I don’t know if it’s a post-covid thing or not, but I’m filled with Gig Anxiety. Full honesty, I’ve been having a hard time getting to the finish line on a handful of gigs this year alone. Its hard to ignore how many roadies that I’m talking to out on the road that are going through the same thing. It sucks, and I’m done letting it fuck with me. Here is “Gig Anxiety – What Exactly It Is And How Do I Get Rid Of It?”
I heard something a long time ago (from and unknown source) that always resonated with me. “Real Change Happens When You Become Sick Of Your Own Shit”. There’s only one way around this one. Straight through it.
So… let’s get down to it and find out “What Exactly It Is and How Do I Get Rid Of It?” with our every-trusty template of breaking it down into categories.
- What Exactly Is Gig Anxiety?
- Why Do I Get It?
- How Do I Get Rid Of It?
What Exactly Is Gig Anxiety?
I think in it’s rawest form, Gig Anxiety is the fear of failure. For me at least, it’s the overwhelming worry that I’m missing something, or things are gonna go wrong, or even the anticipation of “I hope it goes ok”.
It’s your mind conspiring against you. Although this can very well be the reason you’re so good at your job, it’s probably more unhealthy than any of us would like to believe.
It’s tricky and it can disguise itself in many forms. This is how it rears it’s ugly face for me:
- Anxiousness (obviously…)
- Restlessness
- Lack of appetite or feeling sick to my stomach
- Loss of sleep (Tossing and turning, and night terrors)
- Irritability (Probably just annoyed cuz I’m tired)
- Fear
- Headaches
Different people feel anxiety in different ways. There is no template here on how you feel the pressure. While some folks wake up in the middle of the night and have send themselves emails, others might be ready to rip your head off if you ask them a simple question. Either way, now we’ve labelled it and defined it, Why Do I Get It?
Why Do I Get It?
Lack Of Sleep
I’ve said this before, but if you start to fall asleep and continuously get woken up, it’s literally a step by step guide to torturing someone. When I don’t get enough sleep, it makes me go crazy. Burn out sets in, making anxiety worse because my coping mechanisms aren’t as strong when I’m exhausted. I’m not talking generally tired either. I’m talking weeks on end of a restless 4-6 hours of sleep/night. It’s almost impossible to get control of your emotions.
Poor Diet
I wouldn’t dare say that those donuts for load in and after show pizza are bad for you. I wouldn’t do that. Although it’s actually crazy that the “Roadie Diet” is the complete opposite of what it should be. If we’re making people work 14-16 hours/day, we should, at the bare minimum, fuel them properly. When I eat poorly, my performance and thought processes take a dump.
Change
They say its great for growth to step outside of your comfort zone. That’s all great and all, but it’s also scary. Whether its starting a new gig, or the gig you’re currently is about to have a high pressure situation, stepping too far out of your comfort zone can be terrifying. At that point, things that are normally easy, feel harder to accomplish or give your undivided attention to.
Level Of Preparation
Any gig, no matter the size of it or the position you are covering will give you guaranteed anxiety if you are unprepared. If the team is not very present, this will add to it cuz you are alone in the driver’s seat for your department. The problems will ultimately fall onto your lap at an inopportune moment.
How Do I Get Rid Of It?
Fuck, I dunno… You’d think I’d master the solution before I write about it? NOPE, NOT HERE.
That being said, there are a lot of ways to fight anxiety in general. I’m not a Dr. and this isn’t professional advice, but this is what works for me:
Breathe, Baby, Breathe!
I listen to a lot of podcasts and read a lot of books on becoming mentally and physically tough. Its hard to ignore that pretty well all of the experts are saying the same stuff. Controlling your breathing is the key to settling your mind and your body.
For me though, telling me to “breathe through it” when I’m having a meltdown is less than productive. So I’ve learned another way. Again, I’m no doc. But this seems to be working for me. Here’s how:
Breathe; Get Out Ahead Of It
I learned from an ex Navy SEAL Master Chief how to get out ahead of your anxiety with breath control. Before I go to do anything that would normally make me anxious, this is how I breathe. 2 secs of hard breath in through my nose, then a quick exhale from my throat making the noise “HA”. I do this 3 times in a row.
I know what you’re thinking… doesn’t that make you hyperventilate? The answer is yes… and I think that’s the point. When I do it, my senses are heightened and my body/mind know it’s time to party.
If you’re thinking you’ve heard this before… I learned this from the Cold Showers: Habit Formation section on the Mental App.
Breathe; Slow It Down
The next step after I get myself all riled up from my chaotic breathing above, is to slow it all down. I slowly breathe in through my nose taking as big of a breath as I can. Double inhale at the end, Huberman style. But on this one, I breathe out double the amount of time that I breathed in. So… 4 seconds breath in through the nose, 6-8 seconds slow exhale through my mouth.
I started practicing these when I wasn’t in panic mode… Well kinda… When I was getting into cold showers. Now, I’m starting to do it by default when I know I’m gonna plow full speed into something that would normally trigger me.
Routine
This one is obviously tough due to our revolving schedules and ever-changing surroundings. If I have learned anything on this wellness journey, it’s that your routines are the key to success. If you can do things for yourself that make you stronger, faster, better, and healthier without having to think about it, that’s the winning formula.
Leave those stressful micro-decisions out of your process. I try to do my routine without thinking. It doesn’t matter how I feel, how tired, or sad, or anxious I am. I know this will make me feel better. This works for me.
This is my current routine that I’m trying while on tour:
Due to time restraints, I’m normally prioritizing actual sleep so the idea is to keep it quick.
- Wake up
- Meditate and remind myself of what I’m grateful for. (Forcing myself to smile to trick myself)
- Drink 16oz of water (500ml)
- Take my supplements. Link to what supplements I take here
- Eat a clean breakfast. 3 eggs (hard boiled), clean meat and avocado if I can, 1 small piece of healthy bread.
This is my current routine that I’m trying while at home:
- Same as above although supplementing with these additional steps.
- Peameal bacon added into my breakfast. Yuh know… Canadian stuff.
- Go to the gym. Lift Heavy.
- Listen to music or a podcast at the gym to get the vibe right.
- Have a protein shake
- Have a shower
- Breathing exercises
- Get After It
Side note… I used to go to the gym to lose weight. All of my exercise routines were always about cutting fat and strict dieting. Probably from growing up in competitive sports that require you to make weight limits. Now that I’m older, I’m exercising to keep my mental health right and focussed on workouts that make me strong more than workouts that make me lose weight. I find it less daunting and easier to pick up when my fitness has been lacking. Anyways… Next point, put in the work.
Put In The Work
If you’re pacing around your office space chewing your fingernails off, chances are you can sling shot yourself back into the zone if you just simply get some work done. Scratch off some of those items on the ol’ to-do list to feel some sort of progress. Chalk up some W’s. The anxiety is likely coming from the unknown. Dive into it and prepare yourself.
Baby steps though. This is straight from a therapist I’ve seen about this exact topic. If anxiety is linear, if something gets you into the negative, do something to move it back in the right direction. Progress, not perfection.
This will give you the confidence to put your anxiety into a headlock. Temporarily at least… And closer to the goal.
Lastly, Bounce Your Ideas Off Of People
If you’re feeling unprepared like mentioned above and it’s giving you Gig Anxiety, ask a bunch of friends or find a mentor that you can bounce your ideas off of. Listen to the solutions as if each one is the best advice you’ve ever had. Play it out in your mind. If it feels right, it probably is. If not, well… you know.
Summary
Remember, when you’re scared or not thinking properly, your training will take over. Set yourself up for success instead of relying on being able to “handle it” when it happens.
The reason you have gig anxiety is probably cuz you care about the gig and want it to go well. In moderation, this is a good thing. As long as it doesn’t consume you, use it to your advantage and go crush like the beast you are.
As always, you need anything… I’m here. [email protected]
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