Mental Health on the Road

Hey, Nikki here.

I’m really excited to introduce the first edition of our newest series, Backstage Brief.  

I have the privilege of interviewing so many notable people on our podcast, so I wanted to share some of the insights and takeaways from these conversations. 

This week’s episode with Dr. Chayim Newman and Zack Borer of Amber Health felt like the perfect one to start with because we covered such an important topic. I hope it’s helpful to you too.

Touring has a weird paradox: you can be surrounded by one hundred people… and still feel completely alone. It is intense in ways most people never see. 

This conversation stuck with me because it wasn’t abstract or fluffy. It was practical, grounded, and very real about what support actually needs to look like on the road.

#1 Mental health is becoming the new “catering”

Catering used to be optional. Now it’s expected to travel on tour. Mental health support is starting to follow the same path.

Takeaway: Human sustainability is becoming infrastructure.

Try this: When budgeting, frame support as risk reduction, not a perk.

#2 Support has to live outside the chain of command

People won’t open up if their outlet controls their job or schedule.

Takeaway: Neutrality creates safety.

Try this: Make sure there’s at least one support option with no professional consequences attached.

#3 “Lonely in a crowd” is a systems issue

Being surrounded by people doesn’t protect against isolation. In touring, it can actually hide it.

Takeaway: Loneliness isn’t a personality flaw. It’s a risk factor.

Try this: Identify one pressure valve that isn’t your direct supervisor or tour manager.

#4 The tour manager can’t be the de facto therapist forever

Too often, leadership absorbs everyone’s emotional weight while running the show. That’s not sustainable.

Takeaway: Caring isn’t the same as having capacity.

Try this: Ask where heavy issues go when they arise. If the answer is one person, the system is already overloaded.

If you want the full conversation, listen to Episode #49 of The Giggs Podcast: Improving Mental Health on Tour with Amber Health. SPOTIFY | APPLE | YOUTUBE

– Nikki

P.S. One line I loved: “The goal isn’t to make touring easy. It’s to make it sustainable from a human perspective.” Sustainability is the real success metric. Ask whether your systems help people last, not just perform.