Hello From The Top Family and welcome to another From The Top blog post! In today’s blog entry we will be talking about rest! As busy dancers, teachers, performers and choreographers our lives can get so hectic. Endless castings, performances, showcases and meetings can make our lives feel like a merry-go-round with 8 counts. But as we move forward, especially as we head into the holiday season, it’s so important to focus on the rest of our bodies and minds. So, today we will be discussing how to find the middle ground between living the life of a working dancer, as well as how to practice healthy rest as a daily routine. Let’s get right into it!
- Get some sleep
First and foremost on our list is to make sure you’re treating your body well by getting enough rest. Our bodies are required to have at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night, and though sometimes that seems impossible, making the effort to hit the sack early to be well rested will make a world of difference. When our bodies are continually experiencing lack of sleep, we run the risk of running on empty throughout our work day, which is never fun physically when you’re a dancer. In addition to that, we also run the risk of sickness and weakened immune systems. One way to make sure we are in the best condition for our job is not by overworking our bodies, but by making sure our bodies are equipped with rest to be able to handle the stress of the day.
- Let your off days be off days
This next tip is a lesson I truly had to learn the hard way and that is to let your day off work be just that, a day off work. While sometimes working on off days can be unavoidable at times, more often than not it can be very unnecessary. Off days are absolutely vital for a healthy balance of work with much needed downtime, and as we head into the holiday season, use this time to practice the importance of taking that downtime. The results of rejuvenation are just on the other side!
- Know when to stop
There are only 24 very fragile hours within a day and only so much work can be done in those 24 hours. A great way to practice that perfect middle ground between work and getting enough rest is to leave work at work as often as possible. Just like working on off days, taking your work home is indeed necessary at times. However, here at FTT we always strive to remember to let the work be done when the day is done. It’s simply knowing when to stop. A new day will roll around with new opportunities to start fresh with a refreshed mind and body. Take advantage of the wonderful gift that is time. While sometimes it can feel like our enemy, it can be our friend too.
- Don’t feel guilty for taking time for you
This last tip we have is more of a mental reminder and that is to always remember that taking time for you, taking time to rest, is not a self centered habit to have. We live in a society today where the narrative is sold that working to the point of burnout is a sign that you’ve “made it”. That in order to have success, you must push yourself. And while yes, pushing yourself is in the equation of a successful career, overworking is not the answer. A lot of this narrative is created out of a false sense of, let’s call it “professional confidence”. This is a false sense of confidence which preaches that the worth of your work in your profession is determined by how swamped you are and how worn out you may feel as a result of said work. However, success without balance will always turn what should be a huge blessing into the ugliest curse. Even though it may sound cliche at this point, self care is truly not selfish. As working dancers, our body is our main (and usually only) tool. If we don’t take care of it, we are virtually out of a job. So, please take care of this vessel that you are, take time for yourself and get that wonderful rest. That way you will find yourself in your career for a long and beautiful time.
We hope this blog post was able to help you all that much more as you move along your dance journey. As we head into the first holiday week of the season, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! May your weekend be filled with love, light and remember…
Keep dancing!
Lexi
FROM THE TOP! 