Looking down at cup of tea on desk surrounded by flowers

Good Mental Health Habits

Auditioning can take a huge toll on your mental and physical health. The rejection, the nervous stomach pains, it can all affect how you perform in an audition. Over the years, I have found things to combat these nerves to put me in the right state of mind when I walk in the room.

I have incorporated Meditation into my daily routine during this audition season. I recently read “Stress Less Accomplish More” by Emily Fletcher which introduced some great exercises to do before, during, and after auditions (or any nerve-racking situation). I am also a huge supporter of having a mental health counselor (therapist). This industry is hard, especially on young performers still discovering who they are. Having a professional to talk to is so important to validate your feelings and receive educated guidance.

Here are some helpful exercises!

  • Every morning, write 3 things that you are grateful for!
    • It could be as simple as “The sun is shining.” or “The train arrived on time.”
  • Before an audition, your heart will be racing because of nerves and excitement. To relax your body and calm the breath, breathe in for 2 seconds as if your smelling fresh warm chocolate chip cookies, and breathe out for 4 seconds like you are blowing out candles. Do this a few times before your body starts to get back to normal. (exercise from “Stress Less Accomplish More”)
  • After your audition, ask yourself these 3 questions:
    1. What did I enjoy the most?
    2. What part was the most fun?
    3. What happened in the room that makes me smile?

People come out of the room and automatically ask themselves “What went wrong?” and “What can I do to fix it for next time?” These are important questions to ask, but ask them later. First, ask yourself what went RIGHT and what felt good, there is bound to be at least one thing.

Be proud of yourself, say I love you to yourself in the mirror, you got this!