Work-Life Balance in the Music Industry: 10 Tips for Success

Achieving a healthy work-life balance in the demanding music industry is crucial for long-term success and well-being. Check out these ten practical self-care tips to help you manage stress, stay productive, and maintain your creativity.

by Nicholas Rubright

People who work in the music industry know first-hand how demanding it can be. With hectic schedules and long, irregular hours in high-pressure environments, it may seem impossible for music professionals to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Long studio sessions, late nights after shows, the feast-or-famine nature of some roles, unlicensed use of your music, and months sleeping on tour buses and hotel rooms can add up quickly. Add to those stresses the drive for creative success, and performers, producers, stage managers, and everyone who works behind the scenes can be at risk of burnout.

In fact, 80% of musicians have struggled with mental health issues, according to the UK Musicians’ Union.

However, achieving a balance between work and personal life in the music industry is essential for long-term career sustainability, the ability to maintain a high quality of work, and overall well-being.

In this article, we’ll look at 10 practical tips to help music industry professionals create a healthy work-life balance.

Let’s get started.

10 Ways to Create a Healthy Work-Life Balance in the Music Industry

From setting clear boundaries between work and personal time to incorporating self-care routines, these strategies can improve both mental and physical health.

Additionally, leveraging technology for better time management and learning to delegate tasks are essential steps in reducing stress and maintaining productivity. By prioritizing well-being and balancing professional ambitions, it’s possible to not only avoid burnout but also improve creativity and better enjoy a career in this dynamic industry.

1. Set Clear Boundaries

Separate work hours from personal time to avoid overworking. This helps maintain energy and focus. While there may be no such thing as a nine-to-five job for many people in the music industry, create as much delineation as possible between work hours and leisure hours.

When you’re eating, socializing, or trying to sleep, ensure that you’re fully present in the moment and try to reserve work-related worries for work time. If a work text or email can wait, save it for when you’re back on the clock.

Additionally, learning to say no and how to delegate tasks will help you avoid overcommitting yourself. It may be tempting to seize every opportunity and take everything on yourself, especially toward the beginning of your career. However, it’s important to carefully judge which jobs, tasks, and responsibilities you can reasonably take on without your mental health and quality of work suffering. Prioritize important tasks and avoid taking on too much at once.

2. Prioritize Sleep

Ensure you get enough rest, even with irregular hours. A well-rested mind enhances creativity and productivity. This may mean foregoing after-show activities or waiting until another day to catch up on watching Netflix or other leisure activities. You need sleep if you’re going to truly enjoy those things, so give yourself the opportunity to recharge.

Avoid using your phone right before bed. This can disrupt sleep cycles and stimulate your mind when you’re supposed to be winding down.

3. Incorporate Regular Exercise

Physical activity helps relieve stress and keeps your body and mind healthy, which is key to managing the demands of the industry. Making gym attendance part of your routine is a great way to develop positive exercise habits. If you’re on the road or it’s impossible to get away from a gym session, go for a run or walk – even if it’s just around the hotel or concert venue.

Likewise, performing stretches can help promote flexibility and strength, and exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, and chin-ups can be done anywhere.

4. Schedule Breaks

Take short breaks during work sessions, especially long recording or rehearsal hours. This helps prevent burnout. Even if you’re burning the midnight oil, a 20-minute break for fresh air or to call your family can be a great way to reset and prepare your mind for another long stretch of work.

5. Practice Mindfulness

Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga can help manage stress and keep you grounded. These practices are well-suited to a life of unpredictability. They can be done on the road, in the recording studio, and even in the green room.

6. Create a Structured Routine

If you’re touring, or if other job-related demands require you to constantly change location or follow an unpredictable sleep-wake cycle, your version of a structured routine may look different than those of people in more traditional careers.

As much as possible, establishing some form of daily or weekly schedule can help you manage time more effectively, which will give your life some structure and reduce stress from unpredictable work hours.

7. Limit Social Media Use

Constantly being online can be draining. Set limits on how much time you spend using social platforms. According to some estimates, it’s best to limit social media time to just 30 minutes to two hours per day. This may not seem practical, especially if managing social media accounts is part of your job, but the important thing is to be mindful of how much time you spend on social media and not let it claim all of your free time.

8. Pursue Hobbies Outside of Music

Engage in activities unrelated to your profession to refresh your creativity and balance your mental well-being. Gardening, hiking, dancing, fishing, cooking, and playing video games can be a great reward for your hard work and give your brain much-needed variety.

Incorporate creative downtime. This allows you to engage in creative activities without the pressure of producing work for your career—like casual jamming, journaling, or painting.

9. Set Achievable Goals and Celebrate Small Wins

Break large tasks and objectives into smaller, manageable goals to stay organized and focused. Don’t set out from your hometown with the vague goal of ‘making it in music’. Instead, set practical objectives that will point you toward bigger goals such as releasing an album on vinyl, hitting a certain number of streams, selling out a large venue, touring internationally, or playing at Lollapalooza.

Acknowledge progress, even if it’s minor, to keep spirits high and motivation strong. Practice gratitude and reflect on your achievements and positive moments. This helps maintain motivation and emotional well-being.

10. Take Care of Your Body

Staying hydrated and eating balanced meals helps maintain energy levels and mental clarity, especially during long studio sessions or performances. Nutritious meals fuel the body and mind, promoting sustained energy and better decision-making.

On long tours or driving back late from a show, it can be tempting to live off of energy drinks and fast food. However, proper nutrition will help you maintain a positive mood, manage stress, reduce band in-fighting, and keep your immune system strong.

Further, it’s important to avoid smoking and other tobacco products. People who regularly have feelings of “severe psychological distress” are nearly three times as likely to smoke as those who do not have these feelings, at 28.1% vs. 10.9%. However, smoking can cause inflammation throughout your body, weaken your immune system, and exponentially increase risks of heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.

To stay healthy today and invest in a healthier future, it’s important to drink water, eat balanced meals, and avoid using tobacco products.

Conclusion

Following these tips will help you create a healthy work-life balance while working in the music industry. However, many music professionals need more than nutritious diets, realistic workloads, healthy hobbies, and sustainable sleeping habits. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to consult a therapist or counselor.

With the rise of online therapy, there are more options than ever for people in the music industry to receive professional help no matter where they are.

Additionally, support networks can help give you the human connection you need to manage this stressful lifestyle and maintain your mental health. Surround yourself with fellow musicians and industry professionals, or friends who understand the pressures of the industry and can offer emotional support.

These tips will help maintain balance and protect your mental health in the demanding music industry. These tips foster mental, emotional, and physical well-being, supporting long-term success in the music industry.