Without a doubt, this year has been full of upheaval and uncertainty for artists. You have studied, practiced, prepared, and dreamed, and you were ready to deliver on some exciting opportunities. You had some momentum in carving a path for yourself, and then everything changed. The music industry has been hit the hard, with all live opportunities suddenly evaporating. Some arts organizations have successfully pivoted, but the shape of your singing career is harder to predict than ever.

If you are feeling stuck, you are not alone. As singers, there are many things we cannot do right now in our careers, so we invite you to take this time to focus on a few things you can do. There are many tools we can adopt to benefit ourselves and those we love now and in the future, regardless of how the industry shifts.

How do you decide which steps to take? Re-evaluate your long-term goals. Once you are clear on these goals, choose actions every day that take you toward them. You may have to give up some short-term gratification to receive them, but the payoff will be worth it. Commit to one step at a time to positively affect your state, your mindset, or your thoughts. Your outlook informs your actions, which in turn inform your results.

Here are some ideas to get started. Start by adding one new daily habit for a whole week, then add an extra daily habit each week. If you are doing some of the following already, you are ahead of the game. After six weeks, you will have established six new wonderful daily habits.  

Pro tip: Resist the urge to try to change everything at once, and celebrate each small win!

Quiet contemplation and visualization

Clarity and creativity often come from stillness and deep listening. If you find yourself with more time right now, capitalize on it. Set aside time every day to quiet the mind’s chatter and imagine what a beautiful future looks like to you. Be so immersed in the mental image that it seems as if it is actually happening in real time. To engage in visualization fully, do not watch yourself as if you are watching a movie. Imagine performing the activities from your own perspective. Relish in the beauty of positive make-believe. A change in perspective can often lead to an exciting breakthrough.

Change up the way you sing

Are you singing, or do you not feel like it right now? With many new emotions surfacing for artists these days, many of us feel unequipped or uninspired to vocalize in the usual ways. One warmup you can use involves allowing any ‘negative’ emotion you are feeling (such as sadness, lethargy, anxiety, and anger) to come through in your vocalization. In other words, if you are mad, sing that way. The practice of shining a light onto the feelings that we would otherwise suppress often allows us to release them with greater ease.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the process of intentionally bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgement. It can take the shape of a short daily guided meditation practice. There are many apps to choose from, and some have free versions such as Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer. You only need five minutes a day to start.

If you are not ready for that, start your mindfulness practice by simply focusing only on the task you are in, as much as possible for one whole day. Notice how you feel as you do that activity. Focus on your sensations rather than your thoughts. It is an excellent exercise in getting present, which makes life instantly more peaceful and satisfying.

Break a sweat

There are so many ways to exercise, so choose a way that is fun for you! How about a dance party with your go-to playlist? Burpee challenge? Rollerblading? Pick something you truly enjoy and devote at least a few minutes to breaking a sweat each day. Exercise offers a host of health benefits such as boosting energy, improving mood, promoting good sleep, and defending against many health conditions.

Prioritize sleep

Remember when you were so busy that you could never get that solid eight hours? Now is the time to establish a regular bedtime and wake time. It is an effective way to start ensuring more regular quality sleep. Many health experts also recommend that you should be in bed before 11pm to achieve maximum benefits.

Supercharge your nutrition

An amazing way to get more of the nutrients you need to feel balanced is to blend up a green smoothie daily with fresh or frozen spinach, kale, or other dark leafy greens. Dark leafy greens contain vitamins C and K, iron, and calcium, and act as antioxidants in the body. Think of eating to nourish your body and feel good in your skin. Try this recipe, and feel free to make substitutions!

Remember to play

What makes you laugh and feel joyful? Do you love to dance? Play table tennis? Share jokes? Add new ones to the list, and enjoy these activities regularly.

If you are experiencing anxiety, high levels of stress, poor sleep, low mood, or general fatigue, these tools can help you feel positive, energetic, and creative again. Ideally, you will eventually have at least one daily habit that lifts you up, one that makes you sweat, one that makes you laugh, one that relaxes your mind, and one that feeds your creativity. Remember, forming habits effectively is the most powerful way to make a commitment to yourself.

Your word is powerful. Your voice is powerful. Your commitment is powerful. Watch yourself blossom through baby steps as you pave a new way for yourself in the music industry and in life.