Raising Mental Health Awareness on Musicians
by Stephanie L. Christianto
Mental health conditions including burnout affect millions of people worldwide, including musicians, and they can significantly impact a person's quality of life. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding mental health conditions can be a significant barrier to seeking help. People often feel ashamed or embarrassed to talk about their mental health issues and may believe that seeking help is a sign of personal failure. This stigma can be particularly challenging in cultures where mental health issues are not openly discussed or are seen as a weakness.
Burnout is defined in ICD-11 by World Health Organization as a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed which is characterized by three dimensions, i.e., feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy.
Burnout can happen to just anyone regardless of their age and profession, from music students or teacher to professional musicians. While music is often considered as a therapeutic medium, the music industry can be a high-stress environment, with long hours, irregular schedules, and pressure to perform at a high level, which can manifest to variety mental health conditions including burnout which may lead into anxiety and depression.
Burnout in Musician can be caused including the followings i.e., overworked, excessive work demands, poor support and leadership, poor “work – life – balance”, not getting enough sleep, dysfunction in the workplace, and lack of boundaries (always says “yes”and hard to say “No”).
Musician burnout can manifest in various ways. Some common signs of musician burnout include:
Loss of Passion: Musicians may lose interest in the music they once loved and become indifferent or detached from their art.
Physical Fatigue and Symptoms: Constant physical exhaustion, frequent illness, or chronic fatigue can indicate burnout from the demands of touring, practicing, or performing.
Physical symptoms like headaches, muscle tension, digestive issues, or sleep disturbances can result from chronic stress associated with burnout.
Emotional Exhaustion: Musicians may experience heightened levels of stress, anxiety, irritability, and mood swings, often accompanied by feelings of hopelessness.
Cynicism: Developing a negative and cynical attitude towards music, the industry, or audiences can be a sign of burnout.
Isolation: Musicians might withdraw from social interactions, avoiding fellow musicians, friends, or family.
Decreased Productivity: A decline in practice or rehearsal productivity, missing deadlines, or neglecting responsibilities is indicative of burnout.
Neglected Self-Care: Neglecting self-care activities, such as exercise, proper nutrition, and relaxation, is common in cases of burnout.
Then, how to battle Musician Burnout?
Let’s Battle Musician Burnout together with the 4R’s Approach. This allows you to self-reflect on how you are doing and be more aware of your own well-being.
Recognize the warning signs of Burnout:
Everyday is a bad day
Caring about your work seems like a waste of energy
You feel exhausted all the time
The majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either dull or overwhelming
Respond to repair the damage caused by Burnout:
Set Boundaries: Be aware of what you can commit to. Saying “no” actually allows you to say “yes” to yourself.
Seek Support: Talk with someone who will listen without judgement (this can be a friend or mental health professional).
Focus ONLY on what you can control by paying attention to what is in your power to improve about your situation.
Recharge
Disconnect from technology for awhile. Set a time on each
day to take a break from your laptop, phone, email, and social
media, and allow yourself to have a down-time.
Increase energy level: Find and try activities that enhance
your energy level to help counteract those that drain you.
Have a Self-care routine to recharge yourself such as
meditation, yoga, sport, or other hobbies you would like to pursue.
Resilience
Build your resilience to stress by making a commitment to take care of your physical and emotional health, including making time for self-care, having nutritious meal, getting enough sleep, etc.
Know your limit. Have a clear plan on your stress management.
Sources:
Hert, Stefan De. 2020. “Burnout in Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, Impact and Preventative Strategies.” Local Reg Anesth 13 (October): 171-183. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P MC7604257/ .
McAllister, Lesley Sisterhen. The Balanced Musician: Integrating Mind and Body for Peak Performance. Maryland:Scarecrow Press, 2013.
World Health Organization. 2019. “Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases.” Last modified May 28, 2019.AccessedSeptember26, 2023. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out- an-occupational-phenomenon-international- classification-of-diseases.