How to maintain a healthy lifestyle during festive periods

The life of a mobile DJ can indeed be an exhausting one, and the discussions now happening about mental health are necessary and long overdue. But it’s also true that many have sustained successful careers, often for decades, while still maintaining their mental, physical, and emotional health.

With a special reference to the festive period, below are a few wellness tips to consider while moving around playing at different gigs:

 

1. Get enough sleep

Sleep is the hardest thing for many DJs while busy running party schedules. A DJ on a very busy schedule sleeps about four hours on average. You can supplement this by trying to nap, and if you can’t, learn how to nap, on the plane for instance. My current favorite naps are 30 minutes naps which energize you without feeling super groggy when you wake up. It’s a skill though, and helpful to dive into if this seems hard for you.

 

2. Get some exercise

Many studies have shown that regular exercise isn’t just good for your body, it’s good for your mind too. Physical activity can relieve stress and anxiety, improve memory, help you sleep better, and even alleviate symptoms of long-term depression and other mental health issues. You might think working out will drain the little energy you have but actually, it will give you energy. The feeling you get after a workout is the best. And think about this: you only need 45 minutes a day to be as lazy as you want for the next 23 hours and 15 minutes. Yet, you’re still in shape.

 

3. Change up your diet

As with exercise, a growing body of science is showing that what we eat affects how we feel, both mentally and physically. Working out has no use if you have unhealthy eating habits. The key is to know what good foods are. Erratic, unhealthy eating habits can also compound the stress and fatigue that are the hazards of a DJ’s hectic schedule. Everyone’s metabolism is different, so when it comes to what you eat, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Whether or not you choose to go on a specific diet, seeking out healthy, minimally processed foods is key.

 

4. Don’t overbook yourself

When your career is just starting to take off and the gigs come rolling in, the temptation is to say “yes” to everything, but it’s a good idea to resist that urge. Overbooking yourself ends up being too hard on your body. At every stage of your career, it’s sometimes better to leave money on the table, rather than push yourself beyond your breaking point. Some things are more important than money. The unquenchable thirst for money is what gets in the way of the decision-making process behind some DJs’ grueling and ultimately unhealthy schedules.

 

5. Picture your schedule

To overcome stress and pressure, one of my key things of survival is to picture your daily activities/weekend before it happens. Imagining things and situations you could come across while going for a party and unraveling it. This way, when it happens, you’ll be prepared for a lot of things and most of it you already ran through! This way you’ll never be overwhelmed by what’s about to come or happen.

 

6. Stay calm

Very simply put: Stress kills. If it’s not now, it’s in the long run. Whatever stresses you, leave it behind and see it for what it is. Stress is as big as you want to make it. If you realize that, you’ll see that no matter the situation, you’ll always be in control.

 

7. Lay off the alcohol

Although you’ll feel super happy and powerful at the moment, the next day or the next days can feel super bad. Staying sober when you’re on the decks may seem like the most obvious thing in the world, but when everyone wants to buy the DJ a drink or the club pays you in drink tickets, it can take discipline to avoid the temptations. For some DJs, the best course is to avoid alcohol while on the job. For others, giving up alcohol altogether is the way to go.

 

Note: All of this advice is no substitute for the help of a healthcare professional. If you’re struggling with mental health issues, addiction, substance abuse, chronic pain, or anything else that’s preventing you from living your life to the fullest, whether you’re a DJ or anyone else, talk to your doctor.

My recommended party pace pusher for this week is Fireboy – Scatter.