If people really want to engage authentically with you, they need to understand that everyone has different communication styles, and some people need space to slow down or reset before the words can come.

This is part of asking for your needs to be met, and you have every right to do so. I really is a very simple request. If the person you are talking to has issues with you needing a moment to gather thoughts and calm any anxiety, then you may need to consider bringing in a third party to help you communicate.

6. Write it out and read aloud

Some of us are writers before speakers, and that is more than okay. It’s sensational! The world needs a mix of all types of communicators. That same world, however, seems to have a little crush on those who are good at stringing words together. One look at the boom in video content says it all (TED-x, I’m looking at you…)

Don’t forget, though, that long before video, the written word reigned supreme. It’s still up there, books still sell, blogs still get read, and email and messaging are still communication go-tos for business.

I’m a little biased, being someone who loves writing, but you can have your cake and eat it, too. If you’re not into speaking on the fly or working from cues, write it out and read it to yourself.

Reading aloud from written text also helps connect the hemispheres and different sections of the brain, encouraging the integration of different neural functions related to processing, memory, comprehension, and communication.

The Smart Ageing International Research Centre in Japan was involved in a learning therapy study looking into learning therapy. The research, completed in 2013 by Nouchi et al, researched the benefits of reading aloud and doing simple mathematical calculations for the elderly. They found that reading aloud helped to improve cognitive function in healthy older adults, improving memory as well as function in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This handy little section of the brain covers the front part of the frontal lobe and is responsible for high-level brain stuff like executive function (planning, problem-solving, and decision-making), short-term memory, comprehension, impulse-control, personality expression, and social behaviour modification). All pretty key things if you want to lead a happy and fulfilling life!

7. Swear

Well, it’s not for everyone, but many of us are pretty nifty with a swear word now and again. I know I am! There have been loads of studies on this one, but the anecdotal evidence speaks for itself, too. Swearing can be brilliant for your health! The research shows that swearing has a whole host of benefits, as long as it is done carefully. It can help release stress and emotional build-up in the body, creating a kind of reset that is not unlike the result you get with sighing. It can help with pain management and other symptoms, both acute and chronic, and having a good curse while exercising has shown that some people can boost performance. There’s also the fact that for some people, throwing a swear word into conversation, when those they are with also swear, can enhance connection. There’s a good chance that if you haven’t experienced the benefits yourself, you’ve seen one or more of them in action in your life.

Rules for swearing for mental and emotional wellbeing: ensure that it is appropriate for the situation you are in and the people you are with; the words must not be derogative towards cultural or other groups, or individuals for that matter (eg. people with disabilities); you must not use swear words to disempower, hurt, intimidate, or gaslight people.

Situational awareness is the key here. If it doesn’t feel right at the time, chances are that it isn’t. If the environment and timing are right, however, go for it!

For more about swearing and its many benefits, check out “Swearing Is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language” by Emma Byrne.

8. Vocal toning

Vocal toning has gained a lot of ground in recent years with some awesome results for many who practice it regularly. PubMed.gov describes vocal toning as “…a form of vocalizing that utilizes the natural voice to express sounds ranging from cries, grunts, and groans to open vowel sounds and humming on the full exhalation of the breath. Music therapists are increasingly utilizing toning in their clinical practice for a variety of therapeutic aims.“

Think about young children. They are always making sounds of all kinds, and it is often completely acceptable for them to do so (but not always, of course). While a big part of vocalization for kids is to explore their voice and sounds, they also reap a whole lot of rewards, such as expression of emotions, the release of stress and feelings of overwhelm, pain reduction if they hurt themselves, and just an overall calming experience.

The same goes for adults who practice vocal toning. This ancient practice has a modern twist now, but the effects are the same. Toning helps bring the brain into an alpha – or what is known by many as Zen – state. Within minutes, calm can be restored, and healing facilitated. While it is commonly practiced with vowels, humming is also a wonderful way to benefit from vocal toning and is a little more inconspicuous.

Breathing is a big part of vocal toning, so if you’re going to have a go at this tip, make sure you’re breathing correctly!

9. Learn a new language

Have you ever wanted to learn a different language? It has honestly never been easier than it is in the tech age. There are some great online courses, programs, and apps to help you achieve your bilingual dream faster than ever before. Just like some other things I’ve suggested here, learning a second language has some big pros for mental and emotional wellbeing. That prefrontal cortex we discussed earlier? Learning a new language gives that part of your brain a boost as well. Memory, concentration, critical thinking, and problem-solving can be levelled up with extra language skills.

Practicing your latest language skills aloud is not only highly valuable for your mind and emotions, but it is also thrilling to hear your voice do new things. There is much joy to be had in doing this, and isn’t that the perfect reason to get started?

This one ticks all the boxes for creativity and neuroplasticity. Not sure where to start? There are plenty of online or in-person language courses you can enrol in. I highly recommend Babbel, the world’s leading online app, which provides a fun and targeted way to enhance language learning. Even the greenest of green beginners can get talking quicker than they ever could have imagined with Babbel.

10. Just sing

Singing is the most beautiful way to get vocal and improve emotional wellbeing. There are so many benefits to singing, including the fact that it is just a joyous practice that can foster deep connection and give your body a dose of all the feel-good hormones it needs. Don’t be dissuaded by your vocal aesthetics, or even pitch! Your voice is yours alone and a divine vehicle for expression and healing.