Running on Empty

Sometimes, life gets busy between late night gigs, early rehearsals, family commitments, etc. I find that going and going for days on end can be draining and I can feel as if I’m running on empty. I don’t like this feeling, but I have learned that it’s simply a part of life. I have also learned that, for me, I can do certain things that help me during these times.

One really important thing is for me to try to eat well when I’m tired. I cannot stress how big of a deal this is for me. If I’m tired, I want to make sure that I’m giving myself fuel to keep going and do what I’m trying to do – that may be a gig and then a long drive home, e.g. I try to eat smaller meals fairly often as compared to big meals with lots of time in between. Snacks are always with me – in the car or on a walk. Don’t leave home without them!

When tired, I really make an effort to be careful about communication. Someone may something that is completely innocent, but because I’m tired I may take it in a way in which it was not intended. I try very hard to wait, think, and breathe before responding to these comments. It may be a comment from a band leader, a family member or a member of the audience. I want to always tell myself (in the back of my mind) – hey, you’re tired, so wait a moment before responding right now. Take a breath and let it out – sometimes a few times. It helps me tremendously.

To get through a gig when I’m tired, I try to pace myself. I’ll give the music what it needs and deserves, but I’ll make sure that I’m not hitting too hard, e.g. If the gig is more mentally challenging than it is physically challenging, then I try to stay as focused as possible. Even if it’s a gig I’ve played many times and it’s basically groove-oriented, I tend to focus on trying to sound good, playing with good time and creating a nice groove with the band.

The gig may be four hours or so not counting the drive to and from the venue and not counting setting up and tearing down the drums. By the way, I tear down my drums immediately after playing if at all possible. My energy is better right then and there as compared to hanging out first and then packing up.

I will share with the band that I’m tired, and quite often I get comments back along the lines of, “hey, I wouldn’t have known that you’re tired if you hadn’t told me.” This is the goal for me. I don’t want to sound as if I’m tired. I can deal with feeling tired – I just don’t want that feeling to slip into the music unexpectedly.