Learning to manage your health and wellbeing is nothing new but only more recently are singers (and researchers) acknowledging how essential wellbeing is to their vocal health and performance preparation.
When you’re physically and mentally fit and well you’re less stressed and tense, reducing the risk of vocal injury, and more able to connect with your audience and deliver an outstanding performance.
Managing your wellbeing is primarily about creating balance within and around your responsibilities and commitments. And it doesn’t need to take up huge chunks of your time. If you read my recent post about 9 routines every singer needs you’ll see how I sprinkle a little wellbeing here and there throughout my day.
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Hi, I'm Rebecca! And I truly love everything about the art, science, and teaching of singing. If you're looking to build an effective and healthier singing technique so that you can sing with more ease and confidence, then you're in the right place! Here's a few other blog posts you might also like to read:
And of course, grab a copy of my ultimate vocal health starter guide where I'll share how to create a vocal health routine and reset your voice in 14-days!
In this blog post I share 5 everyday tips on how you can manage your wellbeing.
1 | HEALTHY EATING
What you eat and drink does impact how you feel physically, mentally, and vocally.
Switching to a balanced diet that primiarly consisting of meat and fish (or vegetarian/vegan alternatives) and fruit and vegetables will boost your mood, reduce anxiety, improve cognitive function, and increase energy levels. You’ll also notice improvements in your vocal quality.
But, if you find yourself reaching for those sugary and processed foods out of habit on your weekly shop, consider ways you can stop yourself, either by switching to online shopping where you’re eyes (and your tummy) are not drawn to the special offers on Mr Kipling cakes - or if you have more willpower than me, make a list of healthy foods and snacks and stick to it!
If you’re thinking, “I don’t have time to eat healthier” - I hear you, I don’t like to spend a huge amount of time in the kitchen cooking either. One of my favourite YouTubers is Lisa at Downshiftology who always has great time saving solutions for batching meals and snacks, which makes eating healthier a little more easier.
2 | EXERCISING
According to the Mental Health Foundation exercising as little as 10-minutes a day can boost mental alertness, energy and mood, increase self-confidence and reduce stress and anxiety.
I talk a lot about how exercising is great for the core components of good singing technique; posture and breathing. If you’re looking for inspiration to combine your wellbeing and strengthen your singing technique, take a look at my free PDF Singer’s Guide to Aerobic Exercise.
And remember, exercising doesn’t have to be boring. If running 5k every morning or sweating it out in the gym doesn’t appeal to you, then don’t do it. You’re unlikely to keep up with an exercise routine for long if you don’t enjoy it. Find activities that are fun and that you actually enjoy doing.
What works best for those that struggle to find time and motivation to exercise is to combine it with something you’re already doing, like walking or cycling to work or school instead of taking the car or public transport, for example.
3 | SLEEP
Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit talks about the significance of keystone habits. These are single habits that influence the formation of other positive habits.
For me, getting enough sleep each night is a keystone habit. Everything else on this list will fall into place if you start making sure that you get enough sleep because sleep increases concentration, productivity, and energy. Helping you manage your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing better.
But it can be hard to switch off after a busy day and before you know it you’re up later and later and feel less and less rested. Sleep experts recommend having a nightly wind down routine which prepares your mind and body for sleep. You can find out more about how to sleep better here.
4 | SOCIAL WELLBEING
Focusing on your social wellbeing will give you a greater sense of belonging and connection.
Making connections and building relationships is an important part of the human experience but studies show that loneliness is on the rise and impacting our health and wellbeing.
Whilst it is currently difficult to gather during a global pandemic, consider other ways you can reach out and connect with friends and family other than via text messaging and emojis.
The folks over at teambuilding.com have come up with 28 virtual games you can play via Zoom, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, or FaceTime, which your friends and family will thoroughly enjoy and will appreciate the extra thought and planning.
5 | EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
Looking after your emotional wellbeing will help you cope better with everyday life, increase self-confidence, and improve productivity and energy levels. In terms of singing, emotional stability will reduce performance anxiety and enable you to deliver a outstanding performance.
Our emotions fluctuate depending on a number of internal and external factors. Investing in personal growth can help you develop a better sense of self and provide coping strategies.
Also, taking a few minutes out of your day to practise meditation, gratitude, and journaling are great ways to reset and balance your emotions regularly.
Okay, that’s it. This blog post was not intended to be an exhaustive list of how to manage your wellbeing but I hope that you’ve noted some, if not all, areas that you need to include to help maintain your wellbeing on a day to day basis.
As I said before, looking after yourself doesn’t need to be a full-time or part-time job. Doing a little often will, over time, increase your sense of wellbeing. If you need a little more help implementing these practises, take a look at my 9 routines ever singers should have.
And if you need more support with managing your mental health? 2 ways to use singing to transform your mental health and 5 simple ways to boost your mental health teacher week.
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