The benefits of laughing on our bodies and voice

It’s the season of goodwill and Father Christmas is soon to arrive with his sleigh full of special treats. But why does he say ‘Ho, ho, ho!’? Perhaps it’s about his general air of relaxation and happiness… and it’s Santa’s relaxed state that we should adopt if we’re about to perform.

Muscles in your body and especially in your larynx (voicebox) can tense up if you are about to perform a speech. Tension in your body can manifest in the quality of your voice, restricting how it carries, how it resonates. Finding out how to relax your body and therefore improve your vocal performance can pay dividends. A good way to begin is to do the following Christmas exercises (five to ten times through):

Stand in front of a mirror. Screw up the muscles in your face so you look as though you’ve been chewing a lemon! Then relax and quickly open your mouth and eyes wide and stick your tongue out, looking like a lion’s roar.

Give a big wide grin; so wide the sides of your mouth almost reach your ears. Relax and blow out the air between your loose lips making a tractor sound.

Think of a great joke. My short, clean and memorable joke is “What did the zero say to the eight? ….. Nice belt!” Give a wide smile and create the sound, ‘Ha ha ha ha ha!” Breathe in and repeat with ‘Ho ho ho ho ho!’ Then, ‘Hee hee hee hee hee!’ (try seriously to get into it!) Remember great jokes you have heard before and repeat them out loud, looking into the mirror and laughing as described above.

After a short time you will begin to relax and give a big genuine grin to yourself. Try it with a group of friends during a night out. According to research we’re 30 times more likely to laugh at something when we are with other people.

We are also more likely to laugh when we hear someone laughing in an inappropriate situation. A classic example is newsreader Charlotte Green attempting to read the news live on BBC Radio 4 whilst desperately trying to suppress a fit of the giggles

You should be nice and relaxed now, ready to speak. A Merry Christmas to you!