Actor's Guide to Self-Care
Hello lovelies. I hope everyone is staying happy and healthy, but if not, that’s okay. It’s okay not to be okay. I am mostly doing well. March is always a struggle-bus month for me so I’ve been really trying to take it one day at a time.
This week I am coming to you with my self-care guide for actors. I got the idea for this post from an article on Backstage but all the information in this article are my own thoughts and suggestions.
Why is self-care important for actors?
In an industry where you have such little control, your physical and mental health are some of the only things you can control. And the truth is that you will lose out on jobs if you don’t care for yourself. You need to take care of your instrument. Some things to consider are: getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, caring for your teeth, hair, nails, and skin, and staying in good physical and mental shape.
Ways to practice self-care?
Self-care is different for everyone. Self-care for me looks like singing to my fave musicals, drinking tea or coffee, and reading books. Some self-care ideas are:
Emotional awareness: Journaling, art, therapy, meditation, celebrating small accomplishments, attending AA/NA meetings (if you struggle with addiction of course).
Distraction: Painting, playing video or board games, talking to friends on the phone, watching or reading something comforting
Self-soothing: Grounding exercises such as the (5-4-3-2-1 method), body-scan meditation, getting off social media (even for a day)
Physical: Movement, eating a balanced meal, rearranging a room, or getting out in nature.
Opposite action: Read positive affirmations, watch something funny, gratitude journal, pay it forward
Practical self-care: Make a grocery list, declutter, get on a sleep schedule
How to maintain a work-life balance.
Creating an excellent work-life balance life is hard, especially for someone like me who is always performing, even when not in shows and loves acting with her heart and soul. Acting as a profession is very hard, especially in the beginning. Long days, last minute auditions can make it hard to have time to do things outside of it. Creating boundaries is the best way to create and maintain a work-life balance. If you can keep different parts of your life separate, do so.
How to stay physically healthy.
If you’re on broadway doing eight shows a day or have 16-hour work days while filming something, you must stay in perfect health.
Some things to consider are:
Physical activity: Going to the gym, dance class or working out at home.
Sleep: Sleep is the best way to rest your body and mind. Sleep is even more critical to those who have long work days. But sometimes, falling asleep is hard, even when you’re exhausted. Sleep aids come in handy here. Some of my faves are Melatonin 3mg (which is really all you need), Sleep Fairy, Luna, or Hey Girl Sweet Dreams. Other suggestions are stretching to relax you and Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea.
Nutrition: Eating well will keep you in good physical health and give you the energy and stamina needed for extended work days. But unpredictable schedules make eating hard, so I like to bring snacks with me when filming or at rehearsals. I also find nutrition shakes to come in handy. I personally like the Kate Farms shakes, and while they are traditionally used for tube feedings, all KF shakes can be drunk orally as well and are very filling. I don’t usually like suggesting meal replacement shakes but I find KF ones to be the best replacement and are great for busy days.
Taking vitamins can also help keep your vitamin levels balanced because low vitamin levels can greatly impact your health.
Vocal health: Most people assume that vocal health is only important to theatre performers/singers but, in reality, essential to all performers. Even if you’re not singing, vocal warmups can help keep your voice in shape and be on vocal rest on non-work days.
How to maintain a good body image.
How we look physically is just one of the things the public can criticise about us. One of my fave ways to keep a good image of my body is to cover the full length mirror in my bedroom, and if I am changing where mirrors are present if I can, I turn my back to the mirror. Not seeing what my body looks like makes me think about it less, making me less critical of it.
Focusing on your body’s health over size is also an excellent way to maintain a good body image. Healthy ≠ skinny. You can have a bigger body size and be in perfect health, the same way you can be skinny and not be in good health.
How to stay mentally healthy.
Find a community: Having an inner circle, preferably not other actors, can be super essential, but sometimes finding friends as an adult can be super hard. Here’s a link on how to create your inner circle.
Find a passion outside of the craft: As an actor, to survive in this industry, you need to love the craft with every fibre of your being. But having hobbies and passions outside of acting is also essential. Like for me, that passion is therapy, which is one reason I plan to also work as a therapist.
Make sure you have somewhere for personal decompression: At the beginning of your career, you might not be able to live alone and will likely need roommates. I always encourage being friends with your roommates but finding a place that is yours alone to decompress outside of your apartment can be significant. For some people, this could be the gym, a dance studio, a small cafe or a bookstore. I want to learn Systema (a Russian martial art), and I am confident that the Systema ring will someday be my place to decompress.
How to cope with rejection
I have written a post on rejection already, so please check out that post for more info.
When to see a therapist
There should be no “when to see a therapist.” Actors should regularly see a therapist regardless of their mental state. I see my therapist through all the good and the bad. Seeing a therapist regularly can help because it is nice to have a professional to process things with. When I got cast as Alma, my first significant leading role, talking to my therapist about the pressure of being the lead was helpful. And when I read the script, we talked about some triggering scenes and ways I could practice self-care before and after filming those scenes. We found ways to separate Alma from me because of how much I - Selene - have in common with her. I don’t think I could have figured that out without her.
And there you have it! I hope you found this post helpful and informative. As always, don’t forget to give this post a like, leave me a comment telling me what your biggest takeaway was, and share this post with someone who you think might benefit from it. Sending you all the light and love in this world. See you next time!
