***Stop Yelling - Start Projecting

Trying to run a business from your home with children underfoot requires that you are in control of them, of yourself, and of your business as well. That control is much more likely when you can use your voice to keep your kids in line. But it doesn’t mean yelling at them.

In raising my two sons, I never yelled at them – I projected. What is the difference? Yelling or shouting hurts your throat and your listeners’ ears. Projection, on the other hand, does not damage your vocal folds (cords) or throat, is not painful to your children’s ears, and keeps you in control. It works!

Projection is only possibly, however, if you learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm and use your chest cavity to power your sound. More than likely, you are relying
on your other four resonators when you speak. Those resonators include the cavities of your voice box (larynx), throat (pharynx), mouth and nasal passages. The problem for the majority of the population is that they are unaware of and not using their chest cavity as their 5th and largest resonator in the production of voiced sound. The result is an often strident and shrill voice that, when increased in volume, becomes only more strident and more shrill.

When I was coaching Ulf Samuellson, the former Pittsburgh Penguin, he found that he was no longer hoarse when coaching his son’s hockey team after he learned how to project his voice. He further remarked that he wished he had known this technique when he had been playing professionally. Hockey arenas as well as most other athletic fields and auditoriums are loud venues. To be heard you need to be able to project your voice, not yell.

Coaches, teachers, trainers, aerobics instructors, politicians, clergy, public speakers, and, most definitely, moms can gain a tremendous amount of control if they learn the techniques for projecting the voice. When aerobics first came into fashion 30 years ago, it was predicted that lower limb would be the number one injury for the instructors. They found, however, that their fears were wrong. The number one injury for aerobics instructors is damage to the vocal folds which results in a high turnover for that particular business.

Another marvelous benefit of projection is that it does not sap your energy. Yelling requires a lot of effort; whereas, projection takes much less work. And, because of the breathing and the massive size of the chest cavity in propelling your sound, you will discover a wonderful control over your voice – as well as your stress – that you have never experienced before.

If you want the upper hand when you need your children to mind you, stop shouting at them, start projecting!