POSITIVE PRIMING

“My back hurts and I didn’t sleep well last night. My mind is already filling up with millions of thoughts. Can I be bothered to make myself breakfast or should I just have that left-over pizza and half a block of chocolate from last night? I have emails to reply to but maybe I’ll just do it tomorrow and watch Netflix. It’s already midday, what time is soundcheck? I haven’t washed my hair in 3 days, can I get away with wearing the same clothes again?”

It’s been almost 3 months that I’ve been on tour and the deeper you get within it, the days can start to blur together and it can be easy to fall into bad habits. Those 5 nights of shows and constant travel catches up on you. Other mornings you can be up early exploring the city and making the most of the travel experience. But on days like this, when you wake up feeling less than average, how can you turn it all around? How can you restart and reset? I have found that positive priming is a super helpful tool you can use.

Do you know what priming is? I didn’t, until I listened to a Tim Ferris Podcast where he talked about the concept of priming with Tony Robbins. Through some research and reading I delved a little deeper into this form of preparation. I am sure most people don’t think too much about how they are going to spend their morning and would usually just wake up and have a coffee. For some, they can get along with no troubles. Priming is really important for someone like me who has quite an active brain and enjoys being productive, but is also very susceptible to being influenced by my environment, mood and sleep deprivation. Priming is just another form of self-care, something which is SUPER important on the road.

Psychologists use the term priming to refer to the activating of certain parts of the brain just before carrying out a task. Though it often occurs unconsciously, priming gets us ready to notice certain things and to feel and act in certain ways.

For me, positive priming is a morning routine or checklist of things. It’s about taking small steps. It gives me clarity and focus. It gives me motivation or gain perspective if I experience brain fog. It helps when I feel overwhelmed or anxious. It does take a little bit of forward thinking and planning. If you wake up sad, grumpy, feeling dread or whatever negative state you are in and then continue on with your day, it can make things harder. This goes for being off tour as well. Obviously not everything is a quick fix but I find that when I take small steps every day, in the long run it really makes a massive difference to my overall performance. All you can do is try right?

As a musician on the road, your daily routine is usually the same and will usually consist of a sound check and show. It can differ at times with promo or a travel day. I have found at the start of the tour I was trying to wake up early around 8am but have settled into waking up at 11ish. That’s half the day already gone, but when you’re getting into bed around 1-3am each night, that’s just how it goes. Plus, it's almost impossible to set steady sleep times when you've been changing time zones every couple of weeks. So, whenever you do wake up, try creating a routine that will set you up for what ever hours you have left till your show.

Tony Robbins suggests taking 10 minutes to 'prime’ but I think it can be whatever you want really. It doesn’t have to be a long process if you don’t want it to be. For me, I can spend 2 hours ‘priming’ in the morning if that’s what it takes to shift my mental state. If you are struggling with a mental illness, at times all you can do is focus on what is going to happen in the next 8 hours which potentially could include getting yourself out of bed, dressed and into the venue and on the stage. So if you can work backwards from that. Ask yourself what is going to make yourself feel a little bit better?

Remember, start with some small goals then gradually work up from there. You can’t cross a river in one go, you have to lay down stones to walk across it. This is how my morning might start:

Upon waking: Check the time. Work out how much time I have till sound check and assess my mood.

POSITIVE PRIME #1. I’ll do extended child’s pose or a supine twist in my bed. Later on Ill do more gentle stretches.

POSITIVE PRIME #2. Drink 500ml water and put the kettle on.

POSITIVE PRIME #3. I’ll make my space relaxed. Maybe I’ll light a candle or find a quiet space, then practice gratitude and read my personal daily affirmations.

POSITIVE PRIME #4. I will generally do something creative like sketch, journal, or read a chapter of a book to relax my mind and focus on something positive. I will do this while sipping my tea.

POSITIVE PRIME #5. Deep breathing. Big deep breathes - around 20. If I am really foggy, I’ll sit and try to clear my mind. If I am having a million and one thoughts, I will be aware and conscious of that and try to let them come and go. If you can relate, I highly recommend reading a book called “The Untethered Soul": The Journey Beyond Yourself” by Michael A. Singer.

POSITIVE PRIME #6. I will make breakfast and eat it mindfully and slowly. If I am at home I will always go outside and sit in the sun. Ill try to stay off my phone and keep it on silent and only answer messages after I’ve finished waking up.

POSITIVE PRIME #7. I factor in my day when I will exercise, shower and make a general to-do-list or continue on with the one I already have. It can be as simple as; get dressed, exercise, shower, and then I can start my day. I do place a high priority on exercise because it is so good to release endorphins and get your blood pumping. I am really sensitive to caffeine and get fatigued easy so exercise is a great alternative.

Here are some other suggestions you could try…

PRIMING WITH WORDS

· Practice gratitude. Expressing gratitude can improve your mental, physical and emotional well-being. This is a really simple method to lift your mood and be grateful for the things you already have.

· Words of affirmation. Boost yourself esteem and confidence by reading some daily affirmations or quotes. I keep a little journal and read mine every morning.

· Why not send someone else a little positive message to help start their day on a good note? The power of kindness and positive energy goes a long way!

· Positive self talk. If you find yourself talking negatively to yourself, just pull yourself up on it and distract yourself. Don't buy into that shit. Try and start the morning by complimenting yourself and remind yourself that you're doing OK.

PRIMING YOUR ENVIRONMENT

· Create your sanctuary. It could be in your room or outside. Light a candle or incense. Find a quiet place. Make your bed. Put on some music. Just make yourself comfortable and create a space for you to be in that is peaceful and relaxed. On a bus it might mean going up in the back lounge, going for a walk, finding a park or finding a cafe to hang in.

PRIMING WITH MOVEMENT

· Start your day with gentle stretches, yoga or tai chi etc. There are heaps of routines you can find on YouTube. Dancing. Exercise. RELEASE THOSE ENDORPHINS. Or if you can’t fathom going for a jog, go for a walk. Just start and get outside, even if all you can manage is putting on thongs and your Pajama top. It really clears the mind. Get some vitamin D and get some sunlight.

PRIMING WITH FOOD

· Hydrate. Be conscious of your daily water intake and start the day with a tall glass of water. Have a decent breakfast and something that is going to keep you going till your next meal. If you eat a shitty breakfast just promise me you’ll try to make up for it with a more nutritious dinner. If you wake up and experience low blood sugar then the first thing you need is to manage that! If you need coffee to wake up, that’s cool but perhaps you could try switching that hectic caffeine hit with herbal tea, lemon and hot water or quick jog around the block to get your blood pumping. You could even go out and find a smoothie or fresh juice. Whatever floats your boat.

PRIMING WITH MINDFULNESS AND SELF CARE

· Deep breathing. Pay close attention to the type of breathing you’re doing as well. Deep breathing. Inhale for 4, hold for 4 and exhale for 8. Meditation. Body scan exercise. Google it. Read a book. Be creative – draw, write some lyrics or journal. Play an instrument. Some days I'll wake up and go straight to the piano.

I am sure there are a couple of things I have missed but in general, you get the idea. There are also heaps of apps out there to use that help as well. My favorite ones to use at the moment in the morning include Headspace, Rain Rain, Calm and Couch to 5K.

I hope you find this as useful as I do! Goodluck.