Atish announces he is stepping away from DJing for the foreseeable future due to mental health concerns

Atish has taken to social media to announce that he is taking a hiatus from DJing amid mental health struggles.

The artist, label head, Desert Hearts and Burning Man namestay, Atish, announced earlier this month that he is taking a break from music due to mental health struggles. Announcing this on his Instagram, Atish joins the small Rolodex of artists who have felt the drain and pressure of the music machine but are courageous enough to listen to their bodies and heal. Burnout is becoming an increasingly prevalent diagnosis of a sum of unavoidable modern-day symptoms.

Burnout is not only impacting artists, but regular people feeling the wear and tear of 2024 through work, life, and the accompanying stressors resulting in brain fog, depression, exhaustion, and even insomnia. The Manjumasi label head Atish wrote on his Instagram, “I’m entering a new chapter of my journey: I’m stepping away from DJing for a little while.”

Atish wrote that after his most recent shows in San Francisco, he is beginning the journey of a much-needed break. He continues, “The timeframe I have in mind for this break is 6 months, maybe longer, maybe shorter. But in all likelihood, I’ll return back to DJing with a new perspective and point of view, I just don’t know what that will look like yet.”

Those suffering from burnout admit this is a tough decision as the love for one’s day-to-day remains, but the need for peace is stronger. GR!Z announced his hiatus from music nearly a year ago due to his struggle with burnout, anxiety, and imposter syndrome. Burnout is one of the newer human experiences that come with the evolution into the 21st century.

Rounding out his post, Atish continues to write, “To be clear, I still love DJing. I love the music. I love the culture. I love the community. . . So why am I doing this? A few weeks ago, some of my inner circle told me that I seemed burnt out, that I seemed different. It came up in my therapy that I might be depressed. I needed to address this before it turned into something worse.”

As performers, it could be easy for artists to push their internal struggles aside to please their fans. However, as the world continues to be a stressful arena there is nothing more honorable or fan-centric than pausing when your health depends on it. Continued health, creativity, and longevity of beloved artists remain the best gifts a fan can receive.