How Can You Achieve A Healthy Work-Life Balance As A Musician?
Being a professional musician takes a great deal of dedication, hard work, and sacrifice. Between the demands of recording, practices, playing gigs and traveling, it can feel like you’re being pulled in so many directions. And that’s not even factoring in if you have a relationship, family, or other job on top of your music career.
For most people with a nine-to-five, you can put work aside at a certain point and go home to relax. For musicians, your work is a 24/7 lifestyle. The stress follows you wherever you go, and it can be difficult to step away and take time to decompress. How can you balance your dedication to your work with taking time for yourself and showing up for the relationships in your life?
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance as a professional musician is important for your health and wellbeing, and your overall success as an artist. It keeps you sane, focused, and happy. Without it, you risk relationships falling apart or burning yourself out. Here are some tips to help you work towards a more balanced lifestyle.
1. Accept that there is no perfect balance.
Especially because creatives work different schedules and work in cycles that ebb and flow, there is no perfect balance. It’s not always possible to have an extremely productive day and then have enough time or energy leftover to spend with friends and family. Instead of striving for the perfect schedule, aim for a realistic one. Reprioritize your goals and needs on a day-by-day, week-to-week, or even month-to-month basis.
2. Communicate with your loved ones.
It’s extremely important to communicate with your loved ones and keep them in the loop. Be honest about the demands of your schedule, and how much time you’ll actually have to devote to other commitments. Make sure they know why this pursuit means so much to you, and that they’re aware of the sacrifices your success may require from them. Surround yourself with the right people who understand this and who are willing to share you with your calling.
3. What are you willing to sacrifice?
With any worthwhile pursuit or creative passion, there’s always going to be something you have to sacrifice. Consider what you are and are not willing to compromise on in your life. Make a list in advance and stick to it when things get tough. Set clear boundaries and protect your time.
4. Set a schedule and manage your time.
Time is the most valuable asset you have as a musician. Creatives might feel resistant to the idea of a set schedule, but it doesn’t have to be between the hours of nine-to-five. You can decide what time you’ll carve out to be productive, and then have a portion of your day where you take a break and decompress. Determine how many hours you can reasonably work on your music and commit to it.
5. Harness your creative work cycle.
With art, you work when you're inspired. Take advantage of that time and ride the wave to its fullest. Periods of deep focus are what enable you to pull the meaning from the muse. To achieve deep work, block off an uninterrupted time where you turn off distractions and five your work your complete focus. Try to predict your unique creative work cycles ahead of time. If you know you do your best work at 4AM, prepare for it. If you feel like you’re hitting a wall after so many hours of work, it's time to stop.
For more insights and details about my personal work ethic and creative ethos, take 20 minutes and check out my interview on Episode 55 of The Artist’s Work Ethic Podcast
If you found this helpful, take a second to download my FREE ARTIST STRATEGY GUIDE here. It’s filled with more thought-provoking concepts and music career growth tips designed to help you evaluate your holistic approach to building a lasting movement with your music.
Looking for one-on-one advice? Schedule a call with me.