I liken getting ready to speak to getting ready to play a sport. You’ve gotta warm up.

Do you warm up your voice? If you don’t, you should. Your voice uses muscles and those muscles should be warmed up.

Here’s what I do to warm up:

• I drink a gentle tea, mostly green or chamomile. Lemon’s good too.
• I read a few pages of a book.
• I sing one of my favorite songs. The hole song.
• I dance or move for a few minutes.
• I do at least 10 minutes of breathing exercises.
• And then I drink the rest of my tea.

Don’t drink coffee or soda. Sugar is damaging to vocal chords.