The Music Educator's Guide to Staying Healthy

This time of year there’s a lot of chatter in the social media sphere about how to stay healthy while still seeing hundreds of students in and out of your classroom every day. 

It is enough of a challenge to teach music to begin with, but adding to that the need to find a sub, create lesson plans that can be adapted for whatever skill level that sub happens to have, and to do it all while feeling lousy is enough to tax even the most stalwart and prepared of us.

I have struggled with this very issue, having spent much of last year feeling less than 100%. When I wasn’t nursing a sinus infection I was out for a week with the flu. Earlier in my career I was diagnosed with strep throat every month for the first half of the year, only to have the ENT pull me in for a tonsillectomy the first part of January. I was out for three straight weeks! One year I had surgery, and one year I had a baby. I’ve seen my share of health issues. But what about the kind that are preventable? 

Here are some tips gleaned from music educators who are in the same boat. Just remember, some may work for you, others may not. Most healthy changes take at least a week before you will start to feel a difference, so don’t worry if you don’t see an immediate change. 

• Make a habit of sanitizing

  • Use hand sanitizer after every class, wash your hands with plenty of soap and warm water

  • Get sanitizer spray and use it on chairs, stands, doors…anything touched by students

  • Clean up your desk, or cart, or whatever you use

  • Change out of your clothes as soon as you get home, and wash them in hot water

• Don’t touch your face

  • Your face is where the germs come in so make a habit of using a tissue

• Eat healthfully 

  • Lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, and nuts

  • Avoid sugar and grains

… my biggest recommendation is avoiding sugar and exercising everyday. It has absolutely helped my immune system greatly! I also look better naked.... so there’s that too. 🤷‍♂️

• Exercise, even if you’re tired

  • You will actually feel more energized when you make it a daily routine

  • Get outside of your classroom once or twice in the day if you can

• REST

  • What is keeping you up? Social media? Streaming video or watching TV? Set a time when devices go off and GO TO SLEEP

  • Don’t bring work home. Just don’t.

  • Nap on your lunch break- even 20 minutes can make a world of difference

  • Take time off when you’re sick- you’ll get better faster

• Drink plenty of fluids

  • Try using a bike bottle or something with a straw that can be reused and easily drank from and easily washed 

• Wash your instruments

  • Wind instruments especially are breeding grounds for the kinds of things that will make you sick

  • Sanitize your phone, your computer, and your batons- everything you touch regularly

This is normal in the first year or two. You are meeting new germs that you have not encountered before. As you progress in your career your immune system will toughen up and you will be less susceptible to nasty viruses. 

• Try vitamins

  • Vitamin D, a B complex, elderberry, echinacea, and C are all supposed to help your immunity

  • Check out something like this multi-packed gummy

• Take care of your gut

  • Everything that goes into your body goes through your gut. Make sure to keep it healthy.

  • Drink kombucha, take probiotice

  • Avoid sugar, alcohol, an antibiotics. Chances are good you’ll get better just as fast without them- especially if what you have is a virus.

  • Drinking a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar every morning or every night

• Manage stress

  • Practice meditation daily. Do yoga [this also counts as your aforementioned exercise]

  • Surround yourself with things you love

  • Realize this is normal, and your body will adjust

  • Practice active stress relief like exercise, screaming, playing instruments, dancing…whatever outlet you can get!

Really, getting rest and not letting the stress wear you down is the most important part. Take care of yourself. Be balanced and do things you love. I’m 19 years in and just now figuring out the toll that not staying in touch with what my body needs has taken on me, my marriage, our kid, and life. Don’t let it become everything.

• Fear not!

  • It’s okay to tell people [and students] to back off if they’re sick

  • Don’t worry if you have to compromise a little bit on your lessons so you can recover

This might be unpopular but if you need to sacrifice 10% of your lesson quality to maintain longevity so you can invest that time into your health for better nutritious meals, sufficient sleep and exercise, then do that. Teaching calls for a lot of "free work" in your planning etc. Good Management of yourself to avoid burnout is better for the long term if that means the students get to keep their teacher and you keep your job. Schools can always replace a burnt out teacher. No teacher should sacrifice their well-being for their job and students, no matter how passionate they are about it.

And as always, prevention is the best medicine!

How do YOU stay healthy during the school year? Share your tips in the comments below.

Want to learn more ways to be well as a music educator? Check out my book, The Music Educator’s Guide to Thrive.