10 Things You Can Officially Stop Worrying About

I am a world class worrywart!

I worry about E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!  

Can you relate?

Researchers have studied worry for decades, and every year since 2007, money is the number one source of worry for people in the United States. But don't Americans worry about more than just cash?  I know I do! I'm pretty sure my worry list can go to  infinity and beyond. Thankfully, I found some easy ways to help me shorten that list. 

I saw this article in an email newsletter I received from The Chopra Center. After I read it, I realized that maybe even I, a championship worrier, can let go of a few of my worries. The article is funny and gives clear justification as to why we should stop worrying about these seemingly important things. It was just too good to keep to myself. I hope you enjoy it!

Not to Worry: 10 Things to Stop Worrying About

by: Martha Beck

Everywhere I turn these days, people are urging me to worry. “Restaurants are swarming with bacteria!” shouts a local news promo. “We’ll tell you what to beware of!” From the computer in my lap, a parenting blog warns, “There’s plenty to be anxious about.” Noting the pallor of my furrowed brow, a neighbor clucks, “I think you should be more concerned about your health.”

Friends, there are many areas in which I need encouragement, but worrying is not one of them. I worry the way Renée Fleming sings high Cs: Effortlessly. Loudly. At length. You may be similarly gifted, because worrying comes easily to a certain sub population of humans, namely those of us with pulses. We’re constantly creating new, worry-based strategies for living.

But worrying is worrisome: It’s stressful, and as we all know, stress will kill you. I worry about thata lot. So today I’m striking a tiny blow for sanity with my list of 10 things you can officially stop worrying about.

1. What’s on Your Plate

“If I can just finish this project,” says my ultra-busy friend Nancy, “I can stop worrying.” She’s said this every time I’ve ever spoken to her. No matter how much work Nancy finishes, by the time it’s done she’s fixating on a whole new crop of chores. In our achievement-obsessed society, this is “normal.” But I realized just how insane it is when a friend was dying of cancer. On her deathbed she managed to joke with me, “Hey, at least I only have one more thing on my to-do list.”

Instead of fretting about getting everything done, why not simply accept that being alive means having things to do? Then drop into full engagement with whatever you’re doing, and let the worry go.

“But,” you may be thinking, “I can’t just cut my anxiety loose! It isn’t under my control!” I empathize with this argument. I also know it’s bunk. To stop worrying about something, simply direct your attention toward something else. Personally, I like to interrupt my flow of worry by imagining—vividly—what I’d do if an elk walked into the room. See? Distraction works.

2. Needing Help

I used to be one of those people who spurned assistance—from other people, from God, from chemicals. Not anymore! These days—whether I’m begging for divine intervention, enlisting a fellow coach to help me overcome my aversion to email, or refilling the awesome prescription that helps me sleep no matter how disruptive my schedule—I pretty much walk around hollering, “Help wanted!”

Are my helpers crutches? You betcha. Mama needs crutches, and she doesn’t worry one little bit about using them. If you worry about needing what you need—a shoulder to cry on, a standing date with a shrink, whatever the shrink prescribes—come to Mama, and she’ll smack you upside the head with her crutches until that worry flies right out of your mind.

3. Your Children

There was a time when I spent many hours worrying about my kids. In fact, I was so worried my firstborn would feel unloved that I “soothed” her constantly, blasting the poor child with a fire hose of anxious energy. It’s a wonder she survived.

My second child, who arrived with an extra 21st chromosome, eventually led me to a shocking conclusion: We don’t actually have much control over the way our kids turn out. Genes do a lot of the deciding, and the owner of those genes does most of the rest. Some kids let parents have a great deal of influence; others don’t. Either way, people blossom when we love them, not when we worry about them. Worry just teaches worry. Let it go.

4. Your Face (and Hips, and Butt…)

As long as we’re on the subject of DNA, let’s take on the big kahuna of worries: our appearance. Ten bajillion product ads notwithstanding, your looks are another thing that’s basically genetic. Stressing about them only deepens the facial creases that make everyone in your family resemble perturbed bulldog puppies. Key phrase: everyone in your family.

Instead of obsessing over your own appearance, try noticing—and mentioning—beautiful things about everyone else. This will make people adore you, which, last time I checked, is what most of us are hoping to achieve by worrying about our looks in the first place.

5. What You Own

The trick here is learning to reframe your perspective. For example, my friend Kathy always lays a colorful towel over her expensive tablecloth before serving her twin 7-year-old granddaughters a snack. One of the twins recently said, “Grandma, you don’t need to worry about us spilling. Spills are just memories.” If you’d rather live surrounded by pristine objects than by the traces of happy memories, stay focused on tangible things. Otherwise, stop fixating on stuff you can touch and start caring about stuff that touches you.

6. Everything You’re Doing Wrong

I don’t know any perfect people, but I know many who worry about being perfect. They exercise religiously and serve their families home-cooked, organic free-range Tofurky recipes. They are unbearable.

I love the Buddhist concept of enlightenment as living without anxiety over imperfection. You can strain every fiber of your being trying to be flawless, only to face inevitable failure—or you can stop worrying about perfection, which instantly makes everything feel great. Save time and tofu: Choose option two.

7. The Past

I agree that your divorce settlement was a travesty of justice on par with the sack of Troy, that your last boss was abusive, and that you shouldn’t have calmed yourself with so many Cosmopolitans prior to testifying before Congress. I do not agree that worrying about it now will do any good.

The word worry comes from the Old English word wyrgan, meaning “to strangle.” When we fixate on something in the past, we grab our own histories by the throat, cutting off the flow of physical and emotional energy that keeps us fully alive. To start the flow again, look forward. Think how you can apply what you’ve learned. Let your divorce teach you to negotiate assertively, your horrible boss help you spot and avoid other creeps. Let the debacle at Congress send you to a 12-step meeting. Embracing the lesson always loosens the stranglehold of worry.

8. What People Are Saying About You Right This Very Second

People are always telling me elaborate stories about the elaborate stories other people are supposedly telling about them. “I know people mock my pain,” growls one client. “Everyone expects me to be strong,” says another. “You think I’m expendable,” sobs a wife, while her husband protests, “You think I’m a robot.” All of these people are wrong, but they’ve got company. We all worry what people think about us—until we decide not to waste the energy.

When I first started coaching, I noticed that I never worried what my clients thought of me. Why not? All my attention was focused on understanding them. I watched like a Martian observer, not a vulnerable peer. This took me out of worry mode, and it helped clients feel seen. By not worrying about what they thought of me, I accidentally ensured that they thought well of me.

Today, pretend you’re a Martian gathering data on humans. As you notice what they do and say without focusing on your fear of their opinions, you’ll feel less self-conscious, and they’ll feel the nonjudgmental attention they’ve always wanted from you. Win-win.

9. Your Account Balance

I have nothing against the globally sacred rite of worrying about money. Except this: People, it has no payoff.

I stopped worrying about money when I was unemployed and living on credit card debt. It wasn’t that my ship came in. It was just that I’d decided to try writing for a living, yet I was too worried to write. So I proactively pushed aside worry as I worked. Did I make money that day? No. Did I make money sooner because I stopped worrying? I think so. Did I enjoy my life more from that moment on, regardless of how much I had in the bank? Abso-freaking-lutely. Go about your business, whatever it is, with full energy. And drop the worry. Watch how much stronger your moneymaking skills become when you’re not dragging around a hefty load of anxiety.

10. Worrying

If your Spanx are now totally knotted from trying to stop worrying, it’s time to take a nice, cleansing breath. Aaahhhh. Remember point number six: We’re not after perfection here. If you’ve felt even a tiny release from worry while reading this list, you’re succeeding. That slight lessening of anxiety is all you need.

Wiggle your worries a little each day, and they’ll gradually lose their hold on you. Trust that you’re already counteracting the barrage of messages that tell us, every day, to worry, worry, and worry some more. Enjoy the liberating sense of bucking the cultural tide. And speaking of bucks, if you have further questions, please feel free to direct them to my elk.     (link to original article)

Are you ready to scratch these items off your list of things to worry about? I am, and I hope you are too!

Overcoming worry is definitely a process, but just like the article suggests, if you work at it a little each day, you'll gradually have fewer things to worry about. So, whether you're a professional worried about your job, a mom worried about your kids, or a speech pathologist worried about your patients, it will do you good to ease up on some of the worrying.


Worry does not empty tomorrow of its problems, it empties today of its strength.
Mary Englebreit 

6 Fast and Easy Ways for Students to Keep Up with Assignments, Projects and Tests

How an Electronic Device Can Help You 

Survive Back to School

High school is terrifying!

I realized this all over again when my son came home from  his first day of his freshman year at Veterans Memorial High School. 

In usual fashion, Coby was cool as a cucumber as we sorted through the pile of papers:

emergency cards, information sheets, the student handbook, et cetera..  All of these are things I've come to expect. No big deal.

When I came across the syllabus for his Algebra class, I got a little worried. 

Then, there was a syllabus for World Geography. Uh oh...anxiety rising now. 

Next, I found a syllabus for Biology.  At this point, I thought my head was going to explode!

Me:     O-M-G, Coby!  Have you looked at these?

Coby:  Looked at what?

Me:     The syllabuses  for your classes.

Coby:  No. 

Me:     Man oh man...these teachers mean business!

Coby:  How do you know?

Me:     It looks like all of them have a zero tolerance policy for accepting late assignments. 

Coby:  So?

Me:     So...if you don't turn in your work on time, you're gonna be racking up a bunch of zeros!

Me:     You've got to do a better job of keeping up with your assignments this year.

Coby:  Yeah. 

Me:     How are you going to remember to turn in your homework? 

Coby:  I'll just remember. 

Me:     5 out of 7 days you can't even remember that it's your job to feed the cat.

Coby:  I'll just remember. Don't worry.

Me:     It's my job to worry!  

Coby:  Maybe you can just follow me to school and turn it in for me?

Me:    I tell my patients all the time:  if you want to remember something, you've got to write it down!

Coby: Uh.....

Me:    We need to get you an assignment book.

Coby: That sounds complicated... and really old fashioned.

Old fashioned?  Me?  No way!  

That's when I decided I needed to think of a novel way to get that boy to keep up with his school work. Finally, it hit me....his tablet!

6 Fast and Easy Ways

 to Keep Up with Assignments, Projects and Tests

1.  Leave yourself a voice message- using a voice recorder app, you can simply speak the specifics of the project or assignment and then listen to them later. Example:  Math worksheet, problems 1 through 15, odds only. Due tomorrow.  As an alternative, if your electronic device is a cell phone, you can call yourself and leave a message.  No kidding, this really works!  Example:  "Hi!  Just calling to remind you there's a Spanish test tomorrow. Don't forget to study."

2.  Send yourself a text or email- it sounds weird, but you can do it and it's very effective...I've done it myself.  Example:  Remember to bring the signed student contract to Biology on Friday. As a suggestion, don't delete the message until the task has been completed. The presence of the message is a great visual reminder that you've got something to do.

3.  Take a picture- snap a shot of the information your teacher has written on the board.  This way, when you're back at home at the end of the day, there is no confusion about the assignment, the project, the material to study or the date of the test.  It's not a bad idea to take pictures of assignment rubrics and schedules for practices, club meetings,  games and special events.  While you're at it, snap a picture of your course syllabus- it has a lot of very important information you will need the entire school year.    Chances are, the pictures on an electronic device won't get lost or eaten by the dog,  and I can't imagine they would ever be left at school.

4.  Download an app- there are several great options for assignment book apps.   I recommend you check out My Homework app.  This particular app has so many features, I can't even list them all! It's pretty snazzy and does require quite a bit of data entry, but it is comprehensive and it's free. As long as  the use and maintenance of the app doesn't interfere with actually completing the assignments, it's a great choice. You can click here to learn more about other available homework apps.

5.   Set an alarm- using your clock app, schedule an evening alarm to remind you to study, to get going on your homework, to collect items for a project...whatever you need to do.  Alarm apps can be set up for single use or for Example:  Create an alarm for 8:00pm- Time to work on your research paper! Turn up the volume full blast and be sure to enable the snooze feature...just in case. 

6.  Mark it on the calendar-a calendar app is one of my personal favorites!  You can add an event, make a note or set a reminder for today, this week, this month, this year, or really, for anytime. On my calendar app, I can schedule anything I need to between now and December 31st, 2036. That's incredible!  Remember those pictures you were taking earlier? You can attach a photo to your scheduled event. Super cool!

These are just a few ways an electronic device (cell phone, tablet, iPod or iPad) can help kids keep up with the demands of school. Maybe your kids can "just remember" things, but I know mine can't. 

This weekend, Coby and I are going to go over these options so that he'll have a plan of attack come Monday. I'm determined to teach him to be responsible, one way or another. I suspect the novelty of using apps on a device will be just the thing he needs to avoid getting zeros for late work. 

I'll keep you posted!

Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.

William Shakespeare 

Get Focused on Good Grades Before Going Back to School

Get Ready. Get Set. Go Back to School!

Summer is winding down and a new school year is just around the corner. It's time to start preparing your students. Here are a few things parents can do to make sure their kids begin the new year focused and ready for success. 

1.  Examine where you’ve been: before moving forward, sometimes it's good to look back; take time to sit down with your child to discuss...

• Report cards- have another good look at last year's report card:  grades, conduct, attendance, GPA, credits earned, etc.; talk about academic strengths and weaknesses; if needed, work together to outline strategies for improvement

•  Test results- review results of any standardized testing with your kids; compliment them on their success but gently point out areas for improvement; work together to create a plan for catching up, if necessary

• What worked last year- brainstorm all of the habits, routines and activities that added to success during the previous school year; commit to continuing with those same habits

• What didn’t work last year- were you always rushing out the door? make a plan to adjust your morning routine; were assignments turned in late or projects completed the midnight before they were due? purchase a calendar or assignment book to keep track; there's a solution to every problem

2.  Take a look at what’s to come:  here are a few suggestions...

•  Back to school activities or meetings- check the calendar and mark important dates for orientation, meet the teacher, registration, booster club meetings, etc.

• School schedules- decide on your day to day routine: when to wake up, when to leave, etc; set out a plan for pick ups and drop offs; start now to make your arrangements for time off during school holidays

• Practices, games and meetings- as soon as possible, get a master calendar started, plugging in information for routine practices times, game dates and club meetings; it's much easier to maintain your sanity when you know where they are and what they're doing

• Logistics- discuss family responsibilities and set a plan for  transportation, before or after school child care and carpools

• Upcoming class schedules- talk about the challenges that a new school year and more advanced classes can bring; discuss the need for tutoring; review expectations for school performance; if you anticipate your student will need a schedule change, contact his counselor or adviser now; provide encouragement and be enthusiastic  

3.  Set goals and expectations for the new school year: every successful school year begins with a thoughtfully considered plan of attack...

• Help your student get clear about what they want to accomplish- better grades, fewer tardies, more organization

• Consider what you, as a parent, want your student to accomplish- more involvement with school sponsored clubs and activities; better study habits; taking steps toward career/ college planning

• New responsibilities- as children get older, they are more capable; help them grow and mature with new responsibilities:  household chores, meal preparation, waking up with an alarm clock

• Monitoring grades- inform your student that you will be monitoring their school performance by completing routine grade checks; set up weekly meetings to discuss what you find

• Study habits- set expectations for when and where your student will study and complete homework assignments; if necessary, prepare that space now

• Limits and boundaries- take time to get clear about your student's screen time privileges; establish limits for use of electronic devices; set curfews to keep things from getting out of hand; the beginning of a new school year is a wonderful time to make changes

        

4.  Get help from a professional: when it comes to strategies for academic success, students may be more receptive to advice that comes from an expert.  

For this reason, Spontaneous Speech Coach is offering a series of new workshops for students who want to get focused on good grades and success at school.

Designed to assist middle school, high school and college students, these workshops build key academic skills: 

• Time Management
• Prioritization
• Organization
• Concentration
• Motivation
• Socialization

Learning how to develop these skills now helps students stay on track all year long. 

We'll begin hosting workshops in September, and will be sending out specifics regarding dates and times in the next few weeks.  Stay tuned!

Who do you know that might benefit?  Please share this information with friends and family that are preparing students to... get ready, get set, go back to school!

Education is a shared commitment between dedicated teachers, motivated students and enthusiastic parent with high expectations.
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Back to School Organization: Launch Pads and Landing Zones

We're just a few days away from from the first day of school.  If you're a parent, you've got a lot on your mind! Here's a quick list of things to do before school starts to make sure you, your kids and your home are prepared.

10 Things For Parents to Do 

Before the First Day of School

1. Have a supply of desperation dinners; stock the freezer with convenience meals
2. Start working on the routine for waking up and going to bed- it won't be easy, but it will be worth it
3. Get all of the laundry done and begin sorting- out with the old, to make room for the new
4. Declutter and streamline- office, bedroom, bathroom
5. Get everyone looking good- hair cuts, clean teeth, new glasses
6. Get them cleared with the doctor- physicals and immunizations
7. Get to work on a family calendar- start marking holidays, practices, games
8. Synchronize- review the back to school plan with spouse, kids, important people in your life
9. Begin back to school shopping- clothes, school supplies, lunch items
10. Create a launch pad and landing zone

Launch Pads and Landing Zones

Creating a launch pad and landing zone for my home with something I never really thought of until I was educating a patient about memory compensatory strategies. It's a suggestion SLPs make very often:  keep things in a predictable location. 


Putting things in a designated location makes it easy for you to find them if your memory is an issue. Likewise, putting things in a specified location can help an entire family function more efficiently.  

It's really pretty simple: designate an area, give it a catchy name and begin the training process. 

Here's how it all started for me.

The three square feet surrounding the front door of  our home was out of control. There was a mound of shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, jackets and clothes that collected there. With a family of six, that usually meant at least 12 shoes, 4 backpacks, 2 lunch boxes, 5 jackets, 3 baseball caps, and an odd assortment of socks.   During sports seasons, it could mean 4 additional gym bags, 8 more shoes, a collection of balls and, most likely, a few helmets.

After tripping over the pile one day, I was determined  to create a system of keeping the doorways and hallways free of clutter.  

Now, in a hallway not far from the front door, we have 4 wall hooks to hang backpacks, lunch boxes and jackets. Additional gear and shoes can be placed neatly on the floor under the hooks. 

Voila…the landing zone!

Wanting to capture all of the things that are easily misplaced, I added a few more things. There's a key box on a table near the front door. That's the landing zone for keys and sunglasses. There's a basket near my desk that serves as the landing zone for incoming mail.  A bin in the kitchen serves as a landing zone for important school papers. The kids know this is the designated drop spot to for permission slips, project information sheets and fund raiser order forms, etc.


The creation of our landing zone made it easy to establish a launch pad.  It's essentially the same, just done in reverse order. In the morning, kids know exactly where to find shoes, lunch boxes, back packs, lunch money and school materials before they head out the door.


Not only are the kids able to find their things without asking for my help, everyone gets out of the house faster in the morning.  As an added bonus, I can't recall a single time last year I had to drop off something at school because it was forgotten at home.

 V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

Whether you're pressed for time, up to your eyeballs in clutter or having a senior moment, creating a landing zone and launch pad for your family is a super idea. Get started organizing your space for efficiency today, and you'll be off to a good start when school begins. 


Organization isn't about perfection, it's about efficiency, reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money, and improving your overall quality of life. 
Christine Scalise

10 Good Reasons to Stop Mouth Breathing NOW

Become a Better Breather

Is your child a mouth breather?

If normal nasal breathing is not possible, the body must resort to mouth breathing. If you’ve ever had a stuffy nose due to a cold or allergies, temporary mouth breathing may have been the only option.

When mouth breathing becomes habitual, however, the muscles of the face and mouth do not function properly. Underdeveloped oral muscles begin to cause problems. 

The effects of prolonged mouth breathing range from inconvenient to serious. Here are 10 good reasons to stop mouth breathing NOW:

1.  Problems with speech and breathing- sounds are incorrectly produced or misarticulated; the size of nasal passages are changed; decreased oxygen intake is common

2.  Difficulties with chewing and swallowing- biting and tearing food is difficult because of the forward position of the teeth; abnormal swallowing patterns are likely

3.  Undesirable appearance- many people find an open mouth posture less attractive and less socially acceptable 

4.  Abnormal facial and dental development- teeth protrude, palate is high & narrow, lower jaw is recessed; the shape of the face (jaw, tongue, nose, cheeks) may be permanently changed

5.  Cavities and gum disease- all that air is bad for your teeth; the pH of saliva elevates and causes cavities

6.  Chronic fatigue due to poor sleep- mouth breathing is associated with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea

7.  Poor physical growth-  delays of skeletal growth are apparent

8.  Postural problems and spinal issues-  an open mouth is commonly associated with a slumped posture; abnormal curvature of the spine and altered shoulder posture results; problems are also typically seen in hips, knees and feet 

9.  Weak academic performance- a chronic lack of oxygen and poor sleep yields diminished concentration for learning and behavior issues at school

10. Interference with the results of orthodontic treatment- braces may solve the problem but they do not fix the problem...if mouth breathing persists, the teeth will shift back

   

Without a doubt, mouth breathing is a habit that must be changed because of its serious, lifelong effects.  Correction of a mouth breathing habit takes time, practice and skilled intervention. Talk to your medical or dental professional to see if a consultation with a speech-language pathologist is in order. When properly trained, healthcare professionals, like speech pathologists, can use myofunctional therapy to correct open mouth postures that lead to mouth breathing.  


Using myofunctional therapy, clients can strengthen and retrain oral muscles so that nasal breathing becomes natural and habitual. By making a commitment, in a few short months, you can improve your appearance, health and quality of life by becoming a better breather. 

Breathing and thinking are the two most important processes- one for sustaining life and the other for giving it purpose.
Tasneem Hameed

The Dos and Don'ts of Good Vocal Hygiene

Friends Don't Let Friends

Abuse Their Voices

A few years ago, when I was in college, I took a class on voice disorders.  Like most classes in LSU's Department of Communication Disorders, this class was made up of about 45 girls. Three times a week, we gathered for an hour to hear our professor, Dr. Hoffman, talk about the human voice.

I kind of hated that class. Here's why:

In the beginning, we looked at tons of pictures of vocal cords. This is what normal vocal cords look like.  I was shocked! Even after all of these years,  I still think they're pretty creepy.  

Once we mastered the basics of vocal fold anatomy in pictures, we watched hours of videos of vocal cords in vibration. If you have two minutes, watch the entire video, or if you just want to see the good stuff, skip the first 33 seconds and get straight to the action. 

 I don't know about you, but a little bit of that goes a long way for me.

Eventually, we learned that  things can get ugly and weird when gross stuff starts to grow on your vocal folds. This could happen to you if you don't use your voice the right way. 

Creepy, ugly, weird and gross... I rest my case.

To make sure this never happens to you, it's important to take care of your voice by using good vocal hygiene.  Here are 22 tips for keeping your voice healthy. 

The Dos and Don'ts 

of 

Good Vocal Hygiene

Do...

• drink plenty of water- this keeps your vocal cords hydrated and working smoothly

• eliminate or reduce smoking- inhalation of these chemicals is irritating to the throat

• eliminate or reduce alcohol- it increases stomach acid production and causes reflux

• eliminate or reduce caffeine- it dehydrates and causes reflux 

• control vocal loudness- speak at a comfortable volume, move closer to your listener if you need to be louder

• monitor vocal use- talking or singing for extended periods is abusive and causes damage

• take a break- give your voice time to rest after extended periods of use

• humidify the environment- adding moisture in the air is a good thing

• turn off ceiling fans at night- the continuous circulation of air can be drying during sleep

• speak at a comfortable pitch- a pitch that is too high or too low causes vocal strain...and sounds funny

• reduce excessive  talking- nonessential talking causes extra wear and tear on your voice

• use a microphone when addressing a large group- you can maintain a normal volume this way

• take it easy- there shouldn't be any strain or effort in the neck while speaking

• use a voice that is optimal for you- a speech pathologist can help you determine exactly that that sounds like

Don't...

• cough or clear your throat in a frequent or habitual way- it's annoying, and if you do it too often, it causes damage to your vocal cords

• scream or yell- these are the most common causes of vocal abuse

• whisper- it's more abusive to your voice than screaming or yelling

• yell to get someone's attention- go to them instead, face to face communication is always best

• talk over the noise in a loud place- turn down the volume or leave if you have to

• breathe through your mouth- air cannot be warmed or filtered if it goes straight to your throat

• make funny noises or use funny voices- they often require unusual use of pitch and volume  

• use products or take medicine that dry the mouth or throat- some mouthwashes, decongestants and allergy medications can release fluids from body tissues, including the vocal cords; a dry mouth and throat are not only uncomfortable, they can cause voice problems

These suggestions are meant to guide you in taking care of your voice. If used consistently, they may even prevent voice problems. Following these good vocal hygiene practices will make you feel better and sound better too!

If you or someone you know has or suspects a voice disorder, talk to your doctor. A referral to a speech pathologist may be just what you need. 

The human voice is the organ of the soul.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow