Enthusiasm and Burnout

Mutually exclusive? I think not.

I’m getting to the point in the year when I have SO MANY THINGS going on performance-wise. I just this week made 6+ bookings taking place over the next 12 months, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working alongside artists I honor.

Yesterday at a show I was attending as a patron, a few random people came up to me and asked “Are you Kate E. Gaga?” in an excited tone. They were pleased as punch to meet me “in person”. I about peed my pants.

My brain is filled with wonderful ideas and concepts that I cannot wait to share with the world. I am excited and fulfilled to spend breaks from my day job in higher education cutting music, creating choreography, and saving Instagram videos to try later that day.

Damn, is that exhausting. 

So of course, when I say I’m tired, exhausted… I am encouraged by others to “take a break” from my “extra” commitments (meaning pole dance, burlesque, trapeze, etc.).

But I can’t. That which makes me run down is the passion running through my veins and the very thing that keeps my anxiety, depression, and PTSD under control. A catch 22 of sorts.

Regardless, it is good to recognize the signs of burnout so we can continue doing what we love in a safe and effective way. Here are a few signs of burnout, and how I have seen them present to me in relation to my pole work. At the end, I’ll share some methods that may help prevent or remedy burnout. These are compiled from my personal experience, as well as from my training in social justice and self-care work.

(Some) Signs of Dancer Burnout and How I Tell the Difference

• Less Fun or Fulfilling
  • For me, this is when my art starts to feel consistently like a task. Sure, when I’m not burned out, occasionally I don’t want to take the time to stretch, or finishing my choreography just seems like too much work! When I’m burned out, these feelings are constant. When I do accomplish these tasks, no matter how begrudgingly, I don’t feel the same joy at achieving them, it’s just finished.
• Detachment and Withdrawal
  • Pole and burlesque is about more than just the performance for me. It’s a way for me to overcome mental illness, on/off body dysphoria (I am trans and have a complicated relationship with my breasts and hips, but that is for a different day), and disengaging from the emotionally exhausting work of my day job. It’s one of my means of self-care; so when I decide not to train, don’t engage with my pole friends, or find substitutes for my classes because I feel like I just can’t do it, I’ve pushed myself too far.
• Emotional
  • This is how I clarify whether I am experiencing burnout or if I simply have been over-training. Over-training means my body is tired, which is to be expected if I’m training 2-4 hours per day. My muscle aches and pains are “normal”. I might be a little sad that I have to take a rest day, but that goes away! With burnout, my body exhaustion feels more connected to my emotions. I am more wanting to cry, I don’t even want to consider going to class. If I do go to train, even if I haven’t over-trained, my body doesn’t do what I am asking it to do because I have created my own mental block. I get frustrated with my body and take it out in unhealthy ways.

 

How I Prevent Burning Out So I Can Do What I Love

• Plan Ahead
  • I have had to get better about looking in my calendar’s future. Got three show weekends next month? Better block out that next weekend and do something relaxing (i.e. nothing). Previously, I would just book any opportunity and do ALL THE THINGS and find myself after 3 months of shows or teaching with less than 1 day off at a time and still wonder why I couldn’t seem to rest up enough. Plan ahead!
• Clear Boundaries and Goals
  • Boundaries and goals are good for EVERYTHING.
    • Goals help us remember why we are doing what we do – whether for mental well-being, getting performance experience, or becoming famous. It can be grounding to know what we are aiming for, and also help us realize that we can’t achieve those goals if we are burnt to a crisp.
    • Having set boundaries gives us a clear understanding of what is a “go” and what is a “no”. Does working with certain people stress you out? Don’t voluntarily work with them. Have you decided never to do shows at a certain venue because you were treated poorly? Don’t book yourself. Knowing these ahead of time can help us stick to them in those moments, instead of having the pressure on us to decide then and there.
• Switch It Up
  • Always flying high in the sky on the pole? When you’re burned out put on some sweats and bring it to the floor. Burlesque got you down? Take an irish step dance class. Give your brain something to munch on while taking a break from your norm; letting it breathe can help you find new motivation.
• Recognize the Signs of Needing Help
  • Burnout isn’t always something that is fixable on our own. Lots of folks, myself included, experience mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Sometimes we may have life events such as death, breakups, or other conflict that puts us in truly hard places and we need more than ourselves to get out of it. Talk to a therapist (of whatever kind you choose – psychiatrist, MD, social worker, reiki practitioner, best friend, etc.), explore medication, join a support group, START a support group. We all need help sometimes.

 

What do you do to prevent and cure burnout?