7 Reasons for Singer Burnout

I remember thinking, why does it appear to be so easy for other singers? You know… the singer that opens their mouth and effortless, beautiful sounds come out. They appear connected, happy, RELAXED, and in the flow.

{{ first_name }}, have you ever thought this? Longed for this?

You’re not alone.

For some of us, the struggle is real.

And it’s this struggle that gets us into trouble.

That struggle leads to burnout.

Maybe it’s happening to you right now, maybe you’re feeling burned out, even ready to give up.

Or maybe it hasn’t happened yet and you’re feeling like you’re on your way to burnout.

Or maybe you just want to know how to AVOID burnout.

You’re in the right place, keep reading.

The feelings you feel when you are burned out are the alarm system going off that something is off kilter.

Perhaps you are feeling stressed or anxious.

Or sadness.

Or maybe it’s a lack of feeling, like numbness, feeling uninspired.

Whatever yucky feeling has taken over, it’s a sign that love, compassion, exploration and ultimately inspired, aligned action is needed to course correct.

Knowing what is the cause of the burnout is the first step.

Let’s take a look.

7 Reasons for Singer Burnout:

#1 Grief

I have experienced this. After the loss of my father I literally couldn’t sing for a year.

I didn’t understand it at the time, what was happening.

I struggled to find my voice and wrestled with those feelings of giving up.

In this instance, the grieving process can’t be rushed.

You must honor your feelings and give yourself as much love and compassion as you can.

During this period the best thing you can do is to not push it.

It’s ok to give yourself a break from something that feels too painful.

And if you can’t take a break, a gentle, loving approach is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Incorporating SOVT exercises can be helpful to keep things moving, but only if it feels helpful.

Listen to your intuition. 

#2 You’re not doing it for you.

Speaking of intuition….

Who are you doing this for? Ask yourself. Whose voice is in your head telling you to do this or that?

Is it possible to get quiet and lean in to what your intuition is telling you?

As an exercise mediate for 5-10 minutes and then ask your intuition, why do I sing?

What is the purpose of singing in my life? (Performative? Healing? Creative act?)

What do I feel like singing? 

#3 You are overwhelmed from all the advice available to singers.

There is no shortage there!

Get on instagram or YouTube and you can find millions of reels/ videos of experts advising lots of technical advice.

This might be the thing contributing to your burnout.

Try to hone in on the few that you trust and intuitively like, those that resonate with you.

When you pull too many experts in, there may be conflicting advice, it can become too overwhelming and leave you feeling scattered.

Find the few that you trust.

#4 You are trying to figure this all out by yourself.

Right. All that free info available at your fingertips.

Except you are a unique individual with a unique set of problems.

Another set of eyes and ears that you trust is how we grow.

Invest in yourself.

Get that support.

Having someone in your corner is life changing.

#5 You are not connecting to your creative practice and your voice.

Continuing with the topic of investment….

What makes someone a singer?

One who sings.

How often are you engaging with your creative practice?

How often are you using your voice?

Are you expecting the muscles to magically figure things out without you actively participating?

Invest in your routine.

Invest in your voice.

Invest in yourself.

#6 You are over practicing.

Conversely you might be overdoing it.

And/or perhaps getting stuck. (Ie choosing the same songs/ passages to practice over and over.)

Diversify your practicing.

Don’t get stuck on any one thing for too long and if you find yourself over practicing, try to strike a balance.

#7 Your inner critic is dominating the conversation.

Which leads us to the final and most important reason.

Maybe you are not actively participating in your creative practice because you don’t like the voice in your head beating you up, bringing you down.

Well that’s no fun.

Who would want to engage with that?

This is definitely contributing to your burnout.

We have to work on dialing down that voice which is totally focused on what’s wrong and motivating you through negative emotions.

That is not sustainable and definitely NOT FUN.

If you haven’t already, download my FREE Joyful Singing Starter Kit which gives you the tools to work on bring that inner critic voice down and instead helps you to align with the part of yourself, your good inner coach, to motivate, inspire and help you evolve and grow.

If you resonate with any of these reasons, don’t worry you will get through this!

Putting yourself, putting your mental health, your physical health, your dreams and desires front and center is the first step to reclaiming joy in your creative practice and life.

I am right here cheering you on! Send me a message and let me know if you are feeling any of this. I’d love to hear from you.

Want more help growing as a singer? 

You’re in the right place! 👋

→ Ready to have more fun as a singer and finally dial down your inner critic? A Course in Joyful Singing has all the support you need with live calls and lifetime access. 🎉

→ Need one on one support with your voice? You got it. 💛

→ Has it been awhile and you don’t know how to reconnect to your voice? I can help. 🙌🏻

→ Having a supportive group to share your voice with might be helpful: Try a Monday Night Singing Group Class 👩‍❤️‍👩

→ Read more helpful tips on my BLOG page. 🤓