Acting Anxiety Relief: Effective Strategies for Actors
Anxiety can be a really common issue for actors, as I’ve seen it come up so often with my students.
The performance aspect of the job can be very stressful and nerve-wracking. I’ve dealt with my fair share of stage fright when I was younger! (Let me tell ya!) So I’ve compiled some of my favourite ways to help alleviate anxiety and perform at your best.
Prepare thoroughly:
One of the best ways to alleviate anxiety is to be well-prepared. Actors should make sure they know their lines backwards and forwards, use their blocking to set their continuity as a dance, and know character motivations inside and out. This will give you the confidence you need to perform without worrying about making a mis step, getting overwhelmed or going blank. You can ground in your preparation and repeat to yourself “I know what I’m doing. I can do this.”
Practice mindfulness:
Mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga, can help actors focus on the present moment and let go of any negative thoughts or worries. As actors, we have to work in the present moment. When you have mindfulness practice outside of your work, it helps you carry this present moment energy everywhere you go. It becomes easier to come back to present when anxiety arises, which is often seen as invested energy in the future. Depression is invested energy in the past. Acting requires present moment awareness which at times can make it a meditation in itself.
Connect with your character:
This is where I bring in the concept of thinking Character Thoughts VS Actor Thoughts. When you are bombarded with Actor Thoughts (“I am not worthy to be here” “I don’t know what I’m doing” “What if I’m terrible”), stop and replace these anxious thoughts with your Character’s inner monologue of the moment they are in for the scene you are about to do. By connecting with the character you are playing, you can reduce the pressure on yourself to perform and instead focus on the story and the moment.
Get enough sleep and exercise:
A well-rested body and mind are essential for reducing anxiety. Actors should make sure to get enough sleep and incorporate regular exercise into their routine to keep their body and mind in shape. Sometimes, getting enough sleep before an early morning call time can be challenging. We can be wracked with anxious thoughts about the next day. Finding a solid bedtime routine the days or weeks before the gig can help you to ease into relaxation for sleep before the big day(s). Adhering to the same bed time as you need in order to be well rested on set, a few days before. Turning off your phone 2 or more hours before sleep, making your room dim early on, doing some gentle stretches, drinking camomile tea, listening to a meditation app, are all things that can help your mind settle before sleeping. Bringing in daily exercise, even if it’s just bad dancing, can help increase your endorphins to counteract any cortisol spike.
Use visualization:
Visualization is an effective tool for reducing anxiety. Actors can practice visualization by imagining themselves in the performance and visualizing the performance going well. Athletes use it to set themselves up for a successful game, we can also use it to set ourselves up for a successful performance. Envision yourself going through you piece with ease, and see yourself afterwards satisfied, proud and enthusiastic. You can also imagine cheers and kind words from friends and loved ones, or words of encouragement from people you respect. Feel how it feels in these moments. Call this energy in.
Develop a pre-performance routine.
Having a set routine before a performance can help actors feel more in control and reduce feelings of anxiety. This might include things like going for a walk, practicing deep breathing exercises, yoga, vocal warm up, proprioceptive movement or listening to music. Avoid anything that becomes too regimented and superstitious, because that can increase your anxiety. You should always connect to your present moment impulses, like with proprioceptive movement.
Learn to accept failure.
As much as we would want it to be different, failure is a part of life, and for actors there’s no exception. As actors we need to learn to accept that not every performance will be a success and that's okay. This way, we can focus on learning from our mistakes and becoming a better actor. We can have our bar set high, but understand that sometimes we won’t be able to hit that bar, and that’s ok. We have to be able to give ourselves permission to get things wrong, particularly in rehearsal. Getting out of a perfection mindset helps us to grow, and rather practicing instant forgiveness for any perceived failure.
Tune into your chakras.
Locate where you are feeling the anxiety - is it in your Throat Chakra, your Heart Chakra, your Solar Plexus? Each one could offer insight into why you are experiencing the anxiety. Go into some Chakra inquiry about your current surroundings. What is being flagged for you. Doing a simple MAW exercise to find Balance in that Chakra could also help alleviate the feeling. You can find those in the Acting with Chakras Online Course. My go to is connecting to my Root, finding some bio-energetic grounding, or connecting to my Crown and remembering that I am but a drop in the ocean of life.
Connect with other actors.
Building a support network can be a great way for actors to reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety. Joining an actors' group or connecting with other actors online can be a great way to share experiences, advice, and support. We have a beautiful private community that is free for you to join at the Mindful Actor Network. There you can speak with like minded people about your experience, or questions about this wild life as an actor.
Practice gratitude.
Actors can help reduce anxiety by focusing on the things they are grateful for in their lives. This can be a simple as writing down things you're thankful for each day or taking time to reflect on the positive aspects of your life. I love the thought “Interrupt anxiety with gratitude" - it really works for me. When you go into the grateful flow, allow yourself to feel in all your cells the energy frequence of gratitude. This can lift any anxiety of the moment and get you back into grounding.
Listen to the message.
I’m a firm believer that anxiety comes with a little message. Stop and place a hand on the place where you feel the constriction of anxiety, and ask internally “what are you here to tell me,” then listen for a little message. It might be our inner kid afraid of something that our inner adult can come and hug and help to ease the fear. Or if might be an outdated believe that we can rewrite the script. Or if could be something that you have forgotten or aren’t thinking of that your instincts are trying to get your awareness to. A lot of healing can take place when we just stop and listen.
Please remember that anxiety is normal and it's okay to feel it. Try not to judge yourself for feeling anxious, instead, accept that it's a natural response to the huge pressure acting sometimes brings and there you can find ways to hug it and manage it.
How do you relieve anxiety? Share your thoughts below 👇