Vocal Coach Secret: Your Vocal Problem Might Actually Be a Nervous System Problem
- Sara Scott McDowell
- 37m
- 5 min read
Vocal Coach Secret: Part 2
If you’ve been struggling with vocal fatigue, vocal strain, tightness, or inconsistency in your voice - especially on Sundays or during high stress seasons in either your personal life or the life of the Church (like Christmas or Easter) - I want to share something with you that most singers never learn:
Sometimes the root of your vocal issue isn’t vocal at all.
Sometimes the problem isn’t your technique…your vocal warmup...your vocal health...or your breath support...
…it’s your nervous system.
As a vocal coach and worship leader, I’ve seen this again and again - with clients and in my own journey.
Your Voice Responds to the Rest of Your Body and Life
Your voice is part of your body, not separate from it. So when you experience:
Anxiety
Depression
Exhaustion
Lack of sleep
Not enough downtime
Fight or flight
Nerves or stage fright
Overwhelm
Fear
Grief
Stress
Sensory overload
…all of that affects your voice, too.
And here’s something many singers never hear:
You can warm up perfectly, be optimally hydrated...and still struggle vocally...if your nervous system is going haywire.
Because even great technique isn’t enough if your body is operating out of a stress response.
My Story: Psalm 46:1 and the Year God Rebuilt My Peace and Reliance On Him
From the time I was a little girl, I've always been someone who has struggled with anxiety.
There have been times in my life where it's been easier to manage, and times it's been extremely difficult.
During one of the hardest seasons of my life, I spent nearly a year reading only one passage of Scripture:
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” - Psalm 46:1
It became the sliver of hope and steadiness that I stood on every single day.
Instead of going to my feelings, phone, music, coffee, distractions, noise, or anything else that promised comfort or familiarity, I began learning (again) how to run to my loving Heavenly Father first:
In desperation
In pain
In surrender
In confusion
In prayer
In worship
And He reshaped my mind, focus, and heart, revealing places I was clawing for control and comfort, but squeezing Him out in the process…
And wouldn't you know it, vocal fatigue lessened, my tone and pitch improved, and my voice felt free again.
And I’ve watched this same thing happen with my clients and worship ministry friends, too.
Before You Lead Worship…You Need to Calm Down
So here’s the secret that almost every worship leader needs to know:
A calm and regulated nervous system is one of the greatest vocal prep and worship leadership tools you can give yourself.
If you can shift out of anxiousness or “fight or flight” and into a more calm state before you sing and lead worship, you will, among other things:
✨ Activate your breath support more deeply
✨ Maintain an openness in your throat
✨ Improve vocal and physical stamina
✨ Release unnecessary tension
✨ Increase vocal control and breath control
✨ Experience and exude more confidence overall
✨ Reduce vocal fatigue
✨ Reduce vocal strain
✨ Improve pitch
And it only takes small shifts to create BIG vocal and leadership benefits.
Three Worship-Friendly Nervous System Reset Options
Below are some Nervous System Reset Exercises for you to try. These take just 1-3 minutes a piece, and you can use them:
Before your vocal warmups
Before rehearsal or run through
Before service
In the car
In the green room
Really any time you feel a stress response
1. Sustained Humming
A gentle, sustained hum can:
Downshift the nervous system
Help you focus your mind
Lessen throat and tongue tension
Help you focus your breath and pitch control
Improve resonance and placement
Try this:
Take a deep breath. Hum a mid to low gentle note for 10-20 seconds, rest, and repeat 3-5 times.
2. Box Breathing
Another fantastic option and especially helpful for:
Pre-service or pre-song nerves
Stage fright
Rapid breathing
Mental overwhelm and stress
There are different variations out there, but here's one I love to use:
Inhale 4 seconds
Hold 4 seconds
Exhale 5 seconds
Repeat until you feel a sense of peace and calm setting in
3. Worship Instead of Worry
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
This is Philippians 4:6-7. These verses are teaching us to bring the stuff that stresses us out, weighs us down, strikes our hearts with anxiety, to God. With "prayer...petition...thanksgiving..." Paul is urging us to trade our worry for worship!
Here's what you can do:
Close your eyes, breathe slowly, and let yourself take a few minutes to be quiet and still. When you're ready, pray something like:
“Lord, You are my safe place and my strength. Thank you for your presence, your wisdom, and your peace. I know You're with me whether I'm leading worship, resting at home, or out and about. My life, my mind, and my voice belongs to You.”
This shifts our focus from our stress or anxieties to Jesus.
This is worship.
And it will change the emotional and physical state you sing and lead from.
Why This Matters for Your Voice
When the nervous system is regulated, everything works better. When the inside is calm, the outside will follow.
If You’ve Been Struggling With Vocal Fatigue, Strain, or Inconsistency…
It may not be that:
Your vocal health is off
Your vocal technique is off
You're not doing vocal warmups enough
You’re “not good enough”
You lack talent
You’re doing something wrong
It may simply be that your body and mind are overloaded and need support.
And learning how to support your nervous system is just as much a part of vocal stewardship as:
Vocal Warmups
Vocal Technique
Breath Support and Posture
Hydration and Vocal Health
Want Help Strengthening Your Voice AND the Whole Person and Nervous System Behind It?
Inside The Worship Vocal L.A.B. we combine:
Vocal technique
Vocal health
Nervous system support
Scripture-based mindset
…so you can strengthen and improve your voice, and sing with:
✨Power ✨Control ✨Freedom ✨Confidence ✨Authenticity ✨Longevity ✨Less strain and fatigue
With Jesus at the center.
I'd love to walk with you and help you strengthen and improve your voice
If you want to explore coaching, ongoing training, and a community of other worship vocalists on the same journey…
Your voice matters. Let's steward it together.
About the Author
Sara Scott McDowell is a worship vocal coach, worship leader, and founder of The Worship Vocal L.A.B. She helps worship vocalists gain vocal freedom, strength, stamina, and confidence through vocal health, vocal technique, doable habits, and a faith-centered approach to vocal stewardship. After recovering from a partially paralyzed vocal cord and learning to lead multiple worship services with strength - not strain - she now equips worship leaders and worship singers around the world to sing better and safer.
