Self-care is integral to being a musician, as playing an instrument takes energy and requires the instrumentalist or the singer to be in good health and practice nurturing habits in their daily diets. While this holds true for all individuals and professions, I have encountered some issues as a musician. Also, this post does not claim to be a scientific study or does not include medical advice; it is meant as a reminder for ourselves as musicians to take care of our personal needs well before we consider our daily practice routines.
Everything we do as a musician, from our breakfast routines to the practice rooms, determines, to a degree, our success in achieving our musical goals.
Therefore, the first part of our self-care as musicians is ensuring that we care for our nutritional and health needs.
Usually, I do not take naps during the day. That is not something I do. However, yesterday, I had to catch up with my sleep by napping for an hour as I had not slept enough the night before. My eyes closed as I was working in my office, and there was no question there that I had to stop what I was doing and take a break. Sleeping patterns are a typical example of our quest for self-care, as without proper sleep, our focus diminishes. This can also affect someone's motivation to go to the practice room. So, my focus and concentration were absent the following day when I did not rest well the previous night.
Putting our needs to practice as musicians aside, we should care for ourselves by making sound decisions about our health, nutrition, and rest. These are given; one should consult the necessary resources to manage their basic needs.
Years ago, as a coffee lover, I had to stop drinking coffee altogether as I noticed that not drinking it helped me attain better muscle control in my playing. Therefore, we must also avoid things that do not serve us well.
Exercising also has benefits, and individuals must find the exercises that benefit them the most based on their preferences and the instruments they play. I enjoy going on walks a great deal, for instance, and I prefer to make that my way of exercising.
The second part of our self-care as musicians is to make sure that we practice daily. Designing a system of time management is much recommended. A friend once suggested that I practice six out of seven days of the week, and then one day, say Sundays, leave it for rest.
I feel my best when I play my cello every single day. However, I have also benefited from allowing myself to rest for one day out of the week. And I have come back to practice, ready and refreshed.
As practicing an instrument accumulates benefits when done consistently, musicians know all too well that not doing the required work will not bring them any success. Therefore, it is also crucial to make our routines enjoyable. Great practicing habits will assist budding musicians in developing confidence in their playing as they persevere in their endeavors; playing joyfully and enjoying our routines will aid in remaining motivated. Exercising our creativity when we practice will result in experiencing growth and freedom from technical issues and problems.
Another example of self-care we need to be mindful of is when we travel to perform. For instance, going someplace and immediately jumping into a performance after a long drive can be daunting. One must account for that and leave room for rest before a performance. We might only sometimes have that luxury of going someplace and having ample time to rest and warm up. However, we must find ways of dealing with those situations. One must go at least a day before and rest and have a chance to relax and acclimatize.
Naturally, everyone is different, and we have a variety of ways of coping with self-care. However, attending to our nutrition, sleeping well, and being focused on our preparations for performances by establishing practice routines that we adhere to consistently throughout the week will significantly support our journey of making music.
What steps do you take as a musician to practice self-care?
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