Nutrition for Musicians

Panic attacks, anxiety, depression, moodiness, crying bouts, sadness, bad temper, fatigue, excessive sleeping, and lack of interest are all symptoms of post-performance depression (PPD).

Remember the runner’s high explained in post 1? 

Endorphins (naturally made narcotics) and adrenaline (stress hormone) flood your brain and body before and during the performance giving you a feeling of ecstasy.

The successful show and the celebrations end and you relax on your bed getting ready for the well-earned rest. All of a sudden you are hit with shades of negative emotions, some are really dark like panic attacks or anxiety and some are lighter like sadness, lethargy, fatigue, lack of interest. This can go on for days. And you are left wondering why you feel that way when you should be celebrating your success!

In order for your body to recalibrate, it will shut or slow down the supply of endorphins until it cleans up the chemical cocktail leftovers from the performance day. 

This means the natural fix is cut off so you will experience feelings similar to withdrawal symptoms like mood swings, anger, bad temper, sadness, PMS to name a few. 

At the same time, your body needs to allocate its energy to the process of repair and recovery, so it sends you signals of fatigue, sleep, and lack of interest. 

Note that lows are usually equal to the highs. For artists, the highs are too high that is why the lows are too low.

Those symptoms in our modern society are defined as "depression", while in fact your body is just trying to tell you “I need some nourishment because I worked hard”! 

If the artist freaks out consciously or subconsciously from those symptoms, he/she will experience unexplained panic attacks and anxiety or bouts of anger (the difference between panic and anxiety attack).

My suggestions for the prevention or release of PPD symptoms holistically: 

• To avoid PPD, be ahead of the show’s stress by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, once you get PPD you and your practitioner will be working on healing the body from the damage rather than preventing it from happening in the first place.
• Honour your body, it is working with you not against you. 
• Do not beat yourself up and speak about it. The more you keep those emotions in and beat yourself up over feeling that way, the more it will intensify. Talk about it to your loved ones and trustable artists who will be able to connect with you.

In an interview with David Garrett and his mom, he was sharing his experience with panic attacks. His mom asked “why you never told me?” he answered “no 32 years old man wants to go to his mom and tell her that he is afraid at night .. ”  “No one wants to admit they reached this point, but they have to” (link to interview).

Mat Zo threw a genius sentence when asked about the dark side of the life of performers, he said “…For those with anxiety, hotel rooms are like prison cells” (link to full article).

This is a perfect illustration for being in a place that is not your home, laying on a bed that is not yours, alone and exhausted. But you have a choice not be alone, especially in this era where everyone you care about and who cares about you is one finger touch away. 

• Meditation, visualization, breathing techniques and "my all preferred" EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping) those modalities will lower your stress levels and help your body and mind cope with the pressure. Make one or more of those modalities a daily routine or at least for a few days before the event until the last few minutes before the show starts.

Johannes Moser has a mental coach who guides him visualizing every little detail of his concerts before the concert takes place to minimize the stress and excitement during and after the concert (link to interview). 

• Herbs and supplements:

Adaptogens daily in the morning like Macca root (mild), rhodiola (strong), holy basil (mild and great for digestive issues as well) and before bed valerian root and passion flower. 

Supplements like magnesium (before bed), vitamin C, B5 and B6 are food for the adrenals, they help support the body during stressful times. 

• Eat healthy food, sleep long and deep, ground yourself in nature, those are the basic your body needs to be healthy.