Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Feeling tired - Help needed

Hi there.
As some of you may know, I'm a piano student, and these days I've been feeling really tired, maybe because of the changing weather in London, the arrival of Spring and/or the fact that I don't have friends in London yet (I'm Spanish and I came to London not very long ago).
I usually practice from seven to eight hours. I feel very tired during the morning when I start practicing, and during the evening (when I get home).
I would like to know if you could give me any advice, specially on what kind of sports will be good for someone who is studying piano. I know swimming is one of the best things, but I haven't got access to a swimming pool, so maybe some stretching exercises, any gym exercises too?
Any other ideas?
Any vitamins?

Many thanks.

Don't hold your breath for spring, we still need to get through April. The recent nice days have certainly brought the pollen out. I know a lot of people who have flu like symptoms.

Diagnosing something as seemingly rudimentary as fatigue can hardly be done without knowing a lot about your general health and your lifestyle. Fatique can be the result of many factors: diet, insufficient sleep, lack of or insufficient amount of physical exercise, overwork that involves the same physical movements.

With Spring here, simply taking a brisk walk every day, having a good night's sleep and eating a wholesome diet can do a lot to allay symptoms of fatigue.

Regards,

-Eat Healthy
-Workout (check out www.stronglifts.com for a beginners strength training program. I can vouch for it because I did it for 8 months before moving on to an intermediate program.)
-Get 8 hours sleep every night (very important!!!)

Thanks for all the answers.
I don't do any physical exercise... So that's something I need to start doing ASAP.
My diet... well, to be honest, I ate much better in Spain. My usual lunch consists of a sandwich and a coffee or a coke, at night I eat better; pasta, vegetables, some fruit...
I have suffered from anxiety in the past, and I'm quite nervous, so I'm actually taking some pills (prescribed by my Doc, obviously) and they do relax me, but they make me feel less "active".
And, on the other hand, I have no social life in London. So I should start doing something about that too I guess.
All my friends are in Spain, and I don't get to see them as much as I want, although I do travel quite often.
So, that's more about me.
Any other tips on trying to handle this fatigue?

Cheers.

Try cutting down the amount of hours you practise...seriously.
I doubt whether anybody can concentrate fully for eight hours a day, so you could be wasting many hours a week in unproductive work.
Actually I'm feeling more tired than usual (I live in London too) so it might be the effects of the weather. It's certainly not due to over-practising in my case nowadays.
However, it's probably best if you consult a doctor about your general health rather than on relying on advice from forum members who know next-to-nothing about you.

Well, I was just asking for some general advice. Asking other people who also study piano I believe to be the firt step, if they provide me with solutions that actually work, then I don't need to go to the doctor.

If the doctor has prescribed pills that you feel are contributing to your fatigue then he really ought to be your first port of call.
The amount of time it will probably take before you get an appointment to be seen (if you use an NHS doctor, that is) will surely give you ample time to try out all the other suggestions you receive, however!

I'm a big proponent of the physical activity suggestion. People have their preferences, but if you haven't been doing much physical activity, start with a light work-out and/or a good 20 minutes of some cardiovascular activity (walking/jogging/any of those funky elliptical machines at any gym.) I find working out in the AM sets me in the right mood for the day, but it's not for everyone, so give the AM and PM a try, and if you're only practicing during the day, perhaps you could even try sneaking this in in the middle of your day, and see which makes you feel the best.

I also second the recommendations of making sure you get ample sleep, and watching your diet. Never underestimate the power of a healthy dose of fruits and vegetables!

Good luck,
Daniel

Hi,
These are some things that help with my fatigue problems.

The obvious: make sure you are getting a good nights sleep and enough of it. Do you wake up feeling tired? If you do you are not getting good quality deep sleep. I had this problym due to chronic sinisitis (basically I was not breathing when I was sleeping)oddly I found relief using breath right strips.

exercise: I've done martial arts, yoga, and circuit training and like them all. The important thing is to find something you enjoy and will keep up with but will not exhaust you to the point that you can't do anything else. At work we all take a break in the middle of the day and run up/down the stairs a few times since we are at our computers for 8+ hours at a time.

diet: make sure you are well hydrated, drink enough water, don't overdo the caffiene (no caffeine to late in the day and be careful of hidden caffeine in tea and chocolate) or soft drinks. get proper nutrition. Too much junk food can make you feel lethargic and zap your energy. Healthy food will keep your energy levels even throughout the day.

You might want to take a short stretching break during your practice time.

Good luck with this. I hope you are feeling well again soon.

go play tennis or table tennis.

The fallacy - if not the danger - in this reasoning is thinking that similar symptoms might have similar causes. What may work for one individual may indeed not work for another because the causes behind the symptoms may be totally different, regardless of the similarity of the symptoms. I would suggest a visit to a doctor if the fatigue is more than just a minor, temporary annoyance.

Regards,

I recall that when I was in grad school (after a full day of classes and teaching) I'd go home, eat dinner, and take a nap before beginning my evening practice sessions. It helped make the evening practice time more productive. Of course, I'm one of those individuals who gets a "second wind" in the evening.

As for exercise - taking a brisk walk at intervals throughout the day can work wonders. You don't need to make a big production out of it. Also - try to divide your practice sessions into shorter intervals and take breaks in between. Do a lot of stretching and deep breathing as well.

Other than that, try to eat better - stay hydrated - cut back on the caffeine - get enough rest - and try to get out and meet people.

And finally, as someone who has also suffered from chronic anxiety, I would recommend that you try to get off or significantly cut back on the anti-anxiety medication. There are other - healthier - ways to reduce anxiety.

Good luck.

The anti-anxiety meds will do that to you. I don't know what you're on, but chances are, it's an opioid. Tough to get anything done on those. But if you can't get off of them, be sure to make up for it with sleep, diet, and exercise. Also, a twenty-minute nap midday does wonders.

Many thanks for all your comments.
I'll try to get rid of the pills, and start with some morning physical exercise. Plus, sleeping 9-10 hours (8 won't do in my case), which I've found to be the ammount of hours I need to start a new day with energy.

Thank you once again.
Alvaro.

Make sure you do so under a Dr.'s supervision.
best

Don't underestimate the power of a midday nap.

I also found a lot of herbal teas can refresh and revive. I used to drink them in the evenings (lemon and ginger favourably), thinking and feeling they had the perfect amount of caffeine to keep you awake for a while, but not to keep you from getting to sleep afterwards. Then I discovered they were 'naturally caffeine free'. I still drink them, and find they still have the same effect.

I take one day off a week. Now this is flexible based on what I need to get done, But it has done wonders for me to have a day that if I play it is not for anything other then my enjoyment. The other suggestions are great. I can attest to how much just changing to healthier eating happens and even just moderate exercise can do for you.

Sleep is also very very important. The midday 20-30 minute power nap is great. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 2 and a half years ago. First tried to take my tonsils out didn't work. Then I was put on a C pap machine, the differences were so amazing overnight. If I do not sleep with it I am pretty useless in a few days frmo no rest. So I know the importance of sleep so do not underestimate it. Best way to help is just to set a bed time. Like I won't practice anymore after midnight or one am. I usually wouldn't get much more done anyway and it gives me plenty of time to get rest to start up good the next day.

An anxiety medication has been a huge problem to me since October, and I am almost off of them now, as you cannot just stop taking them, you must decline gradually. My meds gave me visual and aural hallucinations! Yes! And, I was falling asleep several times a day when I had no intention of sleeping. I was also having some confusion with memory. I hesitate to say too much in case someone would think me a basket case, I'm not.

However, it's been very difficult to find the source of the medication. When I dropped down to one per day, things got much better for me and I'm not having those symptoms any more.

I would like to get off of them totally, but have not been successful with going to half of a tablet for a few weeks before totally disgarding them. Anxiety had been a problem without them.

I would be concerned about finding alternatives to anxiety drugs. For instance, the addition of cinnamon to my coffee brew really lifted me up, and the use of rosemary in cooking was another additive to feeling much better.

Getting fresh air, open the window, take a walk, go sight seeing, create spontaneous happenings for yourself, give yourself some rewards for keeping your schedule and goals in front of you by breaking from the routine when you can.

You need new people in your life, too. Friends are former strangers, you know! Put your best foot forward in your new and interesting lifestyle in this decade of your life.

Betty

Depression/anxiety is no joke, and it can be dangerous to fail to address it. There are quite a few medications your doc could try, and if you find the side effects are too troublesome with one (and they all have them), work with your doc to find something that works better for you. But no medication can do it all for you, and what other posters have said about exercise, rest, diet, friends, meaningful work to do (but in moderation), is really on the money.

It also doesn't hurt to do a good deed every once in a while. And it's possible that seeing a therapist for awhile could help.

Finding your balance again after a big change (like moving to a new country) can take a fair amount of work... but any positive action you can take in your own behalf will help. Just being able to say to yourself what the problem is, is a huge thing. Many people suffer on and on, and never get so far.