Student Blog: Acting Student Burnout... What Can We Do?

For this month, we were asked if we have ever experienced burnout. And I’ve been procrastinating writing this for over two weeks. I think that gives us a pretty clear answer.

I’ve experienced burnout in many aspects of my life, but I think burnout in the acting and performing world is one of the most difficult to work through. Acting, giving a real and honest performance, requires you to be incredibly vulnerable. This is beautiful, and unique, but very draining. And when you overwork yourself, and your art starts to feel like a chore? Your performances suffer. Sometimes, the harder you work, the more unhappy you are with the outcome. Not to mention the toll burnout can take on your mental and physical health.

Being an actor, and an acting student, is incredibly time consuimg. And it should be! Art takes time, and care, and attention to detail. But it can sometimes feel like in order to create something we can be proud of, we have to sacrifice our mental well-being. And if we don’t, if we take time off, or don’t work towards our goals 24/7, we convince ourselves that we are failures, or falling behind our peers.

So how do we work through this? Well, I wish I could give you all a clear answer. This is something I’m still struggling with myself. 

In fact, I don’t even think there is just one answer. But learning how to work through it is possible.

I think the first step is being able to identify when you’re feeling burnt out. Are you feeling physically exhausted, no matter how much sleep you’ve gotten? Do you have a hard time focusing on things that don’t revolve around your work? Are you looking forward to rehearsing and performing less than usual? 

These are a few things I’ve noticed in myself that can help me figure out what I’m feeling. Although identifying the problem won’t solve it, it’s a good place to start.

I think it’s also important to remind yourself why we’re working so hard. It’s because we love it. Unfortunately, that can be hard to remember sometimes.

I have rediscovered my love for performing over and over again. I overwork myself, I start to second-guess, and then something changes where I’m reminded why I wanted to be here in the first place. Sometimes I’m in a show that changes my perspective. Other times, I watch one of my favorite movies or TV shows, and am inspired to keep going so I can be a part of something like that. 

I heard a quote from Taylor Swift recently that put my burnout into perspective. She said: “I get tired a lot, but I never get tired of it.” 

Getting tired and getting tired of it are two different things, and I think it’s important to recognize the difference between the two in yourself. I never get tired of acting. I love acting more than anything. But do I get exhausted, which makes acting harder and less enjoyable? Absolutely.

I’ve been waiting for so long to be able to study acting, and I don’t want to take that for granted by not enjoying it when I can. This mindset is way easier said than done, but it’s important to try and remind yourself.

My last piece of advice would be to not feel guilty about needing a break. You cannot do your best work if you aren’t taking care of yourself. This includes both mental and physical health. 

A few posts ago I talked about how I didn’t perform this summer, and although it made me feel guilty, it was incredibly necessary for what I was going through. Taking a break was what I needed, and how I’ll be able to put my best foot forward into the new school year. And if taking a small break is what you need, listen to your body! Here’s your reminder that it’s not only okay to take care of yourself, but vital.

If you get anything from this, please know that if you are feeling this way, you are not alone. Every actor and performer has experienced this to some level. But it is absolutely possible to overcome.

Take care of yourselves,

K

(Instagram: katiesgleason, TikTok: starksnova)