Burnout – a very real mental issue for dancers that can get even the best of us. It’s the dread of going to the studio, not feeling motivated in class, wishing you were anywhere else during rehearsal. Even the dancers who are the most passionate about dance feel this way at one time or another.

Why does this happen? Well, there is no set reason why burnout happens, and it’s different for each person. A few possible reasons why you might be feeling impassioned include: going a long period without a day off, lack of sleep, stress, Seasonal Affective Disorder (especially during the winter months), and lack of self-care time.

Life happens and so does burnout. So let’s talk about a few days to cope with burnout so you can happily jump back into the studio.

Spend Time with Friends

Call your friends and make a friend date. You don’t even have to go out; it could be watching a movie at home or drinking tea and catching up. Use this time to talk about your in studio mental struggles, but also make sure to take a break from studio talk and have a good laugh. If your close friend doesn’t live nearby, schedule a Skype date.

If none of your friends are free, take yourself on a me date. Go to your favorite coffee place, buy a drink and/or snack, and read a book. Go to a museum or a movie. Find something that is a “treat yo self” moment.

Friends and family are your support system. Don’t be afraid to use them, especially when you are in a mental place where you need extra support and love. Know who your key support people are and have them on speed dial.

Get Your Feelings Out

Sometimes it just helps to get your feelings out, whether it’s journaling, improving, talking with a friend, or singing at the top of your lungs.

When you write, it could be a free writing ramble, a bullet journal, a poem, or just doodles. The main point of this exercise is just to let the emotions go, instead of keeping them bottled up inside.

If you chose to improv, pick a song or your favorite artist and just dance. It doesn’t have to be in the studio while you’re wearing leotard and tights. You could be in your room dancing in your pajamas to Spice Girls. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as the improv reminds you how good it feels to move.

Create a playlist for when you choose to sing your emotions out. I have a playlist of my favorite songs to belt while I’m driving home after a long day for this exact reason.

Go To Yoga

It’s cross-training, stretching, meditation, and depending on the style- a good sweat. Go to yoga to give yourself time and space to take care of yourself and just breathe. If meditation or a breath focused class would better serve you, take a Hatha class. If you just need to move to clear your mind, consider taking Vinyasa or a heated Power Flow class. No one yoga class with serve your needs each day or week, so be open to trying different styles depending on your current needs.

Make a Meal

Make a meal you would not normally have time to make during a busy week. During the week, we sometimes fall back on recipes that are familiar and easy to make, which can sometime lead to feeling as if you’re in a food rut. Try a new recipe, put yourself outside your usual food choices, and cooking habits. It’s so satisfying spending a free evening creating a recipe that takes upward of an hour. You get a delicious result and a sense of accomplishment. Plus, this is another great idea for a relaxing friend date.  

Read a Book of Watch a Movie

Pick a form of entertainment that will allow you to step into another world for 2-3 hours. Find a story that will lift your spirits, make you laugh, and maybe even cry. I would not recommend watching a tv show, because it is very easy to turn watching one episode into a six hour long binge.

Take an Epsom Salt Bath

Give your body some TLC and do an Epsom salt bath to help relax your muscles. Add some lavender oil for a calming effect.

Go for a Walk or Hike

Living in the city (New York City), I am definitely a creature of habit: I walk to work the same way every day, I take the same subway lines. One my free days, I like to change it up and explore different parts of the city (which is often part of my me dates). I’ve found some great tea and healthy lunch places while exploring. This change of pace feels like a much needed breath of fresh air compared to my usual rush to get where I need to go (fast).

If you live in a more suburban or rural area, enjoy nature and go for a short hike. Another great way to enjoy nature’s beauty is by going to a botanical garden. It can be very relaxing to walk and sit amongst the flowers.

At the end of the day, listen to what your body and mind says it needs. Spend time attending to those needs so you can refuel and rejuvenate yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally.

The post Coping with Burnout in Dance appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

My fluctuations with food started in my early teens. I got into the habit of undereating for the first half of the day then arriving home from school SO hungry. I’d start eating cereal, in tiny cups, but many many tiny cups of cereal. The point of the tiny cup was to keep the portion down but obviously the tactic was ineffective.

This cycle with food started after being told I had gained some weight in my thighs, in a not so sensitive manner, by a ballet teacher. I committed to consuming foods with just 3g of fat or less because in my 13 year old mind that seemed like a good tactic.

After years of the yo – yo cycle the periods of restriction became less severe while the binges became more extreme. This happened as I started using food to soothe my emotions.

When you’re in a professional or pre – professional dancing environment and you feel like you’re not measuring up that’s not usually something you want to talk about.

When you don’t talk about the things you’re feeling or express those emotions through some healthy medium it’s very common to eat as a way to self – soothe. If you do this or you’ve ever done it in the past you’re not alone.

According to the American Psychological Association 38 percent of adults and 26 percent of teens report overeating or eating unhealthy foods in the past month to cope with stress.

As a dancer you experience a great deal of stress and sometimes the fact that the stress is around your body makes it that much more likely that you’ll turn to food.

My clients tell me that in those moments they think to themselves, “I’ll never look how they want me to anyway so forget it” and overeat. It’s a sort of “so there” to the Artistic Staff who’re telling you that you’re somehow not “right” for ballet.

When you get into emotional eating it can easily become a pattern. The food distracts you from what you’re feeling or what’s stressing you out. In the moment you might even get some joy from eating and don’t think about how you’ll feel after.

It’s not easy to move past emotional eating and using food in this way but it is possible. I’ve done it and I’ve had the joy of seeing other dancers do it too.

It helps to first identify the situations, people or triggers that cause you stress.  From there, look at why those things are so stressful. Are you unfulfilled? Do you feel lost? Lonely? Not good enough?

Is there some situation when you were younger that you’re reminded of when you’re feeling stressed? For me I’d always go back to my 13 year old self being told I needed to lose weight in my thighs. When I wasn’t performing well in rehearsals I’d tell myself it was because I was too fat, my thighs were too big.

It’s not until you start to release the “meaning” you’ve attached to the things that happened to you that you’ll be able to move forward.

Cultivating a positive self image is going to be a key factor in moving past emotional eating. It’s knowing that no matter what happens you’ll be OK.

What are your gifts? What can you contribute to the world not just as a dancer but as a person?

How can you remember to take care of yourself each and every day? Implement daily practices and rituals that make you feel good. By taking the time to care for yourself – body, mind and spirit you’re taking the steps to find balance with food.

If you’re looking for a well rounded approach to food and your body that’s tailored specifically to dancer body goals and lifestyle check out The Dancer’s Best Body Program. This program was created to help you eat with ease and attain your personal best dancer’s body.

Enrollment is open thru Sunday, February 4, 2018 (this program only enrolls 2x/year). Any questions, feel free to email me : jess@thewholedancer.com

The post Emotional Eating appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

My parents enrolled me in creative movement classes at the local arts council when I was 3 years old, and then I danced at a local ballet studio from age 5-18.

I didn’t figure out I wanted to continue dancing post-high school until quite late, the end of my sophomore year, when I discovered that I could dance and get a college degree.

I’m now studying Dance Pedagogy at Butler University and am about to begin my senior year. I’ve only fallen more in love with dance, as I’ve gotten older.

What is your focus right now?

Right now I’m focusing on how to work within the mechanics of my own body. I’ve been navigating what areas are more difficult and need improvement vs. the ones that come more naturally.

I’d like to be my body’s own engineer and hone in on my technique as I head into my last year of undergrad.

What inspires you to dance?

I’ve always thought of dance as the means to mobilize my soul. When I dance, I feel that I’m truly giving everything I can offer to this world. I’m also a very methodical thinker, and to have something that combines a passionate expression with order and balance, it’s a match made in heaven.

I’ve grown to love being in technique classes as much as performing. To every day start at the barre in first position and do that first port de bras, it’s like opening yourself up to the world; I actually get teary even just thinking about that.

Nothing seems more right to me, that mind/body connection that can be found through dance. When else in life are you thinking about literally every sensation in your body?

My constant fascination with the art is what inspires me, and I can’t see myself losing that wonderment any time soon. 

What are your favorite foods and dancing fuel?

I have so many favorite foods, but my go-to dinner is a plant based bowl. My favorite combination is Mexican-styled roasted sweet potato, broccoli, onion and bell peppers with black beans, quinoa or brown rice, and vegan nacho cheese sauce (made with a base of cashews!). I top that with avocado and/or hemp seeds and I’m good to go.

Some of my other favorite foods include curry, stir fry, fajitas, vegan mac and cheese and avocado toast.

At this point I am plant based with the exception of eggs here and there. I have many reasons for why I eat this way including ethical, environmental and health purposes; but I don’t like to label myself because of how easy it is to feel pressured to maintain perfection.

Most of my favorite foods happen to be vegan, so that’s the kind of food I like to keep in my kitchen. I’ve been eating this way a little over a year now and I’ve honestly never felt better!

Are there any specific things you do to care for your mental health?

I’ve actually written every day in a journal for over 5 years now.

Sometimes it’s a drag and at times I get a little behind in writing, but I’ve found daily journaling to be really important for my mental health. It keeps me checking in with myself at the end of each day, even if it was a busy one.

It gets me asking how I’m doing and what needs to be addressed. Besides that, sleep always helps me with any mental funk.

I’ve also learned how to most effectively process my thoughts. For me I best process information and emotions through talking with another person.

However you best organize your ideas, I think it’s so important to know that about yourself so you can keep your mental health in check.

How do you maintain balance in your life?

I’m very aware of how I’m feeling at all times; I think that’s the biggest thing. If you’re starting to feel grumpy or sad or stressed out, don’t ignore it. Pay attention to your needs; you probably feel the way you do for a reason.

Back to my comment about journaling, that’s a great way I keep myself in check. Some days when I feel “off”, it’s usually because I didn’t go outside, socialize, eat well, or exercise. Or maybe I socialized too much or maybe I did one task for too long.

Take note of those “off” days and learn for you what’s in excess or what’s lacking. 

What do you like to do in your free time?

When I’m not at dance, school, or work, I run a food page called Eating Always with my good friend (@eating.always on instagram) where we post pictures and recipes of our food creations.

I love giving tips and inspiring people to cook great food! Besides that, you’ll find me drinking coffee in my pajamas, riding my bike, talking on the phone with my mom, hanging out with friends, or taking a yoga class.

How do you deal with disappointment in dance? How do you deal when you’re struggling with confidence?

I try to just stay in the zone as much as I can. I go to ballet class, I go to my rehearsals, and I do my homework. I make my bed, eat good food, and remember to shower—the brain loves mini accomplishments.

My advice would be to do what you need to do and don’t let that insecurity impact how you treat others or yourself. Don’t get involved with gossip.

People love to talk trash about others so they can feel better about their own lack of self-confidence. Keep your head low and keep moving forward.

Never be afraid to ask for help or input from teachers. Check in with your mental health and know what works for you.

What does being a ‘Whole Dancer’ mean to you?

To me, a “Whole Dancer” maintains balance both inside and outside the studio. In the studio, a “Whole Dancer” focuses on all areas: artistry, strength, flexibility, technique, and musicality.

The best dancers let their personality shine through artistic expression while still having a solid technique and healthy body. Outside the studio, a “Whole Dancer” eats well, gets plenty of sleep, addresses injury, keeps her mental health in check, and maintains an identity outside of dance.

Anyone can be a “Whole Dancer” as long as their attention is on all aspects of life and dance and they realize it’s all entirely interconnected.

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