10 Ways To Stay Healthy In The Studio When Producing Music

Spending long hours in the studio, constantly working with your hands and ears, feeling the stress of a deadline approaching—these demands can take a toll on your health.

While many composers and musicians work day and night for their craft, it’s important to remember that we are human after all. And you can’t create the best music possible unless you are happy and healthy. We care about our readers who are mostly musicians and composers so we’ve put together some advice on how to stay healthy while working in the studio.

1. Detox Your Studio

A clean working environment is the best and most inspiring work environment. Rid your studio of toxins. Take out food leftovers from last night’s mixing session, do your inventory, throw out everything you don’t need, clean the dust, vacuum-clean your carpets and sofas (if you have them), mop the floor, clean up your desk and MOST OF ALL VENTILATE YOUR STUDIO. You need fresh air in order to keep your brain focused on the project in front of you.

2. Stay Hydrated And Have A Snack From Time To Time

Very simple, yet very effective. We often overlook the importance of having a daily intake of water. Most importantly, a lot of us tend to forget to remind ourselves to have a bite to eat from time to time while on a creative roll. From personal experience I can tell you that forgetting to eat for the whole day can do some serious damage to your immune system.

3. Stretch

Stand up from your chair and stretch your fingers, toes, arms and legs. It will make your playing easier and more precise. Stretch your neck and back from sitting in your chair looking at all of the screens and having your head in a downward position while looking at your midi keyboard. It will rid you of any pain and stiffness.

4. Stand Up And Walk Around

Always stand up for yourself! But also get out of your chair from time to time, not just to stretch, but take a short walk outside to clear your head from any creative block you might have. Plus, it’s also good to work standing up as there are some really helpful automatic desks that can raise themselves.

5. Take Five

Take a break every hour or so when working on intense action tracks or if you are mixing. It is very important to take a break to rest your eyes and ears from the computer. You will have a much clearer picture after you go back to your project refreshed and maybe you will notice some changes in your mixes you haven’t heard while working. It’ll change your perspective and it will make a whole lot of difference.

6. Protect Your Eyes

Looking at a monitor for a very long time can take a toll on your retinas and can hurt your eyes enough to cause tears. It’s often good to wear protective glasses which will smooth out the colours on your monitors and reduce the radiation. Graphic designers and professional gamers use them all the time, so why wouldn’t you? Gunnar and Spawn make some really good ones.

7. Concentrate

Be in the moment. Block out any annoying apps like Facebook, Instagram, Viber etc… You are a composer, not an influencer, so while working the only thing that should interest you is your DAW and what’s in the project window. The more you concentrate, the faster and better you work, and then you will have more time for other activities that are of interest to you.

8. Avoid Energy Drinks

I’ve met a lot of musicians and composers who swear by drinking energy drinks while working to keep them up all night. Trust me, that’s a bad road to go down. Your liver and kidneys will remind you of your bad choices after a few years of drinking them. Coffee is okay, but in moderation. Drink water and juices instead. Your liver will thank you.

9. Get A Good Chair To Sit On

A good comfy chair will go a long way in keeping your back from hurting. As composers, we mostly spend our time sitting, so why not sit in something that is comfortable and can support your neck and back. There are plenty of good ergonomic studio chairs on the market.

10. Keep Your Loved Ones Close

Being a working composer can be a solitary profession, because we mostly spend our time in the studio working alone. Those of us who are married and have kids know how amazing it is to get back home to your family after a long day in the studio. Keep a photo of your family or your loved ones on your desk to remind you that someone is always there for you. It’s a massive morale and inspirational boost.

Work hard and be devoted to your career and your work, but take care of yourselves. Your career and work don’t matter at all compared to your well-being.