When You're a High Achieving Piano Teacher who also Struggles with Mental Health

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately, as we have all been ramping up for our fall piano schedules. It can easily become a piano teacher's CRAZIEST time of year. As Christina Whitlock from the "Beyond Measure" Podcast puts it, "You have survived 100% of your past fall scheduling. This year will be no different!"

To add to the craziness, academic and professional musicians tend to lend themselves towards being high achievers which typically serves our careers well. But sometimes even high achievers struggle with mental health setbacks or disorders.

A question I've found myself asking lately is:

What does it look like to still progress towards your professional and studio goals when your mental health isn't on its A game?

OK, so maybe I just painted you a very clear picture into my personal life right now. It's not the first time that I've talked about my mental health challenges in this space, but it's something I feel bears repeating again as I know I'm not the only piano teacher out there who gets overwhelmed and struggles from time to time.

As I've grappled with my personal challenges while attempting to maintain a steady rate of progress towards the goals I have for my piano studio and other professional pursuits, here is what is making the difference for me--and I hope will make a difference for you too:

Simplify Down to the Bone

If you follow me on IG @notyourmotherspianostudio, you know I am all about the simple piano teaching life!

As high achievers, we can get caught up in trying to do ALL the things--all the cute games, all the exams, all the practice challenges and latest teaching trends. It's OK to want to try it all, there are SO many good music ideas out there! But instead of trying everything at the same time, pick ONE new thing to try this fall season.

Then when winter rolls around, pick ONE MORE thing off of your list of things to try in your studio.

And if there's a season where you just don't feel up to adding or changing things, EMBRACE THE CONSISTENCY INSTEAD!

Streamline AMAP (as much as possible)

This definitely goes hand in hand with simplifying. Are there tasks that you do on a regular basis that someone (or a system) could do for you? Start writing as many of these tasks down that could potentially be delegated.

My favorite ways I've streamlined my business is incorporating My Music Staff. It organizes your schedule, auto-generates your invoices, sends payment reminders for you, has a digital lending library, and so much more! You can even send out mass-communication emails for messages intended for the whole studio.

I have found it so helpful, that NYM has decided to partner with them and provide you a 60-DAY FREE TRIAL OFFER (twice the length of their regular offer) if you sign up through our link. That's two free months of saving you time and energy.

Rebalance Mental Expectations

In different seasons of life, the time that we allocate to certain responsibilities will shift.

In my current season, I am mothering two young toddlers and live half a country away from any family, all while my husband is finishing his surgical residency. To say life is BUSY is an understatement. I would live life perpetually drained and discouraged if I tried to give 100% to every single one of my responsibilities.

So some days I leave dishes in the sink.

Some days I call in extra babysitting to catch up on work or chores. Some days I skip the parent emails and notifications and choose sleep instead. Some days I'm eating cereal for dinner (my favorite kind of dinner btw).

Don't let yourself stretch too thin because you're trying to show up everywhere, all of the time. When rubber bands stretch too thin, they break! Take time to nurture your mindset and expectations for yourself.

Sacrificing YOU TIME = Sacrificing your Mental Health

If there's anything that should NOT be sacrificed, it's YOU time.

One of my favorite podcasters, Jasmine Star, said "You are your longest commitment, so make caring for yourself a priority."

I know we like to give as much as we can to our students. We are all probably the same way with our family, and even with our friends. But if there's anybody that should remain at the top of your list 100% of the time, it's you.

If you want to be able to show up for and serve your students, your family, and your friends, you have to take care of you. If you haven't read my post on balancing health and teaching, you can read it here!

As always, stay tuned!

(pun unapologetically intended)

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