Articulate: What Does Your Voice Say?

Last week there was an interesting finding out of MIT indicating that COVID-19 is detectable in speech patterns (article here). This wasn't the first time we've heard of this potential as there are studies at Carnegie Mellon and in the UK. Nor is this shocking. Still, I love to see scholarship pointed in this direction.

If you've been around for a while you've heard me say, "The voice is a tattle-tale." This is an immutable truth.

The voice transmits your emotional state, your intention, and your authenticity with ease. It is also exceptionally good at indicating your physical state. In the sound of your voice, we experience an expression of your current condition. In fact, your entire body is making sounds that, to the trained ear, tell the story of your health and history. The implications for diagnosis and maintenance of our overall health are huge.

If you heard me speak this morning, you would hear that I didn't sleep well last night. You would also hear that my right foot hurts and that I am stressed. Though you wouldn't know the specific sources of the pain and stress in my voice, you'd hear it.

The point is that your voice is transmitting so much into the room that to ignore it is akin to closing your eyes and believing you are invisible. Besides there so much to be gained by accepting and engaging with the capabilities of the voice. A good place to start is to listen deeply, to get familiar with your sounds.

What does your voice say?