Signs of Music Career Burnout and How to Overcome It

Feeling drained and uninspired in your music career? Learn to recognize the signs of music career burnout and learn seven powerful strategies to reignite your passion and creativity.

Signs of Music Career Burnout and How to Overcome It

by Lisa Occhino via Bandzoogle

Pretty much all of us who work in music have had those weeks — or months — where everything feels like an endless grind. The passion you once felt is starting to fade, and it’s being replaced with self-doubt, apathy, and mounting pressure.

It never used to be this difficult to motivate yourself to create or take initiative. After all, you’re doing what you love, right? Cue the layers of guilt and shame on top of everything else you’re already dealing with.

When you’re in the thick of it, it’s hard to tell the difference between regular old stress and true burnout. The thing is, there are several stages of burnout, and your body might already be trying to give you warning signs that something more serious is creeping up on you.

Burnout is defined as sustained emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. It doesn’t care whether you’re a student, hobbyist, or professional, and it can impact you at any stage of your career.

The most important thing is that you don’t wait until you hit rock bottom before you admit you need to address it. The longer you put it off, the harder a time you’ll have bouncing back.

By recognizing the red flags of music career burnout early on, you can employ strategies right away that help you recalibrate and get your spark back.

5 signs of music career burnout

1. Constantly feeling drained (even after resting)

Everyone goes through brief periods of fatigue sometimes. But if you’re constantly feeling physically and emotionally drained — even after time off and sleep — then you’re likely already in burnout.

For musicians, this kind of exhaustion can be compounded by demanding performance schedules, long hours of practice, or overworking yourself due to financial stress. After a while, you’ll start to notice that you’re losing the enjoyment you once felt when working on music.

2. A loss of motivation

Many of us who chose a music career are highly driven, goal-oriented people. We’re so passionate about music that it can feel like an all-or-nothing pursuit.

If you usually identify this way but lately have no clear sense of direction, this is a definite warning sign. You might feel like you no longer have concrete goals that you’re making progress on, or you’ve lost the drive to work on musical projects altogether.

3. An increase in negative thoughts and self-doubt

Another sign of burnout is persistent and worsening self-criticism, anxiety, or fear of failure. Musicians can be especially prone to imposter syndrome. With so much competition out there, it’s easy to doubt your talent and feel like you don’t belong.

Notice if you’re comparing yourself to your peers more than usual, feeling like you’re never good enough, and questioning the career decisions you’ve made.

4. Feeling isolated or disconnected

As you get deeper into burnout, you’ll likely experience a sense of loneliness and isolation. You might feel unsupported by others or disconnected from your community.

Social support is crucial in combating burnout, so be extra mindful if you’re pursuing an independent solo career or you’re in a remote setting.

5. Developing stress-related illnesses

The body can only handle so much chronic stress before it shows up physically. When you’re in burnout, you’re much more likely to have tension headaches, digestive issues, sleep problems, or even physical pain related to playing your instrument.

Any of these physical symptoms that start happening regularly are a clear sign your body is overwhelmed and not getting the rest it desperately needs. Trying to power through is dangerous to your health and ultimately could land you in the hospital.

7 strategies to overcome music career burnout

1. Take an intentional break to regroup

Taking a true break is the best way to complete the stress cycle, release pent-up tension, and help your body reset. Remember that you need to rest both physically and mentally, or you’ll keep feeling stuck. Your health is at stake, so don’t feel guilty about time off.

Plan a few days or weeks to disconnect from any stressful aspects of your usual routine, to whatever extent you can manage. Use this time to relax, travel, meditate, read, or take up a non-musical hobby.

2. Reevaluate your goals and priorities

Setting tangible, achievable goals will bring back a sense of purpose. After you’ve taken some time off and can think more clearly, reevaluate what your priorities truly are. There’s no shame in admitting that they may have changed.

Perhaps you want to learn a new piece, audition for an ensemble, or master a production technique. Break down any big goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Make sure these goals actually bring you enjoyment and excitement, not just productivity.

3. Surround yourself with support

A strong social support network is crucial for beating burnout. Be intentional about spending more time with people who inspire and motivate you. Prioritize people you trust who can provide emotional stability and a rational perspective.

Your support network could include fellow musicians, friends, family, mentors, or colleagues. Consider attending workshops, performances, or social events within your local music community to reignite your sense of belonging.

4. Practice self-compassion

Everyone’s timeline and process is going to look different, and it’s important to trust in your own. Practice self-compassion and try to avoid being too hard on yourself for experiencing burnout. Recovery takes time, and comparing yourself to others will only exacerbate your symptoms.

If any negative thoughts come up about your music career progress, acknowledge them and challenge them. Everyone goes through ups and downs, and you deserve as much space as you need to heal.

5. Move your body

Moving your body is particularly beneficial for releasing chronic stress. Any form of movement such as walking, stretching, or dancing will help you get the mental rest you need.

Incorporate these movement breaks at regular intervals throughout the day. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it’s something you enjoy and leaves your mind feeling refreshed!

6. Rediscover the joy of music

Playing music for the sheer pleasure of it can help you reconnect with why you started in the first place.

Try improvising, playing your favorite pieces just for fun, writing a silly song, or exploring a new genre that excites you. The idea is to remove the pressure of performance, achievement, or any other goal-oriented outcome for this period of time.

7. Seek professional help if needed

Sometimes we need external support beyond what our friends and family can offer, and that’s perfectly normal. If your burnout symptoms persist despite your best efforts, consider speaking to a mental health professional.

Seek out a therapist or counselor who specializes in burnout or musicians’ mental health. They can help you come up with tailored strategies for your specific issues, and provide you with the tools you need to prevent burnout in the future.