Introduction (important).
Want to speak louder naturally? Try this 30-day challenge to learn to speak louder. I created this challenge because I see so many tips online which are pretty good, but they lack structure, aren’t practicable & fail to emphasize the essential skill you need to work on to develop a louder voice: speaking from your diaphragm.
This challenge will step-by-step help you undo all the bad habits you’ve accumulated over the years and make it effortless for you to speak from your diaphragm. How does speaking from your diaphragm make you louder? Here’s the rationale:
The rationale.
When you breathe in using your diaphragm, you draw air into the lower lobes of your lungs, which are located in the lower part of your chest. Compared to the upper lobes, they have a larger surface area and can take in more air, which gives extra power to your voice when you speak. Making your voice significantly louder. This is how you’re supposed to fully engage your respiratory system while talking.
Plus, diaphragmatic breathing allows you to better control your breath, creating more pressure in your lungs and vocal cords, which creates a stronger and more resonant sound. Improving your overall vocal quality and projection.
Also read:
Days 1-5
The first five days of this plan will teach you how you’re supposed to feel while breathing from your diaphragm. The tasks will get harder each day.
To get started, download an interval timer app that accurately guides you on when to inhale and when to exhale. You can create an online timer here or you can download this app or this app on Android and this app or this app on iOS.
- Set your inhale timer to 3 seconds, and your exhale timer to 4 seconds for the first day.
- Stand or sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground and your shoulders relaxed.
- Take a deep breath in through your nose and feel your belly expand, making sure only your belly is moving, and your shoulders and chest don’t move much. Initially, you can keep one of your hands on your belly and the other one on your chest to make sure you’re breathing properly.
- It’s important to avoid forcing or holding your breath, as this can lead to tension and strain in your vocal muscles. This can happen when you try to inhale or exhale for too long or too forcefully. When you force your breath, you may feel a sense of tightness or discomfort in your chest or throat.
- As you exhale through your mouth, imagine that you are gently pulling your belly button back towards your spine.
- You may feel a slight contraction of the muscles in your abdomen while doing this.
- When you exhale, allow your breath to flow out smoothly and steadily, without trying to push the air out forcefully. Do this exercise for 5–10 minutes.
Day 2: the same as day 1.
Day 3: inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 4 seconds using the same rules. Again, doing it for 5–10 minutes.
Day 4: inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds. Everything else remains the same.
Day 5: inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds. Everything else remains the same.
Days 6-10
From day 6 to 10, you’ll start speaking as you exhale from your diaphragm. You’ll also do other exercises to engage your diaphragm more, helping you speak louder. Here are the steps for the former:
- Set the inhale timer to 3 seconds and the exhalation timer to 5 for day 6.
- Stand or sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground and your shoulders relaxed.
- Initially, you can put one of your hands on your chest and the other on your belly to make sure you’re breathing correctly.
- Inhale slowly through your nose and feel your belly expand as you breathe in. Make sure your shoulders and chest don’t move much.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth, while imagining that you are gently pulling your belly button back towards your spine. As you exhale using your diaphragm, try to make a sound, like a long “ahhh” or “oooh”.
- Repeat this exercise for 5–10 minutes.
- Again, avoid forcing your breath. When you force your breath, you may feel a sense of tightness or discomfort in your chest or throat, and your voice may sound strained or shaky. Your exhalation should be smooth and steady, allowing you to control your voice and create a more resonant sound.
Day 7: Today you’ll do vocal sirens. Vocal sirening is a vocal exercise that involves smoothly transitioning between different pitches using a continuous vocal glide. It can be a useful exercise for developing diaphragmatic engagement and improving vocal projection.
While doing this exercise, always breathe in using your diaphragm & pay attention to engaging your diaphragm while doing the sirens. Do this exercise for 5–10 minutes. Here’s how:
Day 8: Today you’ll do lip trills. This exercise requires a controlled and steady airflow to sustain the vibration of the lips & encourages diaphragmatic engagement and proper breath support. By maintaining a consistent airflow, you develop better breath control and support, which are essential for producing a strong, supported voice.
Breathe in using your diaphragm like you did previously for as long as you like and try to keep the lip trills going for long. Pay attention to engaging your diaphragm and feeling the support it provides for your exhalation (lip trills). Do this exercise for 5–10 minutes. Here’s how:
Day 9: Today you’ll hum using your diaphragm like you previously did with all exercises. Hum for 5–10 minutes today, making sure your hums are long. Here’s a tutorial:
Day 10: Choose any of the two exercises from days 6-9 and do both of them one after the other, 5–10 minutes each.
Days 11-15
Part 1:
The exercise remains the same as day 6 but now while exhaling instead of saying “ahhh” or “oooh”, you’ll say a 5-word sentence. Don’t forget to exhale using your diaphragm, imagining you’re gently pulling your belly button back towards your spine.
For example, you can say “I am breathing out right now” while exhaling. You can repeat the same four words or change them to anything you’d like. It’s recommended to use your own language to speak, or at least use different languages if you’re multilingual.
Inhale for 3 seconds and exhale and speak for 4 seconds for day 11. Make sure the five-word sentence doesn’t end before the timer. Clarity and practicality aren’t our priority right now.
Part 2:
Now, you’ll add another task to this challenge: speaking to someone 5% louder than you usually do. Forget about speaking from your diaphragm for this part.
You have to do it 3 times (to three different people) on day 11. Speaking one sentence to one person counts as a rep. The person needs to be different each time.
For example, the next time shop for something, remind yourself to say something to someone while being 5% louder. A sentence needs to be more than two words at least, for the rep to count. Just saying “OK” won’t count.
The rationale behind this part is to get used to not being soft-spoken anymore. Even if you have enough power behind your voice, you could be quiet just because you’re not used to speaking up. There may be underlying reasons for being soft-spoken, like shyness or insecurity.
So, think of this challenge as a beginning to tackle those problems as well. However, those problems shouldn’t be our main focus right now. I’d like to make a 30/60-day challenge for those problems as well in the future.
Day 12: For part 1, take a deep diaphragmatic breath (without causing any discomfort in your throat) and count from 1 to 10, gradually increasing your volume with each count. Focus on your diaphragm supporting you while counting. Repeat this exercise for 5–10 minutes.
For part 2, do the same as on day 11.
Day 13: inhale for 4 seconds, and exhale for 5 seconds. Saying a six-word sentence now.
For part 2, say 4 sentences to 4 different people now, while being 5% louder. Everything else remains the same.
Day 14 & 15: inhale for 4 seconds, and exhale for 6 seconds while singing a song using your diaphragm. Repeat for 5 minutes. No part 2 today.
Days 16-20
Part 1:
On day 16, set the inhale timer to 5 seconds, and the exhalation timer to 6 seconds. While just saying one word and extending it to match the time of 6 seconds. Change the word with each rep.
Do this exercise for 5 minutes.
Part 2:
For the second part of the day’s exercise, you’ll only need to speak to one person this time while being 5% louder. However, you’ll have to say more than 5 sentences to them for the task to be complete.
Day 17: Inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds, saying a seven/eight-word sentence. You’ll have to slow down words to match the length of the timer.
For the second part, talk to 2 people, this time while being 5% louder. Saying more than 7 sentences approximately to each person.
Day 18 & 19: same as day 17.
Day 20: Set the inhale timer to 4 seconds, and the exhale timer to 4 seconds. From now on, you’ll be reading a paragraph from a book or an article while you exhale using your diaphragm. Make sure the text is kept at your eye level, like you’re talking to a person face to face. Once your exhale timer ends, breathe in for 4 seconds (the length of your inhale timer) through your nose (like always) and continue reading in the similar way during your exhale time. Read slowly!
Do this for 5 minutes.
For the second part, talk to 3 people while being 5% louder, saying more than 5 sentences at least to complete the task.
Days 21-25
Part 1:
Inhale for 4 seconds and exhale and read for 5 seconds. Do it for 5 minutes.
Part 2:
While talking to someone, now your challenge is to make yourself heard to one person other than the one you’re talking to.
For example, if you’re talking to a cashier and a person is waiting behind you, make sure your conversation is heard by the person behind you.
How much of the conversation? 5 sentences for day 21. Sentences can’t be shorter than 2 words.
This challenge will be hard to pull off, and you might have to go out just to complete it. Don’t give up.
Day 22: Stand in front of a mirror and speak toward it, imagining that you are projecting your voice to the back of a large room. Inhale for 4 seconds and exhale and speak/read for 5, using your diaphragm, obviously. Repeat for 5 minutes.
Part 2 stays the same as day 21.
Day 23: Use a straw to practice speaking and projecting your voice. This helps create resistance, strengthening your breath support and vocal muscles. Remember to engage only your diaphragm both while inhaling and exhaling. Do this exercise for 5 minutes.
Part 2 stays the same as day 21.
Day 24: Recite tongue twisters with clear articulation and gradually increase your volume. Try different tongue twisters. Remember to keep the book/smartphone at your eye level while reading. Breathing in for 4 seconds using your diaphragm and exhaling and reading for 4–8 seconds.
Part 2 stays the same as day 21.
Day 25: Same as day 21.
Days 26-30
Part 1:
While speaking to people today, inhale using your diaphragm before speaking for 2–3 seconds, and then speak using your diaphragm till you run out of breath. Repeat it for 5–10 minutes.
You can do this exercise while talking on your phone with someone or face-to-face.
Part 2:
While talking to someone, make sure two other people hear your conversation with the person you’re talking to. Two sentences spoken and heard would complete the task for day 26.
Day 26 to 29: repeat day 26.
Day 30: this being the last day, will have to be the most difficult. For the first part, do the same exercise shown for day 26, but twice for 5 minutes, at different times.
For the second part, make sure two people other than the person you’re talking to hear your conversation. A conversation with at least 4 sentences spoken.
Do this 3 times for the last day. The person you’re directly talking to has to be different each time.
Conclusion.
If you’ve completed the challenge, congratulate yourself. I’m sure your voice is significantly louder and stronger now. This challenge most likely will’ve taken you more than 30 days to complete, which is a good thing.
Hope you’ve found this challenge valuable. Subscribe to our newsletter to get notified each time we post something. More unorthodox tactics are coming!
