Student Blog: A Balancing Act

I'm not even going to lie right now, this semester has been rough. Things have picked up and are going at top speed. I'm currently writing this backstage at a dress rehearsal for one of our MainStage shows for the year. At my school, Dobbins Conservatory for Theatre and Dance, we do about two mainstage shows and one or two signature stage shows a year, along with dance concerts as well. This mainstage show is the world premiere of The Winterguard Play by Avery Deutsch. I am the deck head for this piece, so I'm spending a lot of quality time backstage.

Ever since our first tech rehearsal/cue-to-cue rehearsal on Saturday, things have been insane. Cue-to-cue started at 10am and we didn't finish until 10pm, of course with dinner and lunch breaks in between. Then, the following day we had a tech rehearsal in the afternoon and a dress rehearsal in the evening leading us right into the rest of tech week/opening. On top of that, I also have my library job, my classes, a new job I'm starting, and I'm already having meetings for a project I'm performing in over the summer. Once The Winterguard Play closes, I then have a few weeks before I start having rehearsals for Firebringer, I'm the assistant director for that one. We also will have auditions for next semester's shows in April that I need to prepare for. I am very excited for these opportunities and everything, but it can start to add up and be overwhelming. My schedule is insane some days. Spring break is very much needed.

I like to be busy. Going from classes, to rehearsals, to meetings, to being with friends-I live for that kind of stuff. I like looking at my calendar and seeing that it's full. That being said, it can be a balancing act trying to juggle all the things I love to do/want to do. On top of all of those things and my busy schedule, my brain and my body also need breaks. Time to relax and unwind-without feeling guilty. Finding a balance of everything going on in just a week, let alone a whole semester can be so challenging and draining. College can be very overwhelming, but I genuinely like my schedule and want to continue participating in everything I'm involved in. Finding ways/tools to cope with my busy schedule was vital for my physical and mental health. Here are a few things that help me stay healthy throughout the school year.

Allowing myself to take time to rest and recharge

This sounds so corny but I'm telling you right now it's true. Especially now during the run of a show, after I get out of rehearsal I'm going to Taco Bell, watching Glee with my roommates, and then going to bed. I have homework to do and laundry to be done, but it can wait. It can always wait. If you are tired/mentally drained for the day anyways, the work that you attempt to do will inevitably not be your best. Doing a show is physically and mentally taxing. Taking time after rehearsal to rest is important. I always used to feel guilty, and sometimes still do, for taking breaks where I just sit and read, watch tv, hang out with friends, etc., but taking time to just rest/relax is never something to feel guilty about. We physically and mentally need that time to survive. We would end up running on fumes if we didn't. Rest is not something that we earn, it is a physical need. Take time for yourself. Do something that makes you happy.

Sleep

Now, I know this kind of goes hand in hand with rest, but I wanted to make a separate little note about sleep. Sleep is so incredibly vital, especially when doing a show. Being involved in a show in any way shape or form can be mentally and physically taxing. Rehearsals can run late, even when you aren't at rehearsal you're having to do research, learn material, make run sheets, etc for the production. The production takes up a good portion of your time. That can be a lot. Like I said earlier, that is why it is important to rest and sleep. Sleep is a way of giving your brain and your body the care and rest it needs to keep going the next day. So get cozy, sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite:)

Listening to my body

Listening to what my body tells me and what it needs is so so important. Our bodies are really good at telling us what it needs/if something is wrong. Now, actually listening to my body is of course an entirely different story. In high school I used to push myself all of the time and it got me nowhere. I would stay up so late because I just had to get everything done right that instant. I would tell myself "oh, I could go to sleep, but I can get this done tonight, it'll be better that way"-it was not better that way. I regretted it the next morning because I could not do my best with the amount of sleep I had gotten the night before. Now that I'm in college, I'm doing better at it. For example, if I have a headache or my back hurts, I do well at addressing it. Seeing if I've drank enough water that day, if it's to a point where I need to sit out of my dance class/go to the clinic, or if I just need to lay down for a bit. Listening to cues like that from our body are very important and can tell us a lot about what is going on. I still struggle sometimes at listening to what my body needs. I have FOMO (fear of missing out) so bad. So so bad. I struggle with instead of going to sleep or taking some time to myself, I stay up to be with my friends because I don't want to miss anything. I Ignore what my body is telling me and just do what I want to do instead. I have found that this is often not helpful and in the long run does not benefit me. Taking care of ourselves, especially at this point in the semester, is so crucial. Listening to my body and giving it what it needs is crucial.

Calendars

If it is not on my calendar, it simply won't happen. I can be a bit forgetful at times so having a calendar is one way that I stay on top of things. I personally prefer to use Google Calendar instead of a physical planner because with Google Calendar, I can have the app for it on my phone and I can easily remove events/move them around. Also, I get notifications 30 minutes before I have an event, so in case I forget or lose track of time, I get a notification reminding me. I have found this really helpful, especially when trying to keep up with everything going on and staying on top of things.

Lists

I'm a huge list gal. I love to-do lists. I make a to-do list at the start of every week listing out what I need to accomplish for each class and then any other miscellaneous things I need to get done. I find this really helpful and it helps me stay organized. Also-if I do ever have down time and am wanting to work on something, I just pull out my list and I have everything that I need to do right there. It is very beneficial for me.

These are just a few things I find helpful when navigating throughout my school year, especially when things start getting crazy. Some of these ideas/suggestions might not work for you and that's okay. Again, these are just things that I have found helpful for me and what set me up to be successful. Do I fail at doing these things? Of course I do. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. You just have to find a system of doing things that works for you and is going to be the most beneficial. We are already halfway through the semester! That is so crazy. Please remember that you are doing so well and you are so brave. Embrace the chaos. Breathe. Enjoy yourself. Now, go do great things!

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