Managing Anxiety: Navigating Music Industry Social Interactions
From networking events and industry parties to collaboration meetings and live performances, growing and maintaining a professional circle of connections is essential for success.
Yet, beneath the vibrancy of the music industry lies a reality that many artists and professionals grapple with silently: anxiety in social interactions. Whether you're an emerging artist looking to network, a seasoned musician navigating collaborations, or a behind-the-scenes industry insider, the demands of social interactions can be overwhelming and cause self-doubt.
In this blog post, we'll delve into the complex world of managing anxiety within the music industry, offering a few basic insights to help you increase your understanding of anxiety so you can overcome its challenges, both personally and professionally, in the spotlight.
First, a note on anxiousness and anxiety
Feeling anxious or nervous is usually associated with an acute response to a stressful event. These feelings are to be expected and mostly temporary. It’s very normal to feel anxious before hitting the stage for example. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it can make you more alert and focused. Most performing artists will say that the nervousness wanes once they’re a few minutes into their performance.
Anxiety on the other hand is more persistent and often seems to arise randomly. The difference lies in the severity and persistence of symptoms. It is disruptive to your daily activities, creative process and social interactions.
Anxiousness and anxiety are often used interchangeably. But it’s important to note that anxiety and anxiety disorders require a diagnosis by a professional. So be mindful of self-diagnosing and be discerning when using these terms. It can be especially confusing with social media sprinkling these around and causing misunderstandings - albeit unintentionally.
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How do I know what triggers my anxiety?
It helps to recognise anxiety and to be able to identify symptoms first so you can take action towards managing it or seeking help from your GP or any other professional.
Below you can find a list to help you on your way:
Psychological Symptoms:
Excessive Worry: Constant and uncontrollable worrying about various aspects of life, often involving irrational or exaggerated fears.
Restlessness: Feeling on edge, restless, or constantly keyed up.
Irritability: Easily getting frustrated or irritated, sometimes over minor issues.
Difficulty Concentrating: Finding it hard to focus or concentrate on tasks due to racing thoughts.
Mind Going Blank: Experiencing moments when your mind feels blank, making it difficult to think or make decisions.
Anticipatory Anxiety: Worrying excessively about future events or situations, even when they are not imminent.
Catastrophizing: Expecting the worst-case scenario to happen in any situation.
Fear of Losing Control: A persistent fear of losing control or going crazy.
Perfectionism: Setting impossibly high standards for yourself and being overly critical of your performance.
Social Withdrawal: Avoiding social situations or events due to fear of judgement or embarrassment.
Physical Symptoms:
Muscle Tension: Experiencing muscle tension, aches, or soreness, especially in the neck, shoulders, and back.
Fatigue: Feeling constantly tired or fatigued, even after adequate rest.
Sweating: Excessive sweating, especially in stressful situations.
Trembling or Shaking: Shaking hands, quivering voice, or trembling limbs.
Increased Heart Rate: A racing heart or palpitations.
Shortness of Breath: Rapid or shallow breathing, often accompanied by a feeling of suffocation.
Nausea or Upset Stomach: Experiencing stomach discomfort, nausea, or gastrointestinal issues.
Dizziness or Lightheadedness: Feeling dizzy or like you might faint.
Chest Pain or Discomfort: Chest tightness or pain, which can mimic heart-related issues.
Frequent Urination: Needing to use the restroom more often due to anxiety-related tension.
Sleep Disturbances: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing restless sleep.
Panic Attacks: Sudden and intense episodes of fear or terror, often accompanied by physical symptoms like chest pain, sweating, and a sense of impending doom.
(Sourced from NHS, NIMH, my GP and my psychologist. Note that this is not meant to self-diagnose, but meant to help you explain possible symptoms to a professional better.)
It's important to note that anxiety symptoms can vary from person to person, and individuals may experience a combination of psychological and physical symptoms. In some cases, you might not even realise you have anxiety because you’re desensitised and unaware of your almost permanent hypervigilant state.
At the risk of repeating this again, when in doubt, know that help is available to you. And trust your gut. When you sense something is off, it doesn’t hurt to follow that hunch and act on it.
“Before I was diagnosed with PTSD early 2023, I spent a few years suspecting I had it. But I didn’t feel ready to look it in the eye. Until the severe anxiety and intrusive thoughts disrupted my daily activities so much that I felt compelled to stop working as a coach and counsellor for a few months. The spasms I experienced each night kept me from sleeping - and kept my partner up at night as well. So I knew it was high time to take action. Don’t procrastinate on getting help, and at the same time, allow yourself grace whilst respecting your own pace and journey.”
What are the top triggers for anxiety?
Anxiety can be triggered by various factors, and what triggers anxiety can vary significantly from person to person.
Here are some common triggers for anxiety:
Substance use
Caffeine
Major life events
Past experiences or traumatic events
Poor sleep quality
A messy home environment
Work/career pressure
Finances
Hormonal changes
Neurological factors
And more…
It's important to note that these triggers can be interconnected, and one trigger may lead to or exacerbate another. Additionally, individuals may have their unique triggers or sensitivities.
Recognizing and understanding personal triggers is an essential step in managing anxiety and seeking appropriate treatment or coping strategies when necessary. If anxiety significantly impacts your life, consider consulting a mental health professional for guidance and support.
When a trigger is a person
Sometimes it is not something but someone that triggers anxiety. Whilst it’s toxic relationships and/or certain behaviours from people in and of themselves which can be the culprit, we often do link the feeling of anxiety to the individuals themselves.
Distancing yourself from relationships that feel unsupportive, energy-draining and fatiguing is one way to lighten the load. This allows you to create space and time for yourself to deal.
You may not be able to avoid dealing with certain people altogether though. In that case, it’s incredibly important to set and assert boundaries. In order to do that, you’ll first want to get clear on what that has to look like for you.
Remember, boundaries are about your own behaviour, not that of other people, because you can’t change other people. You don’t have control over their thoughts and/or behaviour (nor should you focus on that). At the bare minimum, you might have some influence on them, but that’s not where your focus, time and attention should be.
Rather put your energy towards identifying the behaviours and thoughts within yourself which you feel you can change. That is something you do have control over. You can do this by working on your mindset with a coach or on behavioural patterns through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for example.
Ryan, Producer - Iraq/Portugal
“You are super easy to get along with and are soo chilled and also pretty darn funny. You definitely had an impact on me and how I manage/approach work-life-music balance. I was very fortunate to discover you and that Intensive course worked wonders. Thank you once again.”
#1 tip for navigating social anxiety at music industry networking events
Building and maintaining an authentic network of genuine connections in the music industry requires you to consistently network with other professionals. But if you are introverted or socially anxious? That can make networking challenging and you might avoid it altogether. It doesn’t have to be that way and you can prepare ahead of time so you can make the most out of networking whilst navigating social anxiety at music industry events.
My #1 tip: Don’t drink alcohol! This is probably the hardest part since alcohol and networking seem to be inseparable - especially in a socially-driven sector like the music industry. But don’t feel pressured into drinking. And when you do feel pressured, calmly and assertively decline and ask that this is to be respected. It is true that some people find it hard to take no for an answer. Or perhaps you think you’re rude for saying no. Think about it this way, if you say yes to something, do you also start overexplaining why you said yes? I don’t think so. No is a full sentence. Let’s normalise that too.
While alcohol can be a part of socialising and networking in the music business, it's essential to recognize its potential negative effects on mental and physical health, productivity, and relationships.
Alcohol is a prime example of an anxiety trigger. You might relax a little bit at first, but alcohol actually exacerbates anxiety! Read more about it in this post>>>
Remember that networking effectively is not dependent on alcohol consumption. By approaching networking events with intention and a little preparation beforehand, you can build meaningful connections and advance your career in the music industry without relying on alcohol.
Feeling anxious about networking and navigating social interactions in the music industry is absolutely normal. Lots of people in the music industry experience social anxiety. When you’re more introverted, it can be especially challenging to network so you can expand your circle of music industry professionals. The thing is that having a strong professional network is a key factor for sustainable success in the music industry.
Feeling supported and guided by music industry peers and professionals is an important way to experience at least a moderate and preferably optimal level of mental well-being and overall wellness. Gaining a basic understanding of anxiety and feelings of anxiousness contribute to normalising these experiences and hopefully encourage you to take steps towards getting help if needed.
Has alcohol been at the forefront of networking for you and when you think back at it, was this beneficial to building authentic relationships in the music industry? What is your #1 key takeaway from this post?
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