Pop and rock and rap and country music can be a fantastic tool to help meet the listener where they are in the gruelling storm of healing. I get it. It's cathartic. However, to call Linkin Park the best band for relieving stress is laughable. Listen, before you come at me... I love Linkin Park. Hybrid Theory was the first CD I played the sh*t out of on my Panasonic Shockwave discman. Here's what they're saying though...

A study published by Tebra on how Americans use music to cope with mental health has got me worried about how we perceive music and healing. According to Tebra, 57% of Americans use music to avoid panic attacks, listing bands like Linkin Park and blink 182 and Taylor Swift as top choices.

Read the original Tebra report here: Tebra Healthcare Report

See the media coverage here: Revolver Magazine Article

Here's the thing... Certain music genres are the opposite of stress relief. In this episode, I break down why using music written from a place of deep hurt can actually trap you in a panic loop rather than relieve stress. I discuss the difference between emotional validation and nervous system regulation, and explain how the BEAT Rx Protocol and specifically my Calm Rx alpha beats provide the physiological shift needed to truly de-escalate anxiety.

To learn more about Beat Rx and how it can help you move out of the storm once you've had enough of the rain... check out: beatrx.miketheschwartz.com

For more on me and my practice subscribe to miketheschwartz.com

When you subscribe you'll get a weekly dose straight to your inbox and hear all my music, get all my tickets and get all my practical tips to turn your big dreams into reality and get out of your own way on your path to progress. Also head to the vault to access the first 4 seasons of the show.

Takeaways

• Music as a coping mechanism for mental health
• The difference between validation and regulation in music for mental health

Chapters

• 00:00 The Study and Its Findings
• 01:33 Hurt vs. Healing in Music
• 03:21 Validation vs. Regulation
• 04:45 The Impact of Music on Panic Attacks
• 08:03 The Role of Music in Clinical Crisis

Today we get into it with the absolute pioneer of chronic pain solutions, Dr. Sean Pastuch the Founder + CEO of Active Life Consulting and Author of "Live More. Hurt Less." Chronic pain, and mental wellness in the music industry is a foreign topic for many of you and this episode delves into the impact of pain on artists, what makes Dr. Sean and his team at Active Life different, and the importance of addressing lifestyle factors in pain management.
Dr. Sean highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to injury management and the parallels between athletes, artists and entrepreneurs in managing chronic pain.

The conversation covers topics such as identity, discipline, and the relationship between pain and creativity. We also delve into the importance of building meaningful connections with fans and clients, as well as the value of learning from failure.

Be sure to stick around to the end when Dr. Sean shares his most guilty pleasure when it comes to music, and his insights on the entrepreneurial journey and how over 20 years came together in celebrate the process of writing his book, 'Live More. Hurt Less.'

Takeaways

• Chronic pain is often influenced by lifestyle factors such as sleep, nutrition, stress, and hydration.
• Addressing chronic pain requires a comprehensive approach that considers the individual's lifestyle, work demands, and the need for both progress and maintenance.
• The Active Life hierarchy emphasizes the importance of addressing foundational lifestyle factors before focusing on symptom management and skill development. Identity and the relationship between pain and creativity
• The importance of building meaningful connections with fans and clients

Be sure to follow Dr. Sean on instagram at @drseanpastuch

Grab two copies of his brand new book, "Live more. Hurt Less."

Chapters

• 00:00 The Impact of Pain on Artists and Athletes
• 03:11 The Active Life Hierarchy and Lifestyle Factors
• 06:04 Managing Chronic Pain in Artists and Athletes
• 30:39 Identity and Creativity
• 32:37 The Entrepreneurial Journey
• 47:32 Building Meaningful Connections
• 56:53 Learning from Sports and Combat Training

Today, Mike explores the difference between a moment and a legacy, emphasizing the importance of building a sustainable creative career. It delves into the concept of a rest budget and the shift from content machine to athlete, highlighting the significance of strategic rest and infrastructure.

Takeaways

• Building a sustainable creative legacy requires a shift from viral chasing to long-term planning.
• The quality of creative output is directly linked to the quality of recovery and rest.

Chapters

• 00:00 Difference Between a Moment and a Legacy
• 00:46 The Trap of Viral Chasing
• 01:27 Shift from Content Machine to Athlete
• 02:47 The Concept of a Rest Budget
• 04:37 Strategic Rest and Infrastructure
• 05:12 Quality of Output and Recovery
• 06:26 Building a Sustainable Creative Legacy

Intro music "Head Down / Heart Up" by Adrian Chalifour
Outro music "The Connection" by Mike The Schwartz

In this episode, Mike challenges the traditional view of creativity and productivity, emphasizing the importance of recovery and treating artists as athletes. The discussion explores the role of the nervous system in creativity and the significance of sleep in skill consolidation.

Takeaways

• Creativity requires intentional recovery and training, similar to that of an athlete.
• Sleep is a critical process for skill consolidation and should be treated as a non-negotiable pillar of training.

Chapters

• 00:00 Redefining Creativity
• 03:04 The Nervous System and Creativity
• 06:12 Sleep and Skill Consolidation

Intro music "Head Down / Heart Up" by Adrian Chalifour
Outro music "The Connection" by Mike The Schwartz

On today's show, Mike explores the impact of burnout, the importance of managing the nervous system, and how the WHOOP wearable can transform how artists can start to understand daily strain, measure recovery, and the role of sleep in creativity. We also study the shutdown ritual, and the relationship between strain, recovery, and creativity.

Takeaways

• Strategic rest is essential for transforming the creative process into a high-performance career strategy.
• Measuring and managing daily strain and recovery are crucial for optimizing creative performance.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Impact of Burnout
• 02:02 Managing the Nervous System
• 03:08 Understanding Daily Strain
• 04:30 Measuring Recovery
• 05:24 The Role of Sleep in Creativity
• 08:55 The Shutdown Ritual
• 11:13 Strain, Recovery, and Creativity

Intro music "Head Down / Heart Up" by Adrian Chalifour
Outro music "The Connection" by Mike The Schwartz

Today we drop in to a conversation that I seriously thought everyone was doing, until I recently had to explain why organic traffic is king, when it comes to IRL events. I cover five effective strategies for filling a room without spending on a dime on ads. I emphasize the importance of empowering your inner circle, personalized invitations and understanding the preferences of the invitees.

Takeaways

• Room filling strategies
• Personalized invitations

Chapters

• 00:00 The 50
• 01:50 The Room Before the Room
• 02:17 The Debt
• 02:44 Personal Voice Note
• 03:44 Know Your Design, Know Your People

If you found this helpful. head over to my instagram and drop me a DM with "ROOM" and I'll get you the companion workbook. Or just head there...👇🏼
https://ffm.link/5ways
Follow the show for more and be sure to share this one out with someone you care about if you got something useful from it.

Special thanks to Adrian Chalifour for the intro music.
"Head Down / Heart Up"

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: C7OTDJCTYTNGFVVW, PVTHDZPD2M9J9DRL, RPDYFXWFIASMDPOC

Here's the thing...

Breathwork works. So does meditation. And yoga. And even cold plunges. All these resets are great. When your system has enough juice to actually do them....
But what do you do when those things stop working? How do you navigate that to get yourself back online...?

This Burnout masterclass address exactly that.

You'll learn:

The Burnout Equation

The "Hand" of Stress

Passive vs. Active down regulation

The Growth Sailboat

I've spent the past two decades helping artists start their wellness journey from ground zero. Whether they've never worked out before, their nervous system is completely fried or they need a jumpstart to get back to peak performance on stage or in life, I've got learned that there's a beat for that. Sleep, reset, anxiety, focus, performance... all of it – hardwired and scientific.

To learn more and try out the BeatRx Protocol, head to beat.miketheschwartz.com

Do hard things you don't like! On today's solo-cast episode, Mike discusses the critical importance of resilience in the music industry. He explores the Burnout Equation, delves into the biology of resilience (AMCC), and talks about the significance of training resilience through hard work (and why doing shit you don't like is worth it). The episode concludes by highlighting the importance of resilience for artists and the role of the MFL, how we track resiliency and other character traits on each MFLer's player card and how the Artist Athlete Framework builds resilience.

Takeaways

• Resilience is a critical factor for artists' sustainability
• The AMCC (anterior mid-cingulate cortex) is the neural centre for willpower and perseverance
• How the MFL helps develop artist's resiliency

Head to mflyyc.com to learn more and join the league, get your player card and build your resiliency.