So, when during this past week I’d been suffering from fatigue, and a dull headache was making me slow, not for one minute did think something was brewing. Fine summer months and long sunny days had dispelled any notion of colds and coughs.  It didn’t dawn on me that my health and immune system were being challenged until I woke with that tell-tale scratchy feeling at the back of my throat. You see, I had totally missed those early signs.

Summer has been deliciously busy. Much of August was taken up with preparations for my daughter’s wedding. Well, making the wedding dress. No pressure! Since I am not one to shirk flying in the face of fear, I completed the dress with just hours to spare, intertwining dress-making and final fittings around moving my business forward in my entrepreneurial way.

September arrived and wedding euphoria subsided; my 10-day holiday with my grandson came to an end with the return of the honeymooners. At the first opportunity, I threw myself into my online business, probably anxious to make up lost hours. As a result, despite my intention of a more measured approach, it was all push, push, push to get things done. I was feeling tired – knew I had been working hard yet refused to recognise the inevitable consequences. Note to self: it is always important to give your health priority, especially when your body gives you the heads up!

My profession as a classically trained singer and the subconscious importance I attach to the onset of a potential cold prompted me directly to examine reality.

I am not a believer in reaching for anything from the medicine cabinet or necessarily rushing to the Chemist. First, I always look a little closer to home. When did I really first notice symptoms? What part of my regime had I allowed to slip? What had changed to compromise my normally robust health? And the answers were as follows:

Not enough sleep.

Not enough of the right food.

Not drinking enough water.

Not being mindful of the clock.

Not enough walking.

What a list! But, I reasoned with myself, it is that time of year – because as the season changes from summer to autumn, we can all be caught off guard.

Consequently, I took personal remedial action. I adjusted my work timetable and made sure I got more rest.

I uploaded a quick helpful video full of tips about alternative remedies on my YouTube channel. Decongestants and antihistamines are not always a good idea, because they can impede natural recovery as they make all that mucus more sticky and difficult to shift.

I posted tweets and shared articles especially relevant to other singers and professional voice-users such as teachers and public speakers.  

The most salient message here:

Boost your natural immunity with lifestyle choices and most of all learn to recognise when your body is giving you the ‘heads up’.