I want to learn how to stay well in music

Learn how to manage your wellbeing in the music industry

“The highs are great and wonderful, but the lows can be awful and hard to deal with. You can feel really isolated at times, so doing music full time is not an easy path.” -Amy Blythe

Self-Care Sessions 

Music Minds Matter hosts a series of free, online self-care sessions to provide you with techniques and strategies to work through challenging times, equipping you with tools to use on an ongoing basis.

Check Your Levels sessions are a supportive space for people in music to come together and learn about how to stay well. The sessions are delivered with Music Mind Matter’s Clinical Partner BAPAM and provide evidence-based advice on dealing with common issues that can affect your mental wellbeing in music.

The sessions are funded by Music Minds Matter to make sure they are free of cost for everyone in music.



Taking care of yourself in music

Whether you’ve been working in music for one week or ten years you’ve probably found that it can be one of the most exciting careers possible, but it can also be more pressured than other industries. These highs and lows mean it can be a good idea to look out for yourself a little more and when things become difficult, that you notice and get the right support quickly. This session will explore:

  • How to promote your own positive mental wellbeing in music

  • How to reduce risks and make changes at work to stay well

  • Preparing for significant periods of pressure at work

  • Recognising some of the common mental health issues people experience in music

  • How to get help for mental health problems if you work in music

Managing working relationships in music

Manager, agent, promoter, producer, booker, artist or one of the countless other essential roles that make up the music community: whatever you do in music, relationships are likely to be central. Most of your relationships will have different dimensions that you need to juggle, for example a connection may be social as well as financial and/​or creative. Knowing how to set up and maintain healthy working relationships is therefore a vital way of caring for yourself in music. This session will explore:

  • What healthy boundaries look like in your working relationships

  • How to establish and maintain clear expectations in your working relationships

  • How to identity and manage conflict in working relationships

Managing stress in music

Whether you work in live, in the studio, in an office, from your phone, or on the road- if you work in music, you are likely to experience some periods of stress. A little bit can make your work feel exhilarating, but too much can have a negative impact on your wellbeing. From long hours to money worries to performance pressure, knowing how to manage what causes you stress is an important part of your self-care toolkit in music. This session will explore:

  • How to recognise your own stress levels and what impacts them

  • How to take action on stress and overwhelm

  • How to look after yourself when your under pressure

Staying well on the road

Touring is one of the best, and toughest, gigs in music. Relationships are intense, hours are long, sleep is often limited and it can be really difficult to keep up healthy connections and routines. If you work on the road, in any role, its really important you know how to prepare, stay well when you’re away and readjust when you return to ensure you can enjoy the experience, while limiting risks to your wellbeing. This session will explore:

  • How to prepare for working away from home

  • What to do while away to help prioritise self-care

  • How to adjust to life back at home after tour

  • Handling jet lag

Surviving Festival Season

Festivals can provide unforgettable experiences not only for fans but also for the people that make them happen. The intense work period can leave you exhausted though. Whether your role is on-stage or back-stage, advancing or live, make sure you know how to take care of yourself throughout the next festival season and come through to other end with amazing memories but without the post-festival run down. This session will explore:

  • Maintaining routine and self-care during festival season

  • Managing socialising and substances during festival season

  • Resting and sleep when working long hours and nights

  • Dealing with the last-minute pressures working festivals often involves

Staying well when working nights

From running a venue or playing a gig to pulling an all-nighter to meet a deadline – there are many reasons why you may end working overnight if you’re in music. Knowing how to adapt key parts of your wellbeing routine like sleeping and eating to working nights can help you stay well. This session will explore:

  • The best sleep habits if you work nights

  • Maintaining routine and self-care when working nights

  • Eating, exercise and stimulant and sedative use

  • Staying connected to friends and family when working nights

Dealing with difficult behaviour at work

Everyone in music has the right to feel safe and respected at work. If you come across a situation that doesn’t make you feel that way, you have the right to support in dealing with that, without fear of losing that work or any future work. This session will explore:

  • How to recognise when your boundaries are crossed and behaviour isn’t acceptable

  • How to recognise bullying and harassment happening in music

  • How to respond in the moment to difficult behaviour

  • Emotional and practical support available to people in music if you experience or witness bullying, harassment or discrimination



FAQs 

Who are the workshops for?

Anyone working in music. Whatever your role, and however long you have worked in music the workshops will provide practical guidance to help you take care of yourself.

How many people attend each workshop?

To provide the most useful experience for those who attend, the workshop size is limited. Usually to around 30, but sometimes a maximum of 50.

Do I have to speak or take part in the workshops in other ways?

Every workshop has discussion moments where those who want to can add to the discussion verbally or through the chat. There are also moments for reflection on your own during the workshop. None of the activities are mandatory and you won’t be called on to speak, its completely up to you how much you take part.

Is there any support if the workshop is triggering or upsets me?

The workshops are not a therapeutic space or a support group. They are designed to be practical, giving your tools you can use to deal with issues that might cause you stress or worry in your music work and so our facilitators deliberately avoid any content that might cause distress.

However, if you find a topic personally emotional for any reason, information is provided at the start and end of the workshops about sources of support in music. The facilitators of the workshop will not be able to give you individual support during the workshop but can message you signposting information for support.

What if there isn’t any space left on a workshop I wanted to attend?

The workshops are run regularly so check back to this page for new dates. You can also add yourself to the waitlist for the session and a space may come up.