Student Blog: Dealing with Burnout

Burn out. I’ve written and rewritten this article several times trying to find the best answer for how I deal with burnout and yet every time it seems like the answer just isn’t “good enough.” 

As a student aiming to succeed in my classes and build connections in the performing arts industry, burnout is a constant challenge. The industry demands a lot, and while I'm fortunate that my hobbies and work align with my studies, I still feel the stress and anxiety that leads to the inevitable burnout.  Many of my hobbies and work are related to exactly what I’m studying; however, one thing I have found to be helpful when that ever-so-familiar feeling creeps back in is having two hobbies. One being something physical that allows me to move and be outside and another being a non-theatrical creative outlet.

Having hobbies that do not correlate directly with your work is vital. When I first started in my program at Marymount, truly almost all of my hobbies were related to theatre. It was nearly impossible to differentiate between free time and work. Finding hobbies like rugby, an activity I spent a great deal of my time working within my first few years of undergrad gave me some space from my desk and spreadsheets. Not only that, but it allowed me to go outside and be in the sun. Vitamin D is always a good idea. Playing on a team gave me space to exist outside of the theatrical world but it also allowed me room to grow in a way that was not solely academic. I found friends who have nothing to do with performing arts at all and having that physical activity has been a tremendous help in feeling like my best self. Playing rugby has been a really intense challenge for me, I am by no means great at it or truly even good but having that team and goals within that space is refreshing. So much of my own personal stress triggers correlate to academic or career validation and having a space away from that where growth is truly personal is incredibly important to combating being burnt out. 

Another hobby that has helped me to separate myself from my work is painting. You don’t have to be “good” in fact you don’t ever even have to share your work, sometimes it just feels good to create for yourself. So much of my own art is created out of feeling. It is not for sale, or even for other people. It can be deeply cathartic and healing to just create for yourself outside of your theatre work. Painting has been a hobby I have had since I was young and finding the time to sit down can be really challenging; however, it is deeply rewarding to create just for the sake of art.

I also frequently turn to photography as a creative outlet. My trusty 35mm film camera is almost always by my side, offering me the opportunity to capture the moment. What I particularly cherish about this medium is the process of developing the film and immersing myself in a collection of memories from the past several weeks. Whether I'm snapping pictures of friends, things that bring me joy, or even just pigeons, each shot becomes a specific moment in time that I was able to carefully curate. The absence of professional pressure allows me to fully immerse myself in this passion, making it an incredibly rewarding and personal experience. While this hobby isn’t objectively the easiest to do in my apartment after class, it does make the walk to and from school a bit more eventful and keeps me paying attention to the world around me.

Even with school and work it is okay to just sit down and enjoy time with friends and binge-watch a TV show or do something that is simply just for fun. I have to remind myself that that a lot, and I feel like many people who choose to go into entertainment as a whole likely feel this sense of dread when it comes to not working. You are a person first and foremost and you will become burnt out if you exist solely as your theatrical work. All things said, fighting burnout is hard. I truly do love what I do yet there are moments that it is all just too much. Burnout sucks and that’s never going to change, but having an identity away from your professional and academic work is deeply important.