Why am I doing this? How many times have you asked yourself that question? Do you listen for the answer – because thats where the gold is.
In the words of Ed Sheeren – the key to failure is pleasing everyone. Passion and fulfilling ones purpose is written about everyday as a means to helping us feel satisfied, complete and living a life we love, and, it is all of those things.
However it’s also brutal in the music industry.
A study done by Entertainment Assist shows that 25% of artists, and over 50% of roadies have attempted or considered suicide, but none of the roadies surveyed had sought help. The report states that Entertainment industry workers do not know how to seek support, nor do they know how to talk about mental health with colleagues. This is where the problem starts.
As a professional working with entertainment industry clients; the results of a huge career can be soul destroying. From comparison disorders, crowd pleasing, audience approval, post performance depression, serious insecurities and the pressure to keep showing up all lends itself to self destruction. We can prevent it from happening in the beginning.
Here are 4 ways to prevent losing it in crisis;
- Take away unnecessary pressure immediately – Do this by communicating quickly to the people around you who you trust the most. Done on a daily basis you release anxiety and increase dopamine. Many times we are worrying about issues that haven’t even happened yet and making issues much grander than we need to.
- Learn to be vulnerable – Much easier said than done. What happens when we hit rock bottom? Our deepest levels of vulnerability are surfaced and we have to ask for and get help. Learning how to access vulnerability daily will increase your strength and ability to look after yourself from the beginning. Invest in a mentor or guide.
- Learn to be yourself FIRST – Seriously, you HAVE to learn to be yourself first. This is the process you have to embark on if you want a sustainable career that feels aligned to you. You will know if you are people pleasing because resentment and frustration is high, you feel burnt out and ready to quit. Here are my programs for ultimate results.
- Be of service – who could use your help today? Often we focus so much on ourselves we lose it. There is someone out there that would love to hear from you and connect with you. Giving back is the best way to get a hit of dopamine. If you are feeling down and out, connection is the fastest way back to feeling better.
If you are feeling low and are seeking assistance please check out any of these resources for more information and support.
Support Act – 1800 959 500
Beyond Blue – 1300 46 36
Backline – Fill out their on line contact form to be connected with a case manager
MusiCares – Fill out their online form to be connected with a case manager
Help Musicians – mmm@helpmusicians.org.uk
Nancy Lipman has a career spanning over 20 years in the music, media and corporate industries identifying, developing, coaching and mentoring high-calibre talent both locally and internationally.
A DJ, personal development and business guru, Nancy has run her own successful artist agency since 2011. Strategically and intuitively understanding her clients, with laser like focus on wellbeing, Nancy is on a mission to create positive, sustainable careers for the entertainment industry.
Nancy is the founder of WingWoman, a company with programs that support mental wellbeing for people in the entertainment industry.
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