Published: Friday - October 10, 2008
Words by Donny Goines
Donny Goines (Photo: Don Michaels)
I recently performed at S.O.B's and the night seemed to last forever. I had gotten there early (hours before show time) and was really exhausted due to the fact I had been running around all morning. Before I went on stage, I grabbed a cup of joe. As I started to drink it, I thought to myself "I really need to get some rest."
Exhaustion is setting in. It seems as if everyday there is something new going on -- interviews, blogs (I wrote this one at 4:30 in the morning on the train headed home), shows or the many various tasks that I do are starting to take its toll on me. Not only am I physically tired, but mentally the exhaustion is starting to affect me as well. It's becoming harder and harder to stay on top of things and I am not as sharp as I usually am. My eyelids feel so heavy all the time and these days I am not getting enough rest in order to function properly. The crazy thing though is that no matter how much I sleep, I feel as if I'm not well rested. This is not a good sign.
Many people like myself who have dreams and goals suffer from the same affliction. In the pursuit of our desires, we sometimes tend to ignore the warning signs of the problems that lie ahead. Exhaustion can really become a major setback to an artist. You hear about it all the time. People collapsing on stage, having seizures, etc. are just some of the effects (although rare) that exhaustion can have on you and it's really something you need to be aware of. The only true remedy for exhaustion is REST. You are not invincible. We all need to relax sometimes because if we don't, then chances are we will burn out. That may not happen today or tomorrow, but I can promise you that it WILL occur, so you need to be in tune with your body and mind. Besides, what can you possibly get done if you;re not on point? Chances are you will do more damage then good and operating under these conditions is never productive.
Learn to take a breather once and awhile. We all need it, including myself. When you realize how important adequate rest really is, you will understand why I'm writing this blog entry. Make sure you get as much rest as possible (7 to 8 hours should suffice) and when you can ease up a bit, take a little more. Trust me, you won't miss that much and you'd be surprised how much you can get accomplished if your well rested. Don't neglect the need to get some much needed R&R when the time permits.
As for myself, I think I need to rejuvenate and take a mini vacation or something, haha. I'm really exhausted, but when its all said and done, this is just a part of the business. The crazy thing is that I'm going to get less sleep as I become more popular. How insane is that? Goodnight.
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