TOP TIPS
I always get asked what my top tips are for maintaining health during long sessions.
So I have gathered a few of my favorites..
1: Hydrate Not just a swig - like REALLY hydrate the night before, in fact the whole DAY before! And drink soothing warm tea before and after a session. I had an extreme vocal session with Michael Schwalbe recently and he went into detail about this. Highly recommend booking a session with him OR Nic Redman who is an absolute queen on all things vocal. 2: Rest The day before and also in between sessions. Don't be scrolling social media or the news and getting all wound up. You will destroy your chemical balances which is detrimental to being able to effectively do vocal work. Rest. Walk. Hydrate. Do something restorative then return back to the session. 3: Prep Prep the manuscript, make a sound file of all the characters so you can refer back to it easily. Take time as this is important. Send your author a welcome pack, get all the accents, pronunciations and more nailed down from the outset. 4: Airplane Mode Turn off your phone, let everyone know you are deep in your session. Immerse yourself and enjoy the process. Shut off any outside noise… the dog, the kids, nothing else matters right now. Listen to your body, your voice and let those guide you. 5: Jane Fonda Eh?? Yeah - right. Be like Jane…If you have ever seen her she is all about bending and stretching. Seriously get one of her videos, I dare you to do it in a 1980's leotard and tights (photos or it didn't happen…) So - bend and stretch and touch your toes. And also do cardio and focus on your breath control and how you are breathing. Be like an opera singing. Deep breath in… Don't forget you can check me out on "the gram", head to the profile, click on the link and grab yourself a code or two for a free book.
DONUT WORRY
Wouldn't life be good if we could just eat donuts everyday? Instead I bring you my 5 top tips… and if you want to make it 6, add in a fresh donut, the smell will make any worry disappear! FIVE TOP TIPS As a busy mummy of three children, well, four if you count my little Maltese puppy “Cassie Bear”, and a small business owner, I like many others need all the help I can get to manage my days effectively and hopefully stress free. So here is my gift to you - my top 5 life saving tips (ok dramatic somewhat!) 1: Always make your bed Your room will look tidier, you will feel better, and when it is time for bed you can jump straight in without having to wrangle tidying the bedclothes. Yes I am aware this sounds pointless and a pitiful excuse for a life saving tips, but I can promise you it is super handy. Because what happens is you make your bed, open your curtains and as you walk through the house before you know it its tidy. Trust me! If you do only one thing, make your bed, oh and open your windows… I can't understand how people can sleep with windows closed. I need arctic air blowing on me all night long 2: Prepare your coffee the night before So when you come downstairs bleary eyed you can just press start, no measuring, no hassle… and on this score get your clothes out the night before so you don't have to umm and aaaah about what to wear and do the same for the kids too (yes I am well aware we are all in yoga pants right now…). Likewise I like to have my coffee station ready to go with my coffee, honey, mugs, sugar etc all to hand so no need to bash around at 5:45 waking up the house. 3: Fill little snack boxes with pre cut fruit and veg sticks Suffice to say having boxes of food ready to eat is a lifesaver in my house! I boil lots of eggs, peel and leave those in the fridge, little pouches of smoothies, cheese strings all in one easy to reach place. I prepare eggs bites with peppers and tarragon, pop them in a chill box, they just need a zap in the microwave. I will share my fridge and recipes another time. Basically anything that my kids can grab from the fridge easily is a winner. 4: Boxes for grocery shopping and use the scanner Put two large boxes in your trolley and as you walk around Whole Foods or wherever you shop you can scan and load up. No wasting time in the checkout queue to unload and bag up. 5: Serve mixed platters of food This is my favorite tip. At a party I almost always serve my food on platters, piled high so people can tuck in. It looks pretty and saves on washing up, as instead of random selections in hundreds of serving dishes you have it all on big wooden platters. I actually use big trays or old mirrors (as long as they are clean and uncracked…) and I serve veg sticks and piles of yummy tzatziki, and babaganoush this way too it won't overflow as you build a wall of veg sticks and cheese. Likewise with cocktails I serve them in big pitchers rather than a dainty one at a time. I love making them in bulk - I guess that is the event planner in me. What tips do you have to share…?
Charlie xo