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A Sound Designer Prepares: Mind and Body

When I’m preparing to go into tech for a new show, there’s a lot I have to do to prepare.  Some of these things include:  Making sure my paperwork is correct and up to date, checking all show hardware (speakers, mics, consoles, computers, etc.), programming consoles and playback systems, and making sure my crew is also prepped and ready to go.  I must admit that I used to always prioritize these needs above my own personal needs.  I’m a pretty tough person, and I know that I can power through hunger, aches, and pains, and sleep deprivation, but after years of operating in this way (and let’s be real, after getting older) I find that while I CAN still power through, it’s not worth it.  My mind, body, and even my work suffer from that kind of self-neglect.  In this blog, I’m letting you know about a few things I make sure to take care of when I’m preparing for a new show.  These recommendations will keep you on the right track to mindful and healthy work.

(Good) Food=Fuel

Ok, I know we all love to load our tech tables up with tech snacks (….right?? Or is this just me…I’m a snacker), but is your snack stock loaded with sugary/processed foods?  If so, these snacks are not helping you be your best brilliant self.  For me, specifically, I also try to look for quiet snacks, so crunchy is out!  Some great whole food options that will double as a brain boost are blueberries, walnuts, seeds (hemp, flax, chia, and pumpkin are great omega-3 foods), coconut chips, almonds, and avocado (I’m a Cali girl, so I’ll just split one open and eat with a spoon!). For meals, consider whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and whole-grain pasta to increase your focus and concentration.  Beans and salmon are also excellent brain boosters, and the preparation possibilities are endless!  Stick to water, coffee, and tea to keep your brain in tip-top condition, and go for dark chocolate if you need a sweet pick-me-up!  These superfoods are sure to keep your bad self on point all tech week long!

Photo Credit Favorece
https://www.favorece.net/ 
Photo Credit Favorece

More (Brain) Rest Is Best

It may be obvious to say that a good night’s sleep is imperative during a high-intensity work week, but getting those 8 hours (or as close to 8 as possible) isn’t the only thing we can do to keep ourselves rested enough to keep out brains sharp.  When you start to feel your mind wandering or you’re getting too tired to focus, take one of those 10-minute breaks and treat yourself to a power nap.  Just 10 minutes is all you need to disconnect and reengage for a renewed sense of sharper thinking.  Engaging your unfocus brain can also do wonders.  If naps aren’t for you, on the next 10, step away from the computer and walk around the space.  Talk to friends about cats.  Plan your opening night outfit.  Do something to disengage from the work, and reap the benefits from your newly readied brain when break time is over.  Free walking can also greatly increase your creative focus.  During the dinner break, resist staying the full 2 hours grinding out all of your notes.  Instead, dedicate at least 30 minutes to aimless walking (so around a park, or a quick little trail as opposed to something structured like a track).  Do it outside for an extra brain boost bonus!

Low Stress Is More Productive

We all know that tech week can be very stress-inducing, so lowering your personal stress is a great way to enter the week.  Some little things you can do to lower your personal stress are:  Making sure you have your laundry done (and put away…I know, yuck, but you’ll thank me later) the week before tech starts, meal/snack prepping for the week, stashing few extra device chargers in your bag, locating and cleaning your two favorite water bottles (hydrate or die-drate, I always say), and canceling any social plans that fall during tech week.  Drinks after a long day of tech can seem really cathartic and fun, but that activity is not going to help with your mindful self-care, so instead, save it for opening night, and go all out!  If you need to wind down at the end of the day, try a bubble bath followed by 20 minutes of relaxation low-intensity yoga right before bed.  Couple this with 20 minutes of morning yoga after your morning coffee, and I promise you’ll be unstoppable.

Remember that you got this contract because this company values your skills.  That is why we always work so hard to over-perform during tech, but when we don’t listen to our minds and bodies, those skills are not shining at their fullest potential, and we are also left suffering for the cause.  Advocate for yourself and your needs, and listen to your body.  It knows what to do.

SoundGirls Self-Care: Coping with Anxiety

What is anxiety? “Anxiety is a normal and often healthy emotion. However, when a person regularly feels disproportionate levels of anxiety, it might become a medical disorder. Anxiety disorders form a category of mental health diagnoses that lead to excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry.” 1

Working in the Entertainment Industry can be stressful at times. During the past few weeks alone due to COVID-19, festivals, concerts, tours, and corporate gigs were canceled. This aftermath created a lot of fear and anxiety not only in our work industry but many others as well.

As someone who deals with anxiety and mental health, I think it is very important for Mental Health Awareness to be brought into light during this difficult time for many. In this article, I will discuss coping skills for anxiety that are worth sharing.

Take a Time Out 

With everything going on in the news it’s a good time to take time out and learn Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is “ the process of purposely bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment, which one develops through the practice of meditation and through other training” Turn off your phone. Go for a walk. Listen to music. Practice Yoga. 2

Exercise your Mindfulness skills.

Accept That You Cannot Control Everything 

Anxiety mostly stems from worrying about things we cannot control. We are powerless over things we cannot control. What we are in control of though, are our emotions and reactions. This is a great time to learn how to channel negative emotions and problems into positive thoughts and solutions.

Reach Out 

Whenever we are feeling down and out, it is best to reach out. Talking about your feelings with others is a great way to express yourself. I am thankful for the SoundGirls Facebook Group!

There are so many people sharing resources and being an outlet for one another during this hard time.

Anxiety is a normal emotion, but it cannot define us and take over our lives. We must learn how to cope with negative emotions and thoughts. This isn’t a process that can happen overnight, but with hard work, discipline, and coping skills we can all overcome our fears and anxiety.

1 Felman, A. (2020, January 11). Anxiety: Overview, symptoms, causes, and treatments. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323454 2 Felman, A. (2020, January 11). Anxiety: Overview, symptoms, causes, and treatments. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323454

Self-care: Develop a Routine That Works For You.

 

Self-care is a trending phrase and life choice that many people choose to participate in, designed to create a healthy environment for one’s self to deal with various factors within their lives.

Personally, I think self-care is a healthy practice, but for people in our industry, it may look drastically different compared to others. Advice or health blogs suggest self-care steps such as sleep when you are tired, meditate daily, meal prep, exercise for an hour every day, eat right, and more.

All great ideas, but not always plausible for people in our industry. How can we practice self-care when working extremely long hours, living off buses, jumping from show to show, meeting recording deadlines, and more?  Here are some ideas that you can tailor into your daily self-care routine or develop one with.

Drink water – Start your day off with a large glass of water.  Easy to do wherever you are and a healthy first step to any day to get you started on the right foot.

Bring your favorite snack – Already know your day is going to be long with limited breaks. Grab a few of your favorite snacks, preventing yourself from getting hangry and something you can look forward to in your busy day.

Exercise – It doesn’t have to be an hour; it can be 10 minutes. Challenge your coworkers to a plank challenge. Develop a 15-minute routine you can do anywhere consisting of pushups, sit-ups, squats, and jumping jacks.

Wear one of your favorites – A favorite shirt, shoes, socks, or even your favorite necklace. Wear it. Frequently we wear black, and that’s ok, but no one says you can’t wear a cute pair of earrings with your black clothes. Wear something you enjoy and do it for you.

Journal – When your day is done, instead of streaming social media until you fall asleep, write about your day. Journal your thoughts and feelings, let our some of the bottled-up emotions out, leave it on paper, and then move forward.

Take a minute for yourself – It’s ok to take a minute for yourself even on an extremely hectic day. Step away, regain your thoughts, make an action plan, and move forward. In the long run, taking that moment can help you so much more than not. If you absolutely can’t do this, then find someone who can help you. Send them for your favorite drink or to grab a plate from catering for you. Take that moment to make the rest of the day better.

Speak positively to yourself – We tend to be hard on ourselves and even worse on tough days. Change your inner voice and speak positively to yourself. Work on developing a new perspective to notice positive things first, then address the negative things striving to make them positive.

Take a moment to permanently solve a problem– If you are continually running into an issue as you jump from show to show or recording session instead of spending 10 minutes temporarily fixing it only to do it again tomorrow. Take that hour to permanently fix it. This will save you frustration and annoyance each day and is self-care. Finding permeant solutions to daily issues make it easier and is a benefit to you every day. This frees up time and energy for anything else that may pop up or could actually allow for you to take that deserved break.

If you find you cannot fit in any or enough self-care steps every day, then make sure to set aside a day or two for yourself each month. Take yourself on a movie date, shut off all electronics for a day, read something for fun, cook for yourself. Find something you enjoy that provides satisfaction and do it. Taking care of yourself means you will be able to continue taking care of everything, and everyone else you encounter each day. Self-care will look and feel differently for everyone. Find 2-3 things for you, so you can handle our crazy industry a little bit better every day.

 

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