For those of you who know me (and hello to those I’m meeting for the first time, via blog magic!), it’s no surprise that I am a huge believer in, and ferocious practitioner of, what I like to call “High-Level Self-Care” for voice-over artists.
I say the following a lot, and it’s worth repeating: if you have stepped onto this glorious VO career path, you can rightly claim your place in the giant fellowship of voiceover artists. Training and growth are lifelong experiences for all VO humans, so that remains crucial wherever you are on the journey–and, to know you are welcomed at this table is powerful and true. Plus, you are extremely well-served by taking care of yourself with this knowledge firmly in place!
This is true whether you have yet to book a gig, or are a working seasoned Pro. Let me say that again: the number of gigs under your belt does NOT determine whether or not you are a voice-over artist…which leads me nicely into the theme of this blog: declaring yourself a voice-over artist is very much an “inside job,” as is High-Level VO Self-Care. In this blogger’s humble opinion, this kind of expanded self-care is a non-negotiable part of your thriving voice-over life. The demands of this career path are unique, and require “boosted” outputs from us in terms of focus, energy, creativity and strategy (and these demands in turn require a boost in how we care for ourselves). The most important side effect of a self-care VO practice (in addition to random outbreaks of peace and contentment) is that burnout won’t dare to come near you.
Let’s discuss, shall we?
Almost every adult on the planet understands what burnout feels like, both as a voice-over artist and a human.
Simplest version: it’s icky.
It feels bad, and often leaves us as an unhappy pile of goo, requiring a ton of time and care to right ourselves and come back to balance. It typically happens when we decide that whatever we’re doing needs to be done “no matter what,” leaving big chunks of our self-care in the dust. This list is unique to each of us, and can include the neglecting of: time with loved ones, sleep, exercise, water, good food, naps, play–whatever your magical set of things might be. For anyone who needs to read this today: you NEVER are meant to sacrifice any aspect of your wellbeing in order to be a successful voice-over artist. EVER! Truth: feeding your VO wellbeing will only assist you in moving forward gracefully/more powerfully on this career path.
Lovely news: there are lots of “ways in,” simple steps to keep you in a nourished, centered, balanced state…putting burnout in the corner with a blanket and a cookie, fast asleep. ANY of the four main entry points (emotions, mind, body or spirit) will flood your entire “artist instrument” with goodness. Here’s a gem for each of those four portals:
Emotions: if you notice you are feeling any of the many varieties of pre-burnout or burnout (this is as unique as you are, and can feel like stress, anxiety, contraction, resistance, tiredness, overwhelm, heaviness, sadness, depression, panic, etc.), take 30 seconds to a minute, and do some of what I call “heart centered breathing.” Sit or lay comfortably, put one hand or both on your heart. Close your eyes, relax your shoulders.
Breathe in, breathe out.
While breathing in to a count of four, imagine a giant column of light coming in through your heart, and let this light bring to you all the love anywhere in the world you have ever felt (in all timelines): your significant other, your friends, your pets, your family, places that you’re connected to, teachers, coaches, events that were high-vibrational for you; any person, place or thing that has ever held a vibration of love or happiness for you, pull ALL of that into this beam of light, and pull it in through your heart and let it flood you. In for a count of four, hold your breath for one beat, then breathe out through your heart to a count of four and let the light carry OUT anything you are releasing. This gem is SO powerful that even a minute of it can shift your state. Do this as many times a day as you need to!
Mind: the thing you want to call in, when you’re feeling pre- or fully-in burnout? Use the start “I am” and label that thing. Some examples: “I am calm.” “I am enough.” “I am rested.” “I am able.” “I am strong.” “I am an awesome storyteller.” Make it yours. I find these to be most powerful if spoken aloud.
Try some different ways to use these, and see what works best for you. You can close your eyes and say the statement (often called an Affirmation or Mantra) repeatedly for 60 seconds. You can combine this gem with the technique mentioned above and breathe IN this statement (saying it in your mind), and breathe out what you’re releasing. The idea is to have something in your back pocket to assist your brain, when it’s spinning or maxed!
Body: Here are two! One is a literal tiny dance party or private karaoke-fest, ONE song that you love, that gets you moving. Search it on YouTube if you don’t own it, we’re talking about 5 minutes tops here. Dance like a dervish, and/or sing your heart out. It’s a GREAT way to give your body a mighty dose of fun, and a potent dose of play when your body’s tank is low or empty.
The second tool here is another breathing technique: Alternate Nostril Breathing. Same idea of breathing in, to a count of four, holding for a beat, breathing out to a count of four…switching nostrils (block the left, breathe in through the right, and vice versa). Either of these get your body and mind and emotions talking to one another, and more harmonized and grounded.
Spirit: this is about connecting to something bigger than yourself, and is possible for every human. One of the thoughts I love is that prayer is a form of asking for help, while meditation is sitting and listening for the answers. This could also mean sitting for 60 seconds and imagining your mentor (a real one, if you have one;or an imagined one in the theatre of your mind) speaking words of encouragement to you: “You’ve got this,” or “Your village will assist you.”
Some of my clients tell me they have humans like Oprah or Bill Gates or Steven Spielberg as “mentors” even though they have yet to meet. You can call upon what their energies represent to you in that magical imagination of yours, seeing and hearing the chat in detail, and it produces very real changes in the spirit. You can also channel the power of a group from your life, using your imagination (this voice-over community, your book club, the running group, any gathering that feeds your soul) and imagine them showering you with words of encouragement and support.
The bottom line: I want you to thrive as a voice-over human. I want burnout to be almost non-existent in both your vocabulary and your experience. The above four gems are good places to start–it’s been a joy to share. Let me know how it goes!
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