I’m not even trying to sound like a different gender and it’s still hard as fuck (I want/need to train my voice because it’s very noticable how much my voice and general speaking skill deteriorates when I don’t use it for days at a time, which is the norm for me).

Voice training is so frustrating at the start, but sooo worth it (for me anyway). I had no idea how much dysphoria it would alleviate. In my experience, when people are on the fence about how to gender you, they use your voice as a tie-breaker.

But yeah, the early stages suck. It can feel even more dysphoric in the beginning because of how uncomfortable it feels. But it really does get better with practice. Consistency is key. 5 min 4 days in a row is way better than one 20 session.

Also, you probably already know this, but taking a sip of water will clear your throat and it’s way better for your voice.

Idk if I’m preaching to the choir here but in case you don’t know, clearing your throat is actually counterproductive to your voice efforts as it fucks w your vocal folds (according to my voice therapist). She did have advice on how to relax and “reset” them after clearing your throat though, happy to share if anyone wants in dms.