Managing School and Performance: A balancing act

In the depths of rehearsals and the end of a semester, things can become overwhelming. Not to mention still keeping a part-time job. Scheduling apps and calendars never seem to do much good, so what is an unorganized mess able to do?

At this point, grades are due, rehearsals are long, and money is tight. Everything I’m doing is necessary and since I don't have a ranking of importance it's all falling behind in some type of way. Most of the time I find myself lost in my responsibilities and overwhelmed to a point where I don't even try to keep up. As a performer, my mind and my body are my tools. A wrong mindset can lead to playing a character like myself. Instead of enveloping myself in their life, I end up bringing my own life into their story taking away from the beauty that theatre represents. School is meant to be everything and normally gets put on the backburner. I’m a THEATRE MAJOR and even my theatre grade is dwindling for the sake of my mental state.

I’ve found that sometimes failure is necessary, you need a bad night with a good cry to motivate you for what's to come the next day. Taking the time to actually feel your feelings and not just busying yourself with mindless psychobabble is the best way to reset and take a breather. After a long week of school rehearsal and work, I take my breath, sinking into my couch and releasing any bad energy. When I finally take a minute to think about the things I’m grateful for- good friends, great family, a stable job, and the life I live- I come back down to earth and feel more refreshed than ever.