Protecting Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Crisis
King Lekan
Physical Health
Looking good physically tends to increase one’s self-esteem, which will in turn improve one’s physiological health. As a result of looking good physically, we tend to talk differently, walk differently and even react differently to various situations. Most especially, looking and feeling good physically can allow us to tackle negative things in a more positive manner. Therefore, it is during these times that we as musicians need to really take care of our physical health, so that by the time the COVID-19 crisis is over, we come out better and stronger mentally.
Some musicians may feel unhealthy as a result of the nature of our jobs; sitting down and playing for hours. Sometimes we neglect our physical health because we travel and tour a lot and are always busy with music. However, we can break this unhealthy cycle. We can look at the COVID-19 crisis as a “plot twist” where we start to focus on taking care of ourselves physically, because we are human beings first before we are musicians. So, if the human body decides to break down at any point in time, all our hard work will be in vain.
I recommend a daily workout/stretching routine to keep your body active and stay mentally healthy. I ordered jump ropes and a workout mat that I can use indoors, and this is now my form of cardio every morning. Before engaging in cardio, I usually start my day by stretching for at least 20 minutes. Stretching can really save our muscles and joints. As most of us will now spend more time than ever on our couches and home studios, try beginning the day with stretching.
Yoga can ease the mind and help you get to a state of peace and serenity. If you are into yoga, that should not be neglected during this time. I advise all musicians to get into the habit of morning stretches/yoga and also cardio via jump ropes, jumping jacks or a run around your neighborhood if you feel comfortable stepping outside – but you really don’t have to go outside to get in your cardio. I have noticed that my energy level is increasing and my stress level is decreasing as a result of my daily morning workout routine. We know that right now is not the best time for musicians as a result of live gigs and tours being cancelled or postponed, which can definitely take a toll on our mental health, but learning to stay physically active daily can ease the stress and tension.
Here’s a 30 minute stretching and workout routine that I like a lot.
Staggered Daily Routine
“I am NOT depressed, I am just bored”: repeat that to yourself as many times as possible. Most of us struggle with boredom from time to time. We tend to think of maximizing our potential at one shot rather than making it a process.
Boredom is not a lack of creativity; it is rather a sign of conquering a previous phase so as to move on to the next phase. Once we find ourselves bored, we should take it as a sign to unlock the next phase in our creative process. As a means of taking care of our mental health, consider creating a staggered daily routine rather than “the same old” routine, which can definitely lead to boredom.
Switching up your daily routine can keep things interesting so that things don’t become redundant and boring which can contribute to stress.
Pick Up A Book
If the only book you’re reading is Facebook, try picking up a real book - especially something full of positivity. Books that stimulate the brain, focus on internal health and finances are books that you might want to look into during this time to stay stable mentally.
I’ve finally started reading the popular book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. I picked up this book because it covers how to handle finances, and not having a handle on your finances can certainly cause stress during times like this. For me personally, learning about the ins and outs of personal finances has been amazing. Based on your personal quest for knowledge, picking up a positive book can be a very good hobby to stimulate your mind so as to be ready for any “crisis” that may come about randomly. It’s important to stay ready at all times, rather than getting ready once life hits us. If we pick up some books that can improve our finances, we will find ways to build other sources of income or build on our music income, so as to be ready for times like this.
Personal Time
During times of isolation, social media can feel like the only thing keeping us going or connected to others. And as grateful as I am for social media, it can also contribute to feelings of isolation or depression. As the media has been reporting so much negative news, it is important that we take some time off from all the negative news around us. To continue to keep a stable mental state during this time, taking off a few hours per day from social media can help us re-group. This time off of social media can be spent doing things such as watching television, reading, connecting with friends and family or even praying - whatever makes you feel more grounded and relaxed.
For me, most of my afternoons are spent in my home studio space creating and sending emails, etc., and most of my evenings are spent with my fiancée, watching our favorite TV shows and speaking with our family and friends, so I usually have a couple of hours off social media.
Releasing Music
There are a lot of websites such as Splice that allow musicians and producers to upload their personal samples and loops that others can purchase or subscribe to. We can use this time of quarantine to work on various samples of our sounds. I’m a keyboard player and music producer so I’ve been working on lots of piano and synth progressions that I can upload to websites such as Splice as a means of generating income. I also use Splice to look for guitar samples/loops, drum loops, etc. I always look forward to working on samples because I know other musicians and producers are always looking for new sounds to sample.
If you’ve mostly been playing other artist’s music, it can be a good time to start developing your songwriting skills, music production skills and singing, and start releasing your own songs, potentially generating some streaming income.
Developing and discovering other latent talents can be a good diversion. Many musicians are generally creative people; for instance, some of us know how to use design programs to create album artwork and edit pictures, some of us record and edit our own videos, etc. Therefore, taking some time off from music and working on other areas in the media realm can be a stress-relieving activity. I’ve been working on releasing more music via Tunecore (an online distribution service). I look forward to creating rather than spending time in a bad mood as a result of not touring or performing on stage at the moment.
Build Your Website/Personal Brand
I recommend using this time to update your website, or create one if you don’t have one. Working on your online presence can keep you busy. You can upload new content and make sure everything is current and relevant. Companies such as Wix have made it easy to build your own website by providing amazing and easy to edit templates. Having an updated website is an accomplishment you can feel proud of during this time.
Cook More, Order Less.
We are what we eat. What we put into our bodies can have a big effect on our mental and emotional stability. Eating home-cooked healthy meals is a good way of boosting our immune system, which can lead to a better mental state. Every morning, before I eat anything, I drink two cups of warm water with ginger, just to clear my throat and support my digestive tract. I’ve been eating a lot of fruit and taking my vitamins daily. I also have the blessing of living with my fiancée. She cooks healthy meals everyday, and we can see the results. If you don’t normally cook, there are tons of YouTube videos that you can watch that will show you step-by-step meal preparations which can be very beneficial to your health during this time.
I recommend watching this video about pantry foods that are good to keep on hand for boosting your immune system and supporting your mental health.
Stay Connected with Friends and Family
We can’t forget to connect with the people that matter the most during this social distancing period. Taking time out of our day to talk to our loved ones might be the most important way to make sure we stay sane. Try getting in touch with an old friend. This can be a good opportunity to call or text an old friend and family member you haven’t spoken to in a while.
Don’t forget to stay connected with those that matter and those that care about your well-being. And for those of us who are on the spiritual side, we can always call our pastors, religious leaders, or friends to pray with them, as some of us find prayer consoling during this time. The world needs healing and we should not take prayers for granted.
Lastly, take it one day at a time and work at your own pace. And if you think you are overwhelmed with everything, please seek some professional help.
Nigerian-born New Yorker Olalekan Ajalaagbo P/K/A known as KING LEKAN is one of the founders of alternative Hip-Hop trio “OMG!” He runs the production company The Music Geekz (TMG), and has toured and performed with British Soul/R&B artist Daley, American singer/songwriter Travis McClung, Nigerian artists such as Mr Eazi, Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, Adekunle Gold, Praiz & Stonebwoy, Nigerian-American rapper Wale, Akon and Angelique Kidjo. He has produced various artists such as LionBabe, Jenny Bapst, Tyler. V, Mojeed and more. King Lekan is also a brand endorser for MEE Audio, EarthQuaker Devices and Gruv Gear. More information on King Lekan can be found at his website.
