How to Practice Self Care on tour
Thankfully, in this lovely music industry, over the past few years, we’ve begun a shift in the conversations and culture in our industry to be one that has started to openly discuss issues like work-life balance, mental health, and the pressures of being a freelancer. However, while these conversations have brought some much-needed issues to light, that’s not to minimize the difficulty of the job many of us have chosen to pursue.
From long hours (sometimes days starting as early as 5-6am and ending anywhere from 12-3am), irregular sleep schedules, an ever-changing rhythm of days on and days combined with, at times, what is physically demanding work, there is certainly no shortage of reasons why as professionals sometimes taking care of ourselves becomes second rate or at least not a first priority. Apart from the mental health benefits of self-care, we often forget that there can be physical and social benefits, too. Living with high stress levels, limited privacy, and constant social interaction, self-care can act as a way to prevent physical and emotional issues from impacting the work so many of us love. The old saying stands true that sometimes an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So what does this look like for us?
Finding strategies
An excellent place to start is always prioritizing sleep and good nutrition. At times, this can be difficult depending on the catering for food situation; however, touring with vitamins, supplements, or even some comfort snacks such as protein bars has been very helpful for me and other friends (especially those of us with dietary restrictions). Creating a comfortable sleep environment is also essential. Whether bringing comfort items such as blankets and pillows or carrying a fan or ear plug, getting good quality sleep is incredibly important when you don’t always know when your next break will be.
Secondly, finding ways to stay physically healthy and prevent injury can go a long way. Whether that is seeing sunlight, finding a gym routine on days off, or even post load-in yoga if you have time, these have all been great strategies.
Finally, determining and practicing mental decompression can be incredibly valuable. For instance, yoga, meditation, reading a book, or making a point to do something that recharges. As difficult as it is, setting aside time to talk to loved ones and connect with friends and family outside of the industry can go a long way to helping maintain relationships and have a bit more normality to return to post-tour can be incredibly valuable.
Resources
At the end of the day, self-care is essential in helping prevent burnout and maintaining a healthy lifestyle while balancing a challenging career on the road. Prioritizing physical health, sleep, and nutrition and making a point to maintain personal relationships can go a long way to helping have a long, sustainable career and work-life balance.
Please see the links below for some additional resources:
