I always feel physically exhausted after spending as little as a few hours sitting at my desk composing. Even though I’m sitting still, an afternoon of serious composing is a surprisingly demanding combination of mental concentration, emotional processing, and sustained bodily tension.
A few likely reasons:
- Intense cognitive load. I’m simultaneously thinking about harmony, rhythm, orchestration, form, notation, timbre, structure, and what I want the listener to experience. That sustained decision-making can be draining.
- “Deep work” fatigue. When I become absorbed in composing, I may spend hours in a highly focused state with very little mental downtime.
- Emotional engagement. If the music deals with difficult or personally meaningful subjects, the creative process itself can be emotionally taxing.
- Physical tension. Sitting at a piano or computer, leaning forward, raising my shoulders, or maintaining subtle muscular tension can leave me feeling wiped out.
- Eye and screen fatigue. Several hours of staring at notation software and a monitor can contribute to headaches, heaviness, and general fatigue.
- Not noticing basic needs. Creative absorption makes it easy to forget to drink water, eat, move around, or take proper breaks.
- The “crash” afterward. While I’m composing, concentration and excitement can keep me going. Once I stop, I may suddenly notice how tired I actually am.
So how do I combat all this? I set a timer that rings every hour. It reminds me to stand up, drink water, have a snack, and look out the window. I’m still physically exhausted at the end of the day, but it is much worse it don’t do this.
I’m sure many of you can relate to what I’m talking about here, even if you’re not composing. If you find yourself saying, “My brain is completely spent, but I otherwise feel fine,” that can certainly be consistent with intensive creative work. If, however, you find yourself thinking, “My whole body feels unusually weak or heavy, I’m dizzy, short of breath, unusually sleepy, or this is happening even when I haven’t been composing,” that’s a different situation and worth getting that checked out!
Take care of yourselves, my dear friends! 🧡
