Humming to Beat Nervousness AND Strengthen Your Voice

5 ways humming is good for your voice

Have you ever found yourself humming absentmindedly while doing something like tidying up, walking, drawing or cooking? You might have been doing something surprisingly good to calm yourself down naturally. It is not just a simple expression of mood, because humming has real physiological and psychological benefits. From improving breathing, calm and immunity to strengthening your voice, this small habit can have a big impact.

Here are five science-backed reasons I found that argue that you should make humming part of your daily routine - and not just for public speaking.

1. It Improves Breathing and Lung Function

Humming naturally slows down your breathing and lengthens your exhalations. This helps regulate oxygen and carbon dioxide balance in the body, supporting calmer and more efficient breathing. It’s also a gentle way to strengthen respiratory muscles — which comes in handy for singers and yoga practitioners.

Try this: Breathe in through your nose, then hum softly as you exhale for as long as comfortable. Notice how your breathing deepens without effort. You can also check out my youtube video where I explain humming and guide you through an exercise.

2. It Activates the Vagus Nerve and Promotes Relaxation

The vibration created by humming stimulates the vagus nerve — a key player in your parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) system. When activated, this nerve helps lower heart rate, reduce stress hormones, and promote a sense of calm. In short, humming tells your body: You’re safe. You can also compare it to a cat purring.

3. It Increases Nitric Oxide Production

Research shows that humming can increase nitric oxide levels in your nasal passages by up to 15 times compared to normal breathing. Nitric oxide is like a natural vasodilator, improving circulation and supporting immune defense in the respiratory tract. This is able to reduce inflammation and even protect against certain infections.

4. It Enhances Focus and Mood

Humming creates nice vibrations that can trigger the release of endorphins and serotonin — your body’s “feel-good” chemicals. This not only elevates your mood but also improves concentration. Humming or chanting before meditation can also help you settle the mind and sharpen attention.

5. It Relieves Sinus Congestion and Improves Voice Resonance

The sound waves from humming promote airflow in the nasal passages and sinuses, which helps to relieve congestion and sinus pressure. If you hum regularly, it also improves vocal tone, resonance, and clarity — which is excellent preparation for public speaking.

The Takeaway

Humming is such an amazing anti-nervousness tool. It requires no special equipment, no training, and can be done anywhere. You can use it as a mindfulness practice, a breathing exercise, or just something that makes you feel good. So humming is a powerful way to support your overall wellbeing.

If you want to already start working on becoming a confident public speaker, you can book a 30 min coffee chat with me or check out my online courses.