It was certainly less than 10 years ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago. Back then I was driven and motivated like never before. I had this acute sense of urgency pushing me through my day.
And it’s a good thing too. Because while my urgency was pushing me forward, my body was definitely had a mind of its own.
I had an exciting new physical therapy business that had me working all hours to keep up. The dream of being your very own boss! And for a period of about 5 years I had been getting by with about 5 hours of sleep a night. Whew! Just thinking about it again has me exhausted!
I would never admit it to myself, but the pep in my step was ready for a serious nap.
Nowadays in my practice I see it all the time in others. The classic type A personality that doesn’t have time for rest or excuses. They’re convinced that the only way to get ahead is to outwork the rest of the field. It’s the American ideal right? A tremendous work ethic. Many of us were raised and praised on the notion that those that work hardest are the ones that get ahead in this world.
Now let me share with you why I see so many of these folks in my office. It’s because Mother Nature in her infinite wisdom has created a world of checks and balances. If the scale tips for too long in any one direction, then eventually that scale comes crashing down around us.
Pushing too hard for too long has its drawbacks. These patients have bodies that are finally waving the white flag. And it didn’t happen all at once- it started as fatigue, soreness and small aches.
We all have the ability to perform. And so many of us want to perform better. And we want to perform more!
To perform better, almost all of us push forward in what we can ADD to the system. How can we practice to become faster & more fluid? What else could we do to become more efficient & effective? How can we find the time to practice more to become better performers?
And it’s a good thing too. Because while my urgency was pushing me forward, my body was definitely had a mind of its own.
I had an exciting new physical therapy business that had me working all hours to keep up. The dream of being your very own boss! And for a period of about 5 years I had been getting by with about 5 hours of sleep a night. Whew! Just thinking about it again has me exhausted!
I would never admit it to myself, but the pep in my step was ready for a serious nap.
Nowadays in my practice I see it all the time in others. The classic type A personality that doesn’t have time for rest or excuses. They’re convinced that the only way to get ahead is to outwork the rest of the field. It’s the American ideal right? A tremendous work ethic. Many of us were raised and praised on the notion that those that work hardest are the ones that get ahead in this world.
Now let me share with you why I see so many of these folks in my office. It’s because Mother Nature in her infinite wisdom has created a world of checks and balances. If the scale tips for too long in any one direction, then eventually that scale comes crashing down around us.
Pushing too hard for too long has its drawbacks. These patients have bodies that are finally waving the white flag. And it didn’t happen all at once- it started as fatigue, soreness and small aches.
We all have the ability to perform. And so many of us want to perform better. And we want to perform more!
To perform better, almost all of us push forward in what we can ADD to the system. How can we practice to become faster & more fluid? What else could we do to become more efficient & effective? How can we find the time to practice more to become better performers?
Is More, More or Less?
But what if more is less? What if less is actually more?
By now the evidence is clear. Lack of sleep and/or not feeling rested upon waking will Inevitably affect our performance. Pick your study- there are countless now that demonstrate how poor sleep dramatically affects performance.
Lack of sleep impacts your eating habits, unhealthy food cravings, increases stress responses, decreases working memory, ability to concentrate, awareness, focus, decreases response time.
And of course what I alluded to earlier- it affects physical performance & especially recovery- increasing risk of physical illness and chronic pain dramatically.
All of our bodies are in a constant mode of recovery. Millions of cells die every day in us all…. And we need recovery to heal our tissues with new cell growth. Without quality sleep, this ability to heal is seriously compromised.
A recent study showed that less than 2 nights of 6 hours of sleep decreased keyboard typing speed by 5%.
Imagine if that lack of sleep was consistent- over weeks or months? How much would that effect instrumental musicians and their performances? Yep, a lot.
And not to get too far off track, but there’s even a connection between lack of sleep and mental illness.
But doing less is so boring.
Who wants to sleep when there’s so many things to do!
Where is the sizzle in less? MORE is EXCITING!!!
Well, here’s the thing, thankfully sometimes more actually IS MORE!!
But how to know when that is? How to know when practicing more is helpful and when practicing less is helpful? Does anyone actually have a reliable system to know when each is?
Wouldn’t it be invaluable to finally know when another hour of practicing is actually making my performance suffer rather than help?
By now the evidence is clear. Lack of sleep and/or not feeling rested upon waking will Inevitably affect our performance. Pick your study- there are countless now that demonstrate how poor sleep dramatically affects performance.
Lack of sleep impacts your eating habits, unhealthy food cravings, increases stress responses, decreases working memory, ability to concentrate, awareness, focus, decreases response time.
And of course what I alluded to earlier- it affects physical performance & especially recovery- increasing risk of physical illness and chronic pain dramatically.
All of our bodies are in a constant mode of recovery. Millions of cells die every day in us all…. And we need recovery to heal our tissues with new cell growth. Without quality sleep, this ability to heal is seriously compromised.
A recent study showed that less than 2 nights of 6 hours of sleep decreased keyboard typing speed by 5%.
Imagine if that lack of sleep was consistent- over weeks or months? How much would that effect instrumental musicians and their performances? Yep, a lot.
And not to get too far off track, but there’s even a connection between lack of sleep and mental illness.
But doing less is so boring.
Who wants to sleep when there’s so many things to do!
Where is the sizzle in less? MORE is EXCITING!!!
Well, here’s the thing, thankfully sometimes more actually IS MORE!!
But how to know when that is? How to know when practicing more is helpful and when practicing less is helpful? Does anyone actually have a reliable system to know when each is?
Wouldn’t it be invaluable to finally know when another hour of practicing is actually making my performance suffer rather than help?
3 of the Most Important Indicators that Your Performances Are Suffering
(-And you probably don’t even know it yet!)
Well thankfully there is a system to identify how either more or less weekly rehearsal time will affect a musician’s performance. Without getting too in-depth in the process, let me just share 3 of the criteria involved-
1. Sleep Quality-
Surprise! Yes, by regularly monitoring sleep quality, it can help determine how your body will respond to your rehearsal preparation. One other note, it’s not merely how much sleep you get- it’s also largely determined by the quality of your nightly sleep.
2. Muscle Soreness-
Despite what many people think, muscle soreness is not just a normal by-product of rehearsing. Muscle soreness is a indicator that continued rehearsal time is likely to diminish your performance. Many of us have been programmed to endure pain and soreness, but the truth is rarely does it not lead to performance problems.
3. Fatigue-
Even in the absence of muscle soreness, often times a pre-cursor will be fatigue. Have you ever had those days where you really don’t feel like rehearsing, but you push through it anyway. Well again, if we listen to our bodies, we can start to learn that they are actually trying to tell us something. “Give us a break already will ya!”
How to Learn Even More About Improving your Performance with “Less”
So there you have it!
There’s obviously a much more specific plan to help determine whether you should be increasing, decreasing or maintaining your current rehearsal schedule. In fact, I will be covering much more on this in the upcoming Orchestra Musician’s Ultimate Health & Performance 6 Week Masterclass. Expect more details soon! …but this post will give you some areas to start considering right away!
Here’s to improved performances this year!
And transforming yourself into a Finely Tuned Instrument in 2018!
Ch
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