The Inner Take

When Guilt Takes Control

Listen Later
How guilt affects musicians, how it can go as far as a panic attack, and simple tools to take back control of your practice and your mind.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why musicians feel guilt almost every day

The “inner voice” that creates pressure and fear
How guilt ignores your reality, your level, and your process
A personal story: when guilt led to a panic attack
The hidden problem in music education: doing without understanding why
The difference between being a person, an artist, and a musician
Why practicing more is not always the answer

Tools to work with guilt:

  1. Set clear practice limits

    2. Define when you start and when you finish

    Think of practice like a rehearsal
    Add breaks and structure your time
    Replace “I should be practicing” with “I already practiced today”

    1. Build a healthier internal dialogue

      2. After each session, ask: Did I show up and do the work?

      Answer simply: YES or NO
      Accept progress, even if it’s small

      1. Separate facts from thoughts

        2. Facts: what you actually practiced and achieved

        Thoughts: “It’s not enough”, “I’m not good”, “I should do more”
        Learn to recognize that these thoughts are not reality

        1. Take care of your “person self”

          2. You are not only a musician

          Rest, social life, and personal time are part of being a healthy artist

          Key message of the episode:

          Guilt does not make you better.

          Awareness and balance do.

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store
          The Inner TakeBy Ramón Gardella