6 More Stress Beating Tips For Musicians

Last week we looked at ways you can deal with stress when working in the music industry. Today, we've got 6 more stress beating tips for you.

While it may not always seem obvious, working in the music industry can be as stressful as most other industries. Unreliable people, things not sounding how you want, and slower progression then you had planned; all of these and more can really add up.

If you want to minimize the chances these stresses will affect you too much, have a look at the below 6 stress managing tips. Let's look at some of the best ways for musicians to beat stress!

But first, if it's your aim to do music professionally, you'll want to check out our free ebook while it's still available:

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More Efficient Work Practices Minimizes Stress

Has that sticky printer drawer been bugging you for the last 6 months? Tired of writing the same email to event organizers again and again? It can be small things like these that drain time and energy, so why not list down each small problem that sucks up your time and energy and resolve them. Fix all the ones you can recall, and add those ones that pop up when they happen.

For example, with the above problems you could service the printer. You could also type a very friendly and informative email that you can use as a template every time you're emailing someone about getting a gig.

Nailing these small nuisances will pave the way for less stressful responses to recurring daily troubles.

Go Deep And Burn Stresses Off

Meditation is simple, powerful and has very significant health benefits. It is not a niche practice, it is a human mind state suitable for everyone. I will not explain in detail how to meditate and all the benefits, because a quick internet search on the subject will provide lots of information. I will however say that once you start, you will wonder why you never made this beautifully calming exercise a part of your daily routine before.

Sleep Helps With Stress Management

In the western culture, it's not seen as normal to sleep in the day… Forget that and get some sleep!

A 20-40 minute sleep in the day can be wonderfully refreshing, even if it's in your lunch break at work. If it's the weekend and you're in the middle of producing music or writing a song though, this is much easier to put into practice.

If you keep yawning and rubbing your eyes all afternoon, your body is telling you it needs sleep. There is little else to say on this subject, so if you can, do it!

Keep Active, Even When You're Sitting Songwriting Or Producing

Exercise keeps your body strong, and makes it easier to beat that feeling of stress. So why not add a gentle exercise routine into your day, and carry it out whenever you have a bit of spare time? No need to do cartwheels around the room, but a few discrete exercises can help refresh blood flow around the body and keep aches and pains at bay.

This is especially important if you're sitting for long hours at your computer making beats, or having long songwriting sessions.

We Like Caffeine But Beware

I personally love coffee in the morning and tea in the daytime, but it's definitely worth consuming these drinks within sensible limits. As with most energy enhancers, there will be a cut off point where the caffeine is no longer doing the job. In this instance, you may wish to try a short snooze instead of reaching for your next cappuccino or espresso boost.

Another thing to note about caffeine is that it can ramp up stress hormones if you're already feeling a bit uptight. So don't drink too much.

A Fine Line Between Work And Play

For many full time musicians there will be a fine line between their work and creative pursuits. This can make it hard to know when to stop working, and when to instead relax.

Everyone's situation is going to be different. Depending on the type of music industry work you do, there will be unique working hours, client relationships, communications, deadline types, creative input and daily pressures.

I recommend trying to have some unrelated enjoyable activities which allow you to completely switch off from work. It is very important to maintain a healthy relationship between work creativity and rest. For people in the music industry who are often independent, freelance or working for themselves, you will have to follow your own self awareness and try to understand when you are not getting the right work to life balance.

In some instances motivational stress can be good for people. That said, pulling-your-hair-out stress is something you'll want to steer clear of. It is an easy one to overlook and the effects can become cumulative, so at least try and consider this vital balance from time to time. And make changes where necessary. Don’t fear less work if need be. You may become more productive during working hours due to a small change that initially seems like it is cutting into your work time. So keep that work stress from building up.

Conclusion

Working in the music industry can cause stress. There are deadlines to meets, ups and downs, frustrations of not being where you want and a lot more. We're all human, and there's a chance that stress can hit any of us. But by doing the things listed in these last two guides, you can take steps to overcoming this stress and minimizing how badly you're affected by it.

So what do you find most stressful about working in the music industry? Let us know in the comments below.

If you haven't already checked the first part of this guide yet, you can do so over here.