5 Self-Care Tips for Music Majors During Finals and Juries

Finals week is always challenging, especially for musicians practicing hard for their juries. Stressing about practicing and experiencing burnout is common, so remembering to take care of yourself is the utmost priority. Read these five self-care tips to help you focus and get through finals week!

1. Try finding different times to practice.

If conventional hours during the school day don’t allow you to have a productive practice session, try practicing at night! If you can get to a practice room in the evening, having focused practice sessions later in the day could help if you find yourself busier at earlier times.

2. Hang out with friends!

Socializing can significantly help with destressing. Get some food, play some games, or even watch a movie. If you’re in a crunch for time and studying alone is wearing you down, try starting a study group for music theory or other finals to help solidify your knowledge in a fun environment. Finding time to spend with friends is a great way to take your mind off your worries, even if it’s just for one night or a coffee break.

3. Take a break from practicing

Putting in endless hours of practice can only get you so far, and it’s most important to take care of yourself. Take it easy for the days leading up to your performance, especially the day before and the day of. Now is not the time for cramming in practice. If you do have things you need to work on, use your time wisely. Isolate sections, dedicate a small portion of time to each, and move on. Remember, it’s essential to save your energy for the performance, so take a break and rest, rest, rest!

4. Be kind to yourself

Music majors can tell you they are often perfectionists and can be hard on themselves when their juries aren’t perfect. It’s important to recognize the hard work you put in all semester, and even if your performance didn’t go as you had hoped, you still did it and made it through, and that’s enough to be proud of!

5. And lastly, of course, remember to eat and get enough sleep!

Basic self-care is easy to forget when you’re stressed about finals, but caring for yourself and staying healthy will help the most to get you through the week.

Good luck everyone with your finals and juries, and take care of yourselves!

Published on December 2, 2022