The global pandemic is a musician’s nightmare. Is there anything good about it?
? No live performances…no live teaching…fewer gigs…cancelled tours…
The end of the tunnel is barely in sight, and almost everywhere on the planet communities are still practicing social distancing or are in lockdown due to covid-19.
There’s so much insecurity and uncertainty in the world today! ?
If you were stressed or anxious before the pandemic, it’s likely that anxiety has increased.
Nervous tension, worry about your career, burnout, lack of motivation to practice, physical pain, a lack of confidence in your skills… these are common experiences amongst musicians today.
We all know that tension and anxiety feel bad, but reactions to stress have been proven to be downright unhealthy – mentally, physically, and emotionally.
When you’re severely stressed and overwhelmed, your body goes into “survival mode” – a fight, flight, freeze response. This is actually a normal response to a potentially life-threatening situation, but when it is allowed to continue over time, your fear and tension will increase and make everything worse.
Do you catch yourself doing any of the following as a musician during the pandemic?
?♂️ FLIGHT: You run away from your physical and/or emotional discomfort. You might find yourself avoiding practicing or frantically searching for ways to distract yourself from worry or pain, eating more or drinking alcohol to escape, or even going on an online shopping spree in denial of reality!
? FREEZE: You “play dead” to your experience and pretend nothing’s wrong, while you feel listless, sleep more or occupy yourself with mindless activities such as binge TV viewing, doing anything BUT dealing with your reactions in a healthy, proactive way.
? Here’s the GOOD news:
There’s something you can do to change all of this, which will help you feel better AND play better during the pandemic.
What people don’t realize is that the problems they’re experiencing aren’t actually caused by the situation or the stress itself. It’s how we REACT to stressful events that causes things to spiral down in a negative direction.
? When you don’t have enough time or enough gigs… how do you react?
? When your body feels tight and pain won’t go away… how do you react?
? When your mindset is negative and your music won’t flow… how do you react?
?When you’ve lost your purpose, joy, and motivation… how do you react?
One of my favorite quotes from Frederick Matthias Alexander (founder of the Alexander Technique) is: “Mine is a method for the control of human reaction.”
? YES! ?
As a professional musician and coach for musicians, I assure you that it IS possible to take charge of your life – by taking charge of your MIND!…and therefore your body and your emotional reactions to stress.
✅ It IS possible to organize your time and make progress towards your goals more quickly with less stress.
✅ You CAN make better choices when you play your instrument that result in less pain and performance anxiety.
✅ You CAN shift to a positive mindset so you can focus better, enjoy your practicing, reach a wider audience, and increase your musical success.
✅ You can feel excited and motivated to do ALL of these things – and make the most of your time during the pandemic!
? But ONLY if you learn how to respond to stress, physical and emotional discomfort, and the uncertainty of life in a super-constructive, holistic way.
??? What you really need is an organized system that will help you see exactly how you’re reacting to stress, and how your thinking is affecting your emotional and physical state, your musical technique and artistry, and your ability to build your career during the pandemic.
In The Musician’s Advantage™, my comprehensive coaching program, you’ll learn my simple, step-by-step process based on the Alexander Technique principles and Primal Alexander™ daily home practices.
My Art of Freedom® Method will allow you to cultivate ease in mind, body and soul, and you’ll learn exactly how to apply it to play your instrument with ease and thrive in every way during the pandemic.
? We’ll get off to a strong start with a VIP Strategy Session to help you get really clear on your life purpose and musical goals.
? You’ll get a very strong foundation in my self-study courses and video archive, with super-simple practices that just take a few minutes a day.
? Every month, we’ll meet for powerful coaching sessions based on your unique needs. You’ll also have full access to my live Alexander Musicians group classes.
? You’ll gradually watch your fears melt away, your confidence increase, your creativity ignite, and your musical abilities sky-rocket. (And so much more!)
If you’re interested in finding out more about The Musician’s Advantage™ coaching for professionals, send me a message. I have a few openings left in my studio for this month, so now’s a great time to get in. Just hop leave me a comment on this post or send me an email, and we’ll have a chat about how I can help you!
With Love & Enthusiasm,
Jennifer
p.s. I’d love to hear your comments on this post! Let me know your thoughts, and email me at Jennifer@ArtofFreedom.me if you want to have a chat!