The myth of stress

I won't be the first and I certainly won't be the last person to say there is too much stress in our lives - nor is this my first time addressing this here.  However, there's a great article floating around Facebook again about the negative impact of being busy, and I have many students about ready to succumb to the stress of final exams and auditions.  But, as I remind them (and myself), stress is a self-created, self-imposed, destructive concept, and one we simply don't need!  

Jeff Nelsen once wrote- why do we stress about rush-hour traffic? is it unusual or unexpected? 
I find this so relevant! When we get stressed, are we surprised that we have exams to pass, or that we want to succeed in an upcoming concert? These stressors that exist in our daily lives often take on mammoth proportions, and are not contributing to our well-being and success in a positive way.  Being upset about traffic, a looming exam or an impending audition does not help us get around the jam, ace the exam or nail that audition! If stress (in moderation) can be a motivator for you, by all means- use it as a tool! But when it cannot positively affect the outcome of the situation, acknowledge its destructiveness and find a way to work through it.  To nail that concert, you must be focused, relaxed and channeling your energy positively into the music and able to focus on your priorities. To ace the exam, your mind has to be able to receive and process the information as you study and you must be sleeping well for your brain to digest it.  

On a related note - we often closely link stress with busyness.  It is not necessarily a bad thing to be busy. I often find myself most productive when I have many things on my plate at once. However, we should not look with pride at the fact that we haven't slept a full nights' sleep in days or that we do not have time to see friends or read a good book.  If being busy is helpful to your productivity and success, by all means, keep at it! But if you become overwhelmed by your workload or are not taking time to tend to your needs, consider if this busyness is in fact having diminishing returns on your life and health.  

To avoid stress and the dangers of being too busy, consider this instead: be productive. Prioritize your tasks at hand and your big picture goals.  Use your time as efficiently as possible, and when you can take a moment for you, actually do so!  Watch that episode of Modern Family and enjoy it! Leave your emails and organization time for the commercials so your brain has time to recharge and you get to laugh!  We are not as efficient multi-taskers as we think! Trying to watch tv, text your friend and do long tones simultaneously is not going to be as productive as doing one at a time.  Do focused practice,  (turn your phone off!), address one small task at a time, and have great "to-do" lists that keep you aware of immediate tasks and bigger projects that cannot be left to the last minute. When you have a handle on what you need to accomplish and a timeline budget, you will feel much calmer and able to cope.  

To do: Create a to-do list for your day and a goal sheet for short and long term musical aspirations.  Look at your to-do list and decide when you can accomplish these tasks and then ask yourself: what am I doing to tend to my long-term projects? Finally, examine how you react to various scenarios today and ask yourself: can I be more productive with my time? Am I allowing unnecessary stress into my life? Am I functioning in a way that is contributing to my success? These tasks and this self-awareness will give you a new perspective on your effectiveness and any unnecessary stress and busyness in your life.  Good luck!