Think back to when you were starting out as a singer. Flying off to auditions seemed glamorous and the thought of driving long hours to get to a job was exhilarating. Once upon a time, travel probably was easy. You could get to the airport a mere 30 minutes before your flight took off and still have time to spare. You could hop in your car for a weeklong road trip and not worry about being stranded in gridlock traffic.
But those days are gone, and travel has definitely changed. Now, hour-long delays at airport security checkpoints are the norm, and highway traffic congestion is expected.
Traveling is still an integral part of a singer’s life—but much of the excitement and anticipation that used to accompany these trips has been replaced by stress and anxiety.
Contrary to the current norms, you can still travel and stay relatively stress-free. That’s right! When you employ specific travel strategies, you can learn to enjoy your trips. Follow these five tips to experience travel the way it used to be—stress-free.
Plan Ahead
We’ve all been there at one time or another. It’s the day of the big trip and you’re rushing around running last minute errands, and hurriedly packing the suitcase you couldn’t find the night before. When you finally finish packing, you realize you’re running late, so you hurry off to the airport in a panic, wondering if you’ll ever be able to make it on time, and wondering what you’ve forgotten. Despite all your vows to the contrary, another job or audition has turned into a stressful mess and your chances for success have been compromised.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way.
From a psychological standpoint, the two greatest travel stressors are lack of control and lack of predictability. The simplest and most effective strategy to handle these stressors is to plan ahead. You may not be able to predict plane or traffic delays, but you can plan and pack ahead of time so that these occurrences won’t cause you to stress out. And just in case an airline delay does occur, bring something to do to take your mind off of it. A book, crossword puzzle, or your opera score to study are just a few things that can keep you occupied during a delay.
If your trip is not the result of being called in as a last minute replacement for an ailing colleague, start making a “to do” list two weeks before you leave. Make a list of all the things you take every single time you go on a trip, including day clothes, gowns, shoes, what you’ll need at the performance, remedies, the works. Then list tasks you need to take care of, such as feeding the pets, stopping the mail, etc. Before you leave, read over your list and check off the tasks as you complete them. Also, allow yourself plenty of time to reach your destination so that you can relax and not feel rushed. The better you plan, the greater your sense of control. Planning minimizes the risk of unpredictable mishaps, which in turn, will reduce your stress level.
[See accompanying articles for packing suggestions for singers]
Eat Healthier Foods
Think back to your last trip. What kinds of foods did you eat? Chances are, you strayed from your usual diet and turned towards more unhealthy foods. When we are away from home, we tend to abandon the basic rules of a good diet and head straight for the fried, fast foods. Then we top them off with caffeine and alcohol. Although these meals may taste good, they are not good for us.
Such foods cause our bodies to release inflammatory chemicals into our bloodstream, which then results in our adrenal glands—glands which performers have usually already exhausted—secreting the anti-inflammatory hormone called cortisol, the hormone used to manage stress. A diet high in inflammatory-inducing chemicals elevates your stress hormones and causes you to feel exhausted and stressed out—not exactly the way you want to feel while singing. One huge key to lowering your stress level is to make better food choices. Order lean proteins, steamed vegetables, and eat a salad instead of filling your body full of bread, french fries, and desserts. Also, drink more water and less caffeine to help keep your stress level down.
Exercise
Studies prove that regular exercise gives you more energy. Exercise helps increase the circulation in your muscles and can keep you focused and alert. Build in moderate exercise to your jobs, such as walking around theme parks or zoos, or sightseeing through cities. These activities can be very beneficial in lowering stress levels. Unfortunately, short trips don’t always allow for much exercise time. On these occasions, schedule a half-hour walk before and after rehearsals. The fresh air will clear your head and you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel. If the city you are staying in isn’t conducive for a pleasant walk, visit the exercise room at your hotel. A few minutes on a treadmill or stationary bike will yield the same results. Invite another singer to join you first thing in the morning and build camaraderie.
Remember to Relax
There are a lot of demands on you as a singer. Scheduling some down time for yourself is critical. Even though this is not possible with every trip, simple things will do the trick. Try unwinding in the hotel room after a long rehearsal, taking a nap before dinner, just Instant Messaging on your computer or enjoying some phone time with the people back home.
These simple exercises can help you feel rested and relaxed before taking on the rest of your day. It’s OK to take it easy every once in a while, and it’s actually good for you. You could sit down and read a book for an hour, go to a movie, or take a leisurely stroll. Sometimes, a short afternoon nap is all you need to refresh yourself in preparation for the night’s performance.
Allow for Recovery Time
Whenever you are looking at your schedule of performances and/or auditions, remember to allow for recovery time. How many times have you taken a trip, gotten home late Sunday night, only to get up early Monday morning to head back to your day job? Or tried to go straight from one singing job right into another? By the time you try to start the next day, your stress level is high, you feel exhausted, and you start to wonder what is wrong with you!
The only way to prevent this is to allow ample recovery time. Make sure you plan to arrive home, or at your next location, early enough to get settled in. You need to prepare yourself for re-entry into a normal routine. You’ve been through a time of enormous stress. When dealing with your manager, your day job boss or your family, insist on “recovery time.” It is that important if you want to be on top of your game. If you stretch your travel time so thin that you have no time to readjust to your surroundings, chances are you will not be able to perform your best as a singer or as a person.
Lose the Stress and Keep the Fun
Your career and your life are meant to be fun and exciting, not exhausting and stressful. So follow these five simple tips prior to and during your next trip. By doing so, you will be able to reduce the stress people so often associate with travel, and you will actually enjoy your trip.
