Your Health vs Your Career

To the outside world, I had everything I ever wanted – a place at one of the UK’s top drama schools and work lined up for when I graduated. On the inside, I was riddled with anxiety, insecurity & a need to push beyond my limits in the gym until I couldn’t breathe.

My health struggles coupled with a career in theatre – you can imagine how destructive & lonely that was. No one in theatre talks about health. It’s brushed off as something that would be ‘nice’ to have if there was enough time in the day for it.

Yet, it’s actually something that if the industry invested in, would improve the performance & longevity of the individuals working in it.

My experience of leaving the industry because of my health isn’t one I regret because of where it’s led me, however if I had to do it all over again, I would with the knowledge I have now.

This is my why.

What my mission is. To make the industry a healthier & happier place so no one has to choose between the two. The two need to be integrated for the industry to survive. You just have to look around your circle at how many people have left the industry altogether or moved into more stable jobs to have a better work/life balance.

I work as an Online Fitness Coach for backstage theatre professionals in my programme ‘TheatreFit.’ Everyday I work 1-1 with clients who go from an ‘all or nothing mindset’ to finding the right balance (for them) when it comes to exercise, nutrition, work & home life.

The ‘all or nothing’ mindset is the most common reason I hear of theatre professionals giving up on their health – “I was doing so well, then tech week happened, my food choices were rubbish & I undid all the progress I made.” Sound familiar? The ‘all or nothing’ mindset is the belief that you can only take action when the situation is perfect. No interruptions. No schedule changes. No last minute plans. How often does the ‘perfect’ moment occur?

With my clients, a lot of the work we do is focused on letting go of expecting everything to be perfect which as you can imagine, is not easy for a Stage Manager to do! Once they overcome it, they realise that health & fitness isn’t a ‘nice’ thing to have, it’s a necessity if you want to be the best version of yourself.

Dear reader, whatever your situation is now and whatever stressful situation you’re going through that makes you feel your health doesn’t matter, here’s your reminder that your health is just as important as the show or project you’re working on. Don’t neglect it.

Also on TheatreArtLife:

Our Limitless Capacity to Thrive

Discovering Our “WHO”

Join TheatreArtLife to access unlimited articles, our global career center, discussion forums, and professional development resource guide. Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals. Learn more about our subscription plans.

Love to write or have something to say? Become a contributor with TheatreArtLife. Join our community of industry leaders working in artistic, creative, and technical roles across the globe. Visit our CONTRIBUTE page to learn more or submit an article.