How to practice when you don't have time

What do you do when you want to practice your singing, but you don’t have time?

You know that you want to practice, but you feel overwhelmed, busy and just can’t see how to fit in a substantial practice session. So what is to be done?

1. Work out your tendencies, and adapt for them

Can you identify what’s getting in your way?

Are you telling yourself you don’t have time, but actually you are prioritising other things that may not be helpful? Do you struggle to make consistent habits, so even though you want to practice you often forget?

Work with yourself, not against! And do it with curiosity, not judgement - like you’re helping your best friend through it.

If you recognise that you could probably spare 10 minutes a day out of your social media screen time, start with a practice app and make sure it’s right next to Insta on your phone’s homepage.

If you struggle with habits, stack your singing practice with something you never forget to do. Maybe you always practice your scales while brushing your teeth! Perhaps the shower is the best place to try vowel modifications.

2. Start small

The benefits of practice are dependant on quality, not quantity. Setting aside just 5 minutes can create huge changes, provided those 5 minutes are meaningful. Set your expectations appropriately and set some task-based goals which are specific and achievable within the limited time you have available.

If you need goal setting help, this blog post can help to make your goals SMART.

3. Consider other forms of practice

Just because you’re not vocalising doesn’t mean you’re not practicing. There are plenty of ways that we can practice our singing that might not feel as time-consuming as sitting down for focussed practice.

This blog post can help you recognise alternative ways of practice that might better fit into your busy schedule.

4. Be kind to yourself

We all want to do our best, but beating ourselves up when we fall short isn’t going to help anyone. And it’ll probably make you less willing to try again. There are always things that can come along and demand to be prioritised.

Set realistic expectations based upon your current circumstances and capacities - not what you wish you had - and give yourself some grace if you don’t manage to practice as much as you want.

For singing practice tips you can follow me on social media @TessaSmithMusic, or explore thesingersguide.com where there are resources all about optimising your singing practice.