For many of us, the desire to make a career from the arts and be paid to do what we love, is a dream that develops when we are very young. We then spend several years learning, developing, experiencing and growing in our chosen field, in the hope that one day, we can say that we are a working professional in the arts. If we are lucky enough to achieve this, the pressure we put on ourselves changes somewhat. We feel that now we’re here, after years of hard work, we need to keep our place amongst it, and always be that reliable employee that turns up to work every day - fit, healthy, ready, willing and able at all times.
But what if our body has other ideas?
Injury and illness during a show/project/production is on the list of ‘worst case scenarios’ for anyone, but more so for performers. Not only will you need time away from doing what you love to recover, many of us also burden ourselves with the guilt of feeling like we’re letting the team down. Thinking about the stage manager, resident director and/or dance captain needing to work harder to coordinate understudies or swings to cover you brings on normal but unhelpful feelings of shame and responsibility.
I have experienced this myself more than once. On one major show I came down with such a serious case of tonsillitis I was eventually hooked up to a drip in hospital, yet there I was on the phone with my company manager, speaking like a muppet with a closed over throat, saying I could come in if they needed me (unsurprisingly, she politely declined my offer).
On another show that only ran for two weeks and consisted of a small cast of four actors with no understudies, I came down with severe bronchitis and a throat and chest infection. The producers cancelled several shows before flying another actress up from Melbourne who had played the role before to complete the season on my behalf. I was incredibly embarrassed to fall sick on a show that only ran for two weeks, devastated to bow out of the show early, and the guilt I felt for the financial implications on the producers was intense!
But the unfortunate truth is, we are only human. We get sick, we fall over, we hurt ourselves. Now more than ever since Covid reared its ugly head, we know that illness can strike anyone at any time.
So how do we navigate unwanted downtime and happily sit by the sidelines knowing the show is going on without us?
Self-Compassion and Acceptance
The first, and most important step, is forgiving yourself. Whether you like it or not, you are only human.
I repeat - you are only human.
Say it with me reader… “I am only human”.
Yell it out for the people in the back… “I AM ONLY HUMAN!!!”.
Self-compassion is crucial for anyone recovering from illness or injury, and we can encourage self-compassion by accepting that being sick or hurt is unfortunately an unavoidable part of life.
Acceptance also includes embracing the uncomfortable emotions that come with injury and illness, as well as the injury/illness itself. It is completely normal to feel guilt, sadness, anger, frustration, jealousy and helplessness at this time. We can cause ourselves undue anxiety and emotional distress if we deny these feelings, which can then impact our recovery. Acknowledging the disappointment is healthy, so reach out to a close friend, family or a counsellor if needed, and vent!
Rest, Rest, REST!
Just as important as accepting your current circumstances, so too is giving yourself ample time to rest and recover. Any physical injury will need time to heal, and illness and infections need time to work their way through the body. Returning to work too soon increases your chance of re-injury, permanent injury or passing illness on to other people. If you find yourself in a situation where you are being pressured to return to work, take the time to tune into your body. What is it telling you? Is it too soon? Do you need another day? Will returning to work now only lead to more time off in the future? Listen to your body, trust your instincts and hold your ground if necessary.
At this time too, it is imperative to prioritise your own mental, emotional and physical self-care. Eat well, sleep well, avoid alcohol and recreational drugs, spend quality time off your devices, maintain gentle exercise if possible and adopt daily habits that are life affirming.
Seek Professional Advice
Make sure you have a good team of professional support to call on, which could include a physio, GP, counsellor, vocal coach, ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat doctor), chiro or masseur. Sometimes recovery is a team effort so make sure your team is solid. Those assisting you will not only offer treatment plans but can provide their professional opinion if you are being requested to return to work before you feel ready.
Stay Connected
As mentioned above, illness and injury produce many negative emotions. Being out of action can create feelings of isolation, anxiety, fear of re-injury, and possibly even a loss of identity from not being able to do the thing that makes you feel like YOU. Because of this, it’s crucial we maintain our emotional supports such as friends and family. Many people also find it helpful to retain connection with their work family. Someone out of action with a broken bone for example, might still be able to come into work and be present at warm up, have an opportunity to watch the show from the audience and spend time with colleagues between shows to maintain workplace camaraderie.
And if you’re really not coping with the struggles downtime may create, seek professional help such as a counsellor or psychologist.
Change Your Perspective of Downtime
Downtime isn’t all bad. Instead of seeing it as something forced upon you against your will, view this time as an opportunity to rest, restore and reset. Especially for those in long running shows, time off is a rare and valuable commodity. You are not often afforded the luxury of taking annual leave or personal days common in more traditional jobs. So instead, change your perspective on this available time. Assuming you’re not bedridden, consider activities you wouldn’t normally have time to do while working 6 days a week. Spend more time with friends and family, take up a hobby, start that online course, or start that new project you’ve been thinking about. You won’t be away from work forever, so make the most of this spare time.
And finally, be kind to yourself by remembering that your value and self-worth as a human being who works in the arts is not measured by your productivity.
Centred Stage offers counselling and coaching to those who work in the arts. If you need assistance navigating this wonderful yet challenging industry, reach out and make a booking today x
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