Paradoks Shares Hard-Won Mental Health Lessons for Life in Music
Pursuing a music career can quietly wear down your mental health, and most of us don’t realize it until we’re already deep in it. Paradoks knows this all too well.
After more than 15 years of producing and nearly a decade performing under his moniker, he’s seen both the grind and the growth—and more importantly, how they can mess with your head if you’re not paying attention. With his new single “C’est Toi” out now on Purified Records, he’s also sharing a more personal side of his creative process: how he’s stayed mentally grounded through rejection, comparison, and the never-ending pressure to stay relevant.
The advice he shares is straight from experience—hard-earned lessons on detaching from short-term results, learning to disconnect, and building a routine that actually supports your creativity instead of burning you out. In a time when so many artists feel the need to constantly produce, promote, and perform, it’s a reminder that you can still build a meaningful music career without running yourself into the ground.
C’est Toi captures a lot of that same energy. The track pairs a sleek, melancholic vocal with high-impact drops and carefully sculpted percussion, offering something you can either zone into alone or hear explode through a club system. But underneath that polish is an artist who’s spent years making intentional choices—not just about his music, but about how to stay well while making it.
Below, Paradoks breaks down the habits, tools, and mindset shifts that have helped him stay mentally strong across his career.
Breaking through in music is a long and uncertain journey. I’ve personally dealt with rejections, frustration, anxiety, uncertainty, and comparison in my career, and I know how much of a toll it can take. It can make you question your path, and take the joy out of something you love.
But over the years, I’ve found ways to stay grounded, keep my focus, and move forward without letting these challenges consume me. Here’s how I stay mentally strong in the music industry, and how you can too while chasing your dream.
Detach from immediate results
It’s easy to feel discouraged when growth is slow and when labels reject you or ghost you at first. But focus on the process, on improving your knowledge, skills, on experimenting, and having fun, rather than obsessing over numbers. This will sound cheesy, but really, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. I personally never had a strong hit that propelled me into the stratosphere and suddenly made me a successful touring artist. That never happened. It’s been slow growth, small wins, constant efforts, but also love for the music.
And in a way, I think I’m blessed that I never had this super strong moment, because it allowed me to face my own challenges and grow mentally and spiritually along the way. I didn’t have a massive hit and suddenly found myself at the top and constantly touring with no idea what was going on in my life, which can be overwhelming for many artists. Sure, there is still a lot I want to achieve, but I’m doing it from a place of patience and a step-by-step mindset. I’ve been performing as Paradoks for 9 years now, but I’ve been making music for over 15 years. I think this goes to show that you can build a career in music without having a viral moment, as long as you have a long-term mindset.
Comparison kills creativity
Every artist’s path is different. Comparing your progress to others can make you feel stuck, or worse, fill you with envy and negative feelings of want and need, making you unhappy with what you currently have. I personally use the Opal app to restrict my Instagram usage because, even if we don’t think it affects us, unconsciously, we start comparing ourselves to others, and the grass will always seem greener on the other side. It’s just so easy to reach for the phone and suddenly find yourself doom scrolling and seeing other people’s amazing lives. You might look at another artist and dream of having their life, but what tells you this person is happier than you? Reducing exposure to social media helps me keep the focus on my own journey rather than someone else’s highlight reel.
Focus on what makes you Unique
Now that you’ve reduced Instagram and are comparing less, great. Now focus on your own path and unique strengths. What makes you, you? What message do you want to bring to the world?
We are all unique because we’ve been influenced by different things in life, from the friends we had in high school to the music, books, and movies we consumed, to the places we lived in.
There’s just an infinite amount of this that makes us unique. This realization makes me appreciate everything I’ve done in my life beyond music. It also builds confidence, knowing that doing my own unique thing is the best way to live a life in alignment with who I truly am. The results will likely be better for your career too, because nobody wants a copy of somebody else.
The Power of Disconnecting
The next step is to be able to switch off the phone from time to time. Switching off my phone for 24 to 48 hours (or more) really helps me be more present. When my phone is on, I’m constantly in ‘duty mode’, available for when promoters, my agents, or my team reaches out, but also for my friends and family, making me feel like I’m always ‘wired’ and online. This takes me away from the present moment.
Turning it off creates a space where nobody can disturb me, allowing for deeper creativity and focus. I recommend at least 24 hours when possible, but more is even better. We can’t always have the luxury to switch off when urgent things need to be taken care of, but I’m slowly starting to recognize more moments when I actually can.
For example, I now take the time to switch off when I’m in nature, but also at home when I’ve handled most admin tasks and I’m ready for studio time, giving 100% priority and focus to what matters most: making music. The world probably won’t completely change in 24 or 48 hours anyway. Switch off sometimes, you’ll thank me later.
Find a routine that works for you
Some artists love structure, while others work best in bursts of inspiration. Find a balance that keeps you productive without burning out. I personally feel at my peak when I have a routine and am regularly doing my breathwork, yoga, and going to the gym. I don’t need to think about where to go next, and that’s when I know I can make music from a place of feeling good rather than being stuck in my mind.
Celebrate small wins
I often find myself playing a big show or releasing a track on a label I’ve wanted to work with, and then immediately thinking about the next step, the next show, the next release.
On the one hand it’s good to continue having goals, but this really keeps the need to work harder and harder and the illusion that there is never really a reward, a break or a moment to take in and live. I think it’s crucial to take the time to be proud and grateful for a track I finished or signed, the great show I got to experience…
This sets things in perspective and creates a ritual of seeing the progress and being grateful for it.
Surround yourself with supportive people
Having a strong ecosystem around you, whether it’s other musicians, mentors, or close friends, helps you stay resilient. I have all types of friends: friends I laugh and play with, and friends I have deep conversations with and can be vulnerable with. They help me disconnect from my music career, and we share the mindset of wanting each other to succeed.
Choose people who uplift and challenge you, and take some distance from those who drain your energy. I personally distanced myself from people whose jealousy I could strongly feel or whose energy didn’t align with mine.
Take breaks and enjoy life without guilt
Creativity needs space. Stepping away from music to reset isn’t wasting time, it’s essential. Taking breaks helps you return with fresh ideas and renewed energy. Spending time in nature is my kind of break, but so is exercising or seeing friends. But sometimes, even a really good movie in the evening can help reset the mind too.
You will only find happiness in one place: Inside
One really important thing I realized recently is that I’m not going to be happier at the top. For years, I pursued music relentlessly, pushing and pushing, telling myself I’d be happy once I was touring a certain amount or making a specific income. I kept procrastinating on living and taking care of myself because I thought I’d do it only once I’d achieved what I wanted.
But as Rick Rubin said, it’s not uncommon for very successful people to be unhappy. They spend 20 years working toward their goals, believing that achieving them will finally make them feel fulfilled, only to realize that it doesn’t.
So make sure to have fun, to take the time for yourself, to live your life, to love the people around you, and to make music from a place of passion and love rather than from a craving for social validation or financial success.
