THREAD: I’ve had a lot of messages about practice over the last couple of days - it seems pretty universal that musicians are struggling with motivation & focus at the moment. ME. TOO. So I thought I would share some things I’ve found helpful in case they help you too:

1: At the start of your day, take 15 mins to write a couple of pages in a notebook - just a stream of consciousness, getting rid of all the thoughts whizzing around your head. I do this last thing at night too.

2: I know I’ve already covered this, but don’t have your phone with you when you’re practising. It really doesn’t help. Need a metronome? They’re cheap online. Need to keep an eye on the time? Move a clock or get a watch.

If you are a musician who likes putting videos on social media - great, me too. Set aside time at the end for that - but crucially separate from your main practice.

3: Before practice, take a couple of minutes to do some mindful breathing. Eyes open or closed, it’s up to you, but use it to separate your practice time from your normal time and slow everything down.

4: Make a brief practice plan - just a couple of bullet points - which pieces you’re going to look at & any particular focus points. Then when you’ve finished each piece make a note of what you actually did, how long for, & things to look at next time.

5: DISTRACTION SHEET: this is a big one for me. I have a post-it note on my organ desk and write down any thoughts that are distracting me when practising so I can deal with them later. Really recommend.

6: Listen to your body. Some days practice is hard and doesn’t go according to plan, or we get fatigued more quickly than usual - that’s ok so don’t be hard on yourself.

Lastly: remember that we make music because we love it - try and have something in each practice session that reinforces that passion. Practice is so personal but I hope this might reassure you if you’re struggling at the moment - you’re not alone!