5 tips for talking wearing a medical mask

Even if on television we continue to see press conferences and interviews of people who do not wear protective medical masks, which, let’s recall it, are more a defensive barrier not to infect others than to prevent our contagion, anyone who has worn one will have immediately realized that he or she has problems breathing, talking and, above all, making himself or herself understood.

Among the hundreds of emails I receive daily, lately I receive more and more from people who find it difficult to talk and be understood through a medical or surgical mask. Clearly if you use a gas mask, speech becomes even more complicated. Don’t be fooled by Hollywood movies, fiction is always far from reality.

Clearly those who have a good vocal training background, will be able to emit sounds and articulate words much more effectively, even through a medical mask.

Usually those who try to talk for a long time through a medical mask find themselves with some inflammation of the phonatory apparatus, such as lowering of voice, hoarseness, or unpleasant tones or sudden changes in tone.

Since I’m very concerned about preserving vocal health, here are my five tips for talking while wearing a mask to defend yourself against the CoronaVirus outbreak:

1. Always breathe through your nose
   Since the air flow rate that passes through the mask, if well worn, is much lower than what you are normally used to, you unconsciously tend to breathe through your mouth.
   Well, it is good to continue to breathe through the nose both to warm and humidify the air that enters our lungs and to further filter the particles of fine dust or anything else that will pass through the mask.
2. Take slower, deeper breaths
   As we have seen through the mask, the air we can breathe into our bodies is less than usual. Since it is not possible to change one’s breathing attitude independently, it is good to try to take slower, that is to say, slower and deeper breaths, that is to say, filling the lungs more with air.
3. Just communicate the essentials
   When wearing a mask, at work or away from home, it is good to try to be as concise as possible. Avoid chatting about more or less, unnecessary topics or non-essentials. In this way, you will avoid going into apnea and staying out of breath.
4. Speak slowly
   Try to speak slowly, as if you were talking to a foreigner, spelling out all the words and trying to get the rhythm down. Imagine you are talking in a room with a loud reverberation, with a big rumble, wait until every word has reached its destination before pronouncing the next one.
5. Do not turn up the volume of your voice
   Many people unconsciously tend to increase their voice, partly because they no longer hear their own sound well from their ears, as it is muffled by the mask, partly because the other party communicates that they do not understand the message.

If you have any more questions, write them down here!

Trusted by the World's Best

Learn more about Inborn Voice
and Mylena Vocal Coach:

• 

  Free eBook!
  The Art of Keeping a Healthy Voice
  
  

  Take the opportunity to download one of Mylena Vocal Coach book "The art of keeping a healthy voice" for Free, a value of $14.99!

  The ebook includes: ● Mylena's Vocal Coach Five Golden Rules ● 28 Practical tips ● 25 Testimonials ● and much more!

  Learn more
• 

  The Way of the Voice
  A secret is hiding on everyone’s lips
  
  

  Milena cares so much about the well-being and expressiveness of people that she has already written more than one book on how to use voice and free human interpersonal skills. Her latest book, the way of the voice, explains in simple and understandable words what it is and how to tap into one's inborn voice to drastically improve one's way of expressing oneself and experiencing life.

  Learn more
• 

  Exclusive training videos
  available for Patrons only
  
  

  Milena continues to be a pioneer of digital media. In fact, she has just launched a new training service over the Patreon platform. For a small fee you can access exclusive training videos ranging from how to use your voice in acting to how to communicate in the financial world.

  Learn more
• 

  A real vocal coach
  finally on Youtube
  
  

  Until now it was impossible to find a real vocal coach on youtube. Mainly you find singing teachers or critics who do not teach anything handy or who, even worse, invite you to experiment with techniques that are dangerous for the health of vocal cords. Mylena Vocal Coach makes available on her channel real vocal coaching paths suitable for anyone who wants to improve expressiveness and communication skills.

  Learn more
• 

  Mylena runs Workshops
  all around the World.
  
  

  Maybe your call is not for one to one lessons, but one-day event. Then our Workshop will be your deal. We run Workshops all over the world in big cities like Milano, London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles.
  
  Please contact us to be among the first to know when the next event near you is scheduled. Eary birds save huge!

  Learn more