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 The Bravura Newsletter provides valuable information that you can use to reach your music career goals and to help you gain a balanced and enjoyable life whilst working within the fast-paced Music Industry.
Do you wish you were Hibernating? Hi there, Well February has just finished and I have been speaking with many people in the music industry including artists over the last few weeks who have all been complaining that they feel tired, that they can't seem to get up in the mornings (nothing new there then!), they don't seem to be able to focus on their creativity and are lacking in energy. In fact most have said "forget the New Year, New You rubbish - I just want to hibernate!" Can you relate to this? Are you an artist having difficulty getting into the swing of a new year after all the Christmas and New Year festivities and have just realised that it's the beginning of March and you've not really got going yet? Not surprising really - after all we are animals and a number of animals hibernate during the cold, dark and often miserable months of winter. If you think about it, energy-wise the winter is a funny time of year to start new projects, whether they be around your music or otherwise, and to gain the impetus for new goals and resolutions et al - winter seems a much better time for you to rest a bit, build up your reserves and to maybe plan out your new music projects - ready then to spring forward into action and really get going in April! This certainly follows the annual cycle of nature. But year on year - you (and sometimes me too!) give yourselves a hard time because you feel that you've got to go with the flow and do what everyone else does - make new year resolutions that then very quickly get broken which de-motivates you and the doldrums kick in! February particularly is said to be a time when increasingly people suffer with stress or mild depression and this is often when all great-made plans go down the pan! It's at this time of year that some of you suffer with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), whereby most of you experience normal mental health throughout the remainder of the year, in the winter months you can experience listlessness, and a lack of energy that stops you from performing daily activities. Of course if you are also an artist this can be disastrous when you are wishing to write, compose, perform and any other creative activity. Or indeed if you are managing any aspect of an artist's career then being at your optimum, health-wise is imperative! Well I have been speaking to a musician in Nottingham who also happens to be an acupuncturist and he has a lot to say about this very subject. This is what Mark Strawbridge has to say: "In these more modern times our bodies are increasingly being disconnected from the seasons. In summer we have air conditioning to keep us cool and in the winter we have central heating to keep us warm. As a result of these kinds of external interventions our bodies are working contrary to our natural rhythms and we use up energy trying to keep going. For example, in the middle of winter when we should be having our 'downtime' - being at our slowest and using the least amount of energy, we have Christmas - two weeks of festivities and partying which, although good for the spirit, uses up all the energy that we should be storing up for the spring time - the energy that we should be waking up to right now. Also in the winter months there can be little sunlight to help re-energise us and our well-being can suffer - low moods, lack of zip, lack of focus etc. For a musician this can impact in many ways. Your creativity can become lack lustre and confidence levels especially are likely to be at their lowest. How are we to get through this period and into Spring - the season of creation and therefore creativity? There are many offers open to us - the gym, clubs, alternative and complimentary therapies, supplements, not to mention other stimulants. All of these cost, and one or two are positively bad for you. I would, however, suggest some everyday, no- or low-cost tips: Tip 1 - One Minute Meditations - This technique for focussing and energising can be undertaken anywhere - waiting for a bus; waiting to go on stage; in between takes - wherever. Stand with feet about 1 foot apart and knees slightly bent. Concentrate on a point in the middle distance (or if you are inside, a picture, poster or even a blemish on the wall) and take 30 good even breaths (in/out counts as one breath) through your nose counting backwards from 30 to 1. This will help you to be calm, focussed and energised in no time - it's also a great exercise in combating stage fright! Tip 2 - Drink water - I know everyone bangs on about this, but it really is the stuff of vitality - sips of water throughout the day (filtered but preferably not bottled is best) adding up to about 2 litres a day is good to keep you awake and energised. Tip 3 - Rub your wrists! All around the wrist area are some of the most powerful acupuncture points, and a gentle rub will stimulate your Qi (Chinese word for essence or life force). Encircle your wrist, where the joint between hand and arm is, with the thumb and middle finger of the other hand. Apply light pressure and then rotate the wrist back and forth. You will stimulate 6 key acupuncture points, energising the meridians (energy channels) of Fire, the element of creativity and passion and Metal, the element of precision and accuracy. Good energy for any Musician! In addition, you might like to walk around a bit with no shoes on - powerful grounding points are located on the soles of your feet. Most of all - be positive towards other people and they will be positive back - in the main - and if they aren't, then generally they are not worth bothering with. Don't let them steal your positivity!" Well Mark has definitely given you and me some food for thought in terms of keeping energised during the winter months. If you would like to know more about the work that Mark does as an acupuncturist, then please visit his website in a few weeks time when it will have been re-vamped. You can see it here So, do you still feel like hibernating? If you find that you are still struggling with your energy levels and require some coaching to find out how to help you gain more energy and focus, then please feel free to email me to set up a complementary consultation call. And finally, an apology from me regarding the lateness of February's newsletter - no I wasn't hibernating! With very best wishes,  Bravura Group helping you brave the music industry http://www.bravura-group.com t: 01246 231 249 / 0845 456 460 e: lindsey@bravura-group.com I work with signed and unsigned artists and personnel working in the Music Industry who want to become more productive, creative and ultimately more successful in their music careers, whilst enjoying a more enriched, fulfilling and balanced personal life. If you have received this copy of the Bravura newsletter from a friend or colleague and would like to receive future copies, please visit www.bravura-group.com to subscribe. Thank you. |
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