DJs, post-Covid performance anxiety is real and here’s how you can manage it
Clubs and festivals across the world are welcoming back ravers after over a year of closed doors for many. Already there’s been an incredible sense of excitement in the dance music community. However, chatting to DJs who are in the industry, there’s also a lot of nerves and performance anxiety surrounding the return of live DJ events.
So, let’s break it down together and tool you up with some actionable tips and advice from a holistic nightlife coach and former performing artist.
What is performance anxiety and how does it show up in my music career?
Picture the scene...
You've spent months at home mixing awesome House tracks to none other than your cat. Then suddenly your agent calls. You’ve got your first booking in a club. The excitement hits and you dance around the kitchen. Then you remember that there's going to be hundreds of people looking up at you and dancing to your every beat. Oh fuck.
Yeah I’m aware that I’m freaking out but what next?!
DJs and artists can experience performance anxiety in different ways as it’s personal to you. Here are some of the most common ways in which performance anxiety can show up for DJs and some tips on managing those overwhelming feelings.
Catastrophizing the outcome
You may be excited at first at the thought of an upcoming club gig but after the initial high, the negative thoughts and limiting beliefs kick in. The voice in your head asks a lot of ‘what if’s.
“What if I forget my usb?”
“What if I can’t connect with a crowd the way I used to?”
“What if I fuck up on a mix and everyone thinks I’m a fraud?”
Your brain automatically focuses on the things that could go wrong - pure survival instinct and totally normal. Rather than thinking about what could go right and rationalising about what’s realistic and what’s not.
What to do: Allow yourself to feel and hear those negatives and observe them to try and understand what and why you might be feeling this way. Take each thought or belief, write them down to help clear your head. Then, work through them identifying which ones are realistic and which ones are simply anxious narratives. Simply ask yourself, ‘Is this ultimately true?’ You can do this in as little as 5 minutes - and you can spend more if you want to. For those causing the most distress, you can note ways in which you can work on how to prevent or manage. For example, ‘What if I forget my usb?’ Put an automated reminder into your phone for the day of the gig to ensure that you pack it.
Reflecting on previous performances that have been a success is also a good method for reassuring yourself. Even better, why not journal about times that something DID fuck up, but you saved it! You fixed the problem, or you accepted it and managed to move on from it. You’re still here carving out a DJ/producer career after all!
Vivid dreams that bring your anxious thoughts to life
Our dreams can show up as key indicators of what’s going on in our lives and our subconscious thoughts and feelings. I’ve spoken to DJs who have dreamt that they’re behind the decks for the first time in months and completely forgotten how to DJ. Sounds like more of a nightmare than a dream!
This can really impact your confidence as vivid dreams feel almost real and are often the ones that we wake up remembering. Again, it’s totally normal to have some nerves before a big achievement in your dance music career. However, if you are having these dreams regularly and it begins to disrupt your sleep and your confidence as a DJ/producer then some mindset work is needed.
What to do: Keep a dream journal. Put a notebook and pen close to your bed so you can write down what happened in your dream and what you felt. Then you can analyse these dreams for any recurring themes of points of anxiety and identify what your subconscious is trying to tell you and is most worried about, then begin to work on it.
Procrastinating or avoiding the festival/gig all together
If your performance anxiety has become too overwhelming that’s when the procrastination can start to kick in. What does this look like you ask? Well, you can put off any tasks that are related to your upcoming gig. Such as sourcing new music or promoting the event on your social media.
“Procrastination is the pressure to be perfect”
As our favourite quote from The Captain suggests, you’re not putting off the tasks because you don’t care or are lazy. You simply fear that your efforts won’t be 100% and therefore you’ll fail. By not trying, you protect your ego from the feelings of failure, but starve it of the chance to succeed.
Even worse, you may cancel the gig or festival appearance all together! Which in the short term may feel like a relief. However, when the next opportunity arises you’ve reinforced the limiting belief that you are not capable of live Djing. Which you and I both know isn’t true!
What to do: The first step is becoming aware of your procrastination traits and getting a better understanding on what procrastination actually is. Journaling your thoughts, feelings and behaviours is a good place to start.
However, if procrastination is actually a bigger problem and is showing up in all areas of your DJ/producer career then you might want to check out our programmes and resources lead by holistic night life coach Eline Van Audenaerde. At the date of this blog going live there’s still time to sign up to our 21-day wellness course ‘Move The Needle’ which has an entire module dedicated to the 3Ps (procrastination, pressure, perfectionism).
Final tips on managing your performance anxiety
Know that there’s nothing wrong with you and there’s nothing that needs to be fixed about you. Learn to create a softness around your experience by embracing the nerves!
It’s natural to feel nervous before your first big gig after the pandemic. We can’t underestimate the gigantic impact this event has had on all of us. Nerves show that you are passionate and care about your music and your live DJ set. It can also be a good indication that you’re progressing in your dance music career by stepping out of your comfort zone and taking on new challenges. So, embrace and be aware of your anxious feelings but don’t let them control you.
Remember that you’re human, and things do go wrong. That’s life!
Yeah...the reality of it is that at some point no matter how much you prepare, something will likely go wrong. It could be totally out of your control! Such as bad weather forcing an outdoor festival to be postponed, or simply human error on track transition.
Accept it. Learn from it. Then move on. Know that you’ll survive this. It’s not like sabre-toothed tigers are waiting around the corner to devour you ;)
Today marks the beginning of Mental Illness Awareness Week in the USA (October 3rd). Even if you yourself do not live with a mental illness, it is so important that we as a society educate ourselves on different mental illness so that we can support those around us. This is a useful website where you can find even more specific resources and help support based on your country checkpointorg.com/global.
I am wishing you all the best.
Eline x