If you are new to podcasting you may be feeling doubt in your ability to use your voice. Or perhaps you have received negative feedback about how your voice sounds on your episodes. As a podcaster, you may feel insecure about your voice or may have lost vocal confidence. Whatever it may be, I can help you gain some confidence about your voice!
As a podcaster, your voice is the way your content comes to life. It is the star of the show, the headliner, the main course. But sometimes there is a disconnect between the expert and entertaining content you are bringing to your listeners and the conviction with which you articulate it. What happens when confidence is lacking or fear gets the better of you? In previous blog posts, I have discussed vocal hygiene tips and how to keep your podcasting voice healthy. But ultimately, how you use your voice, the way it sounds, and the way it feels is largely psychological.
In this article, I am delving into the psychological component of the voice and how lacking in vocal confidence can affect your podcast negatively. I want you to have a better understanding of how powerful your mind is over your voice so that you can learn how to gain control of your voice and improve your vocal confidence when podcasting!
The power of the voice
Some people say that the eyes are the window to the soul but I disagree, I think the voice is! Hear me out: the power of the voice is significant. Even when trying to disguise emotional states, the voice often reveals true feelings. Your voice gives away clues about your personality and mood. The way you sound even contributes to the impression you make on people. And as a podcaster, the impression you make affects how your podcast will be received and its overall success! Your voice can be the difference between someone subscribing or tuning out in the first few minutes.
Basically, the quality of your voice and your overall confidence have an astronomical effect on your show’s success! As a vocal coach, one of the biggest hurdles I see my students tackle is self-consciousness. Often, they have the tools, skills, and talents to do what they want to do with their voices. But are held back by the little monster in their head telling them that they’re not good enough. And because the voice often betrays our inner feelings and shares our intimate emotional states, this lack of confidence is obvious vocally!
So what does this mean for podcasters?
Well, it simply means that the stakes are higher. Multiply that obviousness we just spoke about by 100 for podcasters! With nothing else for listeners to focus on, they are subconsciously picking apart every aspect of your voice. Your voice is under more deliberate scrutiny than the average person’s because you quite literally put it out there for the world to hear. This can bring up feelings of fear, self-consciousness, and anxiety, and we all know that anxiety can lead to poor vocal performance! But don’t worry! That’s why I am here to help you with some actionable tips to improve your vocal confidence.
Tips for Finding Vocal Confidence as a Podcaster
Tip 1: Focus on vocal health
If you make sure your vocal technique is sound and secure and you are working with a healthy muscle, the chances of something going wrong vocally are reduced substantially. A large part of the reason people lose confidence in their voice is because they worry it will be unreliable or betray them when they need it most. They worry their nerves will make their voice sound weak during a job interview, they worry that their voice will crack when making a public speech, and podcasters may be concerned that their voice will get tired after recording for a long time, and start to sound weak or ‘thin’.
All of these concerns are valid. However, you can hedge the odds in your favor by prioritizing your vocal health. As a podcaster, your voice is one of your biggest assets. But it is also a muscle that you can train and strengthen. And if you are secure in your vocal health and hygiene, you can rely on your technical knowledge will carry you through. If you haven’t already, check out my previous blog post to help you improve your vocal health.
TAKEAWAY!
A well-trained voice is far less likely to succumb to negative circumstances! So the first step to building your vocal confidence is to focus on your vocal health.
Tip 2: Practice mindfulness and gratitude
Now, let’s talk about anxiety and vocal confidence. It’s totally normal to have anxious feelings before a big interview, or even when recording solo. But being overly anxious can have negative effects on your voice. Which, in turn, can give your vocal confidence a knock.
So, how do we deal with this? Self-consciousness and anxiety often creep up in moments when we are not present in our bodies and are imagining scenarios that haven’t even happened. Practicing mindfulness and gratitude can significantly lower anxiety, and this, in turn, can then improve your confidence.
Practicing mindfulness and gratitude allows you to remain present in the moment, focus on the positives, and enhance self-awareness. If you are more present in the moment, your nervous system regulates and you are able to cultivate a sense of self-contentment and self-assurance, therefore improving confidence.
A great habit to cultivate is to take some time to practice mindfulness before you next record an episode or sit down with that amazing guest. This will help you remain in the present moment, and prevent the anxiety monster from creeping up on you and your voice!
Bonus Tip!
Incorporate mindfulness and gratitude exercises into your daily routine!
It doesn’t need to take you long, just five minutes a day. I like to write down 5 things I’m grateful for each day and spend 10 minutes doing a check-in with my body to see how I’m feeling and to become mindful of my physical and emotional state. And over time, you should also find that this kind of mindfulness will greatly improve your overall vocal health as it teaches you to become more aware of how your voice feels.
Tip 3: Practice makes perfect!
I have heard so many people share their struggles with vocal confidence and one of the biggest pieces of advice I give is to ‘change the script’ and reframe the narrative about your vocal confidence Sometimes, you just need to trick your brain into believing that you are confident about your voice. And the best way to do that is to use affirming language and practice speaking confidently even when you don’t feel confident.
Don’t underestimate the power of practicing! The more you practice speaking slowly and clearly, the more confident you will appear to be. And therefore, the more confidence you will gain. When people lack confidence, they tend to speak faster and mumble a little, so practice doing the opposite. Before recording your next podcast episode, be sure to do an adequate vocal warm-up so that your voice is prepped and ready to go. You can even incorporate your daily mindfulness practice into this warm-up which will help you stay present and feel more in control of your voice.
Be sure to stand/sit up straight to ensure proper breath support while recording and focus on using a good amount of airflow as you speak. All of these rather technical steps will help you feel confident when recording your podcast. And the more you practice, the better you will get!
Let’s Get Your Vocal Confidence Back!
Building your vocal confidence as a podcaster is an imperative element to your show’s overall success! I can spend hours giving you tips and tricks to unlock your vocal potential. But at the end of the day, the most important factor is your belief in yourself. I know it’s not easy to build confidence but it is possible! And by implementing these three actionable steps, you will see improvement! Remember, this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon and consistent practice will bring you long-term results. I believe in you, now it’s time for you to believe in yourself!
