Mental Health Musician Guide

Introduction

Mental health is an important yet overlooked part of our well-being as humans. For musicians, mental health can be crucial for success, creativity, performance and longevity. Although society has made a lot of progress in recognizing the importance of mental health, everyday pressures in the music world can create challenges that affect musicians in different ways. Understanding the causes and implications of these mental health challenges can help us understand how to foster community, build resilience and support one another. This resource aims to guide musicians who believe they may be experiencing mental health struggles and provide strategies for psychological well-being.  

Part One: What is Mental Health and Why is it Important?

The term mental health refers to our psychological and emotional well-being, and is a fundamental part of living a happy and fulfilling life. It influences how we think and behave in everyday situations. Good mental health can lead to high self-esteem, more positive interactions with the community and can also improve our resiliency. It allows individuals to adapt to challenges, build meaningful connections and connect with their community.

On the other hand, poor mental health can contribute to psychological disorders and physical illness. It can have negative effects such as decreased motivation, impaired decision making and diminished relationships. For musicians, mental health may play a large role not just in personal happiness but also for sustaining creativity and being able to manage the stresses associated with being a musician. Good mental health can be nurtured with strong support systems, awareness and good coping skills, but these factors may not always be easily attained in a competitive artistic environment that many musicians find themselves in.

In the music community, several mental health challenges are common, with burnout, performance anxiety and impostor syndrome being ones that many musicians experience. 

Burnout is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that occurs over time due to prolonged stress. It can make daily tasks, especially those related to work, feel much more overwhelming. For musicians, burnout can stem from different causes including a lack of autonomy, unclear or high expectations and excessive responsibilities with little to no recognition.

Performance anxiety, also known as stage fright, is characterized by intense feelings of anxiety brought on by an upcoming performance in front of others. Although it can occur in different settings such as an exam, it is more common for musicians to experience performance anxiety due to the pressure of playing live, the fear of judgement and past negative experiences on stage. 

Impostor syndrome is a mental health challenge commonly experienced by high-achieving individuals. It involves repeated feelings of self-doubt and difficulty to internalize one’s successes. Musicians struggling with impostor syndrome may experience a fear of failure, perfectionism and a denial of their own accomplishments and competence even in the face of success.

Recognizing these challenges is the first step to address them and how they affect musicians. By understanding the nature and the causes of these mental health challenges, we can begin to take actions to support our mental health especially during more difficult times.

Part Two: Recognizing Signs and Struggles

Understanding the warning signs of mental health challenges can be the first step to getting support. Each challenge can look different for each person, but here are the most common ways burnout, performance anxiety and impostor syndrome will affect a person. 

Burnout

Burnout is more than just being tired, it is a prolonged state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion. For musicians, this can come from constantly practicing, touring with a band, challenges with work-life balance and dealing with the pressure to perform well. 

Common signs include:

• Feeling drained or emotionally “used up”
• Feeling overwhelmed and unable to keep up with tasks
• Losing motivation to practice or create
• Withdrawing from family, friends or bandmates
• Persistent low mood or irritability

In a musician’s life, burnout may look like:

• Cancelling shows or rehearsals
• Practicing less or completely avoiding practice
• Turning to social media or other addictive habits
• Finding it harder to collaborate with others

Performance Anxiety

Performance anxiety is the anxiety that happens just before going on stage or during a performance. Even highly experienced musicians can struggle with performance anxiety and it can affect their focus. 

Common signs include:

• Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
• Increased heart rate
• Dry mouth
• Cold, sweaty hands
• Nausea

These symptoms are a part of the body’s stress response evoked by performing in front of others.

Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome is characterized by feelings of self-doubt or failure despite high achievement. Many musicians experience this, especially in competitive environments where comparison is constant.

Common signs include:

• Downplaying achievements
• Fear of failure despite past successes
• Inability to internalize successes
• Excessive comparison to peers
• Persistent self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy

Recognizing these signs early on means we can take action to address them and find ways to lessen their impact. In this next section, we’ll talk about how to develop coping skills to deal with these challenges.

Part Three: Coping Skills

Coping skills are useful tools we can adopt to help us manage stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges that come our way. By practicing these skills on a regular basis, we can cope with these challenges in a healthy way and build resilience.

General Habits to Adopt:

• Establish healthy boundaries: learn to say no when needed.
• Know when to take a step back: if a situation is causing more stress than its worth, give yourself the permission to walk away.
• Ask for support: lean on a friend, family member or a professional for support and encouragement.
• Stay active: whether it’s yoga or strength training, movement helps reduce stress.
• Practice self-care: whether it’s painting your nails, taking a bath or prioritizing getting a good night’s sleep.

In the Moment Coping Skills:

• Deep Breathing: inhale slowly and hold for five seconds, then exhale. Repeat multiple times.
• 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique: Name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. This technique can help bring yourself back to the present moment.
• Visualization: picture your happy place in vivid detail, imagine the sights, sounds and feelings that make it comforting and safe.
• Positive self-talk: remind yourself of your past successes and strengths, and the fact that these challenges are temporary.

Part Four: Where to Find Support

It’s always okay to ask for help if you need it. 

Mental Health Resources in Canada:

• Kids Help Phone: Call or text 24/7 with trained responders and access national or local resources. kidshelpphone.ca/need-help-now-text-us
• Resources Around Me: A tool to connect youth with 40,000 community and online mental health services across Canada. resourcesaroundme-prod.kidshelpphone.ca
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 9-8-8 for immediate support 24/7.

Trusted Adults:

Reaching out to people you trust can be a great first step. This can be:

• Teachers, faculty and community members
• Parents, guardians or other family members
• Youth leaders or counsellors

Conclusion

Mental health is an important part of who we are, influencing the way we think, feel, behave and connect with others. For musicians, understanding and taking care of our mental health is crucial not just to thrive in our personal life but in our musical careers and success over time. Challenges like burnout, performance anxiety and impostor syndrome are difficult to deal with but can become manageable with awareness, proper support and good coping skills. 

Taking care of our mental health is a lifelong journey that can enrich our music, relationships and our life as a whole. Remember, seeking help is a strength, not a weakness and there are many people and resources out there to support you. Together we can create a community where musicians are able to talk about their mental health challenges and get adequate support.

References

1. Burnout advice for musicians: Musicians’ union. The Musicians’ Union. (2024, March 28). https://musiciansunion.org.uk/health-safety-wellbeing/mental-health-and-wellbeing/musicians-wellbeing-guidance-pack/burnout
2. Burnout: Signs, causes, and preventative strategies. Professional Studies | Queen’s University. (n.d.). https://pros.educ.queensu.ca/blog/burnout
3. Chappell, C. (2023, October 17). Breaking the cycle of performance anxiety. CMHA York Region & South Simcoe. https://cmha-yr.on.ca/breaking-the-cycle-of-performance-anxiety/
4. Government of Canada. (2020, June 22). About Mental Health. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/about-mental-health.html
5. Huecker, M. R. (2023, July 31). Imposter phenomenon. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585058/
6. Marks, H. (2024, February 27). Overcoming performance anxiety in music, acting, sports, and more. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/stage-fright-performance-anxiety
7. Morin, A. (2023, November 3). Healthy coping skills for uncomfortable emotions. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/forty-healthy-coping-skills-4586742