Over thinking; Please help me in getting my groove back!

[CaribooBass]

You have practised and rehearsed all your set, the mix is good and all is right with the world……. or is it?

If you are properly prepared; what causes over thinking?
We all know what this does to your playing so why does it happen?
It is not fear bases for you have worked on all you need to do and put it in order.
Can this be stage fright?
Back case of nerves ?
Thanks
Clayton

 

[fearceol]

The mind is naturally programmed to be negative. It is a throw back to primitive times when the hunter gatherer had to be constantly expecting "danger". This was all well and good at that time, for it was part of our protective mechanism. Nowadays the problem is that when the "danger" has passed, we don't know how to switch off the mechanism.

First acknowledge and accept that anxiety or negativity is present. Denying or fighting it is counter productive. The next thing is to breathe in sloooowly and deeply through the nose and out through the mouth.
Do this before going on stage. Also, when actually playing, we often "forget" to breathe because we are so concentrated on our playing. Our breathing is shallow and short. Being aware of our breath and trying to breathe slowly but naturally (not forcing anything) helps to calm the nervous system

Slow breathing like this stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for calming the body and as a result, the mind also.

 

[Killing Floor]

Self doubt is perfectly normal. Take a day off. Or better yet, take that day and do something stimulating and challenging. Then go back and play your set.
Or (and) meditate. But don’t ignore how you’re feeling.
Everyone is different. But if you have your material down, a simple reset or grounding can dial back the noise a little. Good luck.

 

[mambo4]

You can practice the techniques and improve
you can practice the material and improve
too few realize you can practice mental states and improve as well.

My go to trick is to ask my self if I'm listening.
Because the point of all that practice in my mind is not perfection
but to free my mind to give proper attention to listen and respond to the music
if you're overthinking you are probably not listening