Music producers and artists often seem to suffer from depression from time to time, so here are 10 tools I use to get out of depression.
We go into some of the reasons I think help contribute towards depression in musicians and artists, and then the 10 steps I take to help myself get out of it…
DISCLAIMER: I’m NOT a psychologist! I’m sharing some tools that work for me. These are just some things to try out. If they don’t work for you…fair enough. If you have suicidal thoughts, PLEASE seek help from a qualified professional!
►► Download my Depression Checklist Here: http://bit.ly/2t7TIH3
OK, here are some of the reasons I think music producers and artists suffer from depression:
1. Isolation and lack of social interaction.
2. Lack of being part of a group effort towards a shared goal.
3. Attachment to outcome rather than process.
This is my personal checklist I ask myself when feeling depressed, developed from experience, therapy, and research – in order:
1. Check my integrity.
Have I done something / not done something that I know I should or shouldn’t have (i.e. am I “out of integrity”). If the answer is “yes”, how can I atone, apologise or otherwise clear up the mess as quickly as possible? Do that.
2. Have I done enough exercise lately?
If “no”, then exercise.
3. Have I been drinking too much alcohol lately?
If “yes”, stop for a while.
4. Have I been eating healthily?
If not, do that – at least during the week. Treat myself at the weekends.
5. Stop and realise how lucky I am.
Count my blessings. They are many. I have food, shelter, family, health and friends. I don’t have to work in a mine 12 hours a day.
6. Am I just thinking about myself too much?
What could I do now that would make someone I care about feel great? Do that.
7. Be honest about it with someone who cares about me.
Or just get out and see friends or go to the gym and be around people. Sometimes the latter makes the former obsolete.
8. Realise that many, many (billions) of people go through this, and have done, forever.
It is not unusual, I am not special in that regard. Have some empathy for myself and others. Don’t feel “unique” in this regard. It’ll just make me feel more isolated, and it’s simply untrue.
9. Am I being attached to some egotistic desired outcome (e.g. being rich and famous so people will finally know how great I am?).
If the answer is yes, revert back to being better than I was yesterday. Compare myself to with my former self, not to people whom I don’t know, with – in reality – difficulties and struggles of their own.
10. The humdinger! What if everything is empty and meaningless, and this is all made up, and nothing is anything (proper bed-ridden depression)?
Realise that if this is the case, then life is just like a rollercoaster ride or a brief holiday, so try and enjoy it and help others enjoy theirs.
BONUS: If NONE of the above works (they usually will), I just accept that I’m just in a funk, and it WILL end given some time, as it has done many times before, like bad weather. Perform duties and continue doing 1 to 10 ’til it lifts. It will lift.
Again, DISCLAIMER: I’m NOT a psychologist! I’m sharing some tools that work for me. These are just some things to try out. If they don’t work for you…fair enough. If you have suicidal thoughts, PLEASE seek help from a qualified professional!
If you find this useful, please share it, or drop me a comment below to let me know if it helps.
Thanks, Will
►► Download my Depression Checklist Here: http://bit.ly/2t7TIH3
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