Voice Care During Virtual Interactions
Virtual interactions are part of our new reality. Regular participation in this form of communication can contribute to vocal strain and fatigue.
You may find the following tips helpful.
10 Tips on Voice Care
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Drink roughly 2 litres (8 glasses) of water a day.
Use a microphone
Use a good quality microphone during virtual sessions. This allows the person/audience to clearly hear your voice.
A mic allows you to speak using your natural loudness while preventing repetition or shouting.
Many different types of microphones are available;
Camera mic, lapel mic, table mic, mic-headphone combo (best suited when distanced from screen ex: physiotherapy session)
Use headphones
Headphones allow you to clearly hear what the speaker is saying.
Minimizes questions or repetition of information.
Close to screen and lights on
Position yourself close to the camera to allow the person/audience to see facial expressions and allow lip reading.
Quiet environment
Conduct your session in a quiet room or space.
Background noise will force you to speak loudly.
Mute your mic when not speaking to reduce background noise.
Test equipment
Test equipment ahead of your virtual session to prevent technical difficulties.
Ensure microphone and camera are working.
Ensure the link for the virtual session is accurate and functioning.
Take breaks between sessions
Schedule 5-10 minutes between virtual sessions to allow your voice to rest.
During your break, hydrate and complete vocal warm-ups and stretches (ex: gently hum a tune).
Hearing aids
Ensure hearing aids are in place and functioning, if required.
Screen sharing
Many virtual platforms have capacity to share information on the screen.
Visual content can supplement verbal messages preventing unnecessary explanation or repetition.
Send materials/information ahead of time
Send materials and information prior to the virtual session.
This may reduce explanation or repetition.
Post submitted by our Speech-Language Pathologists