DON’T SWEAT IT: Balancing PERFORMANCE, workouts & stress

When it comes to living well, ‘everything in moderation’ is a phrase that comes up a lot. And yes, it’s true. But it’s not just talking about bakery trips and pizza y’know?

While movement is such an important part of supporting physical and mental health, training is something that should also be approached mindfully – especially during highly stressful periods or if you’re a performer or artist already working under intense pressure.

It might seem like a good idea to let it all out with a savage gym session after a demanding rehearsal day, long filming schedule or live show but if your body is already running on survival mode, it could end up being just as much overkill as smashing all the aforementioned pastries and pizza.

Feeling the burn(out)

The thing a lot of people tend to forget is that exercise – whether it’s cardio, weight training or even a dynamic yoga practice – is a stressor.

When we’re feeling at our best, that stress is a good thing! We need stress to help build our resilience. And when it comes to working out, it’s by activating our muscles and loading our joints through different movements that they get stronger, causing our bodies to adapt and our fitness to improve.

But if we’re already feeling fried, running on little sleep, struggling to switch off after performances, navigating performance anxiety or living in a prolonged stressed state? Well, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that massive stress x massive stressor does not = a well-regulated nervous system, deep recovery or a blissed-out body and mind!

And this is something I see often with performers and artists. And I dealt with it myself when I was in the West End. The pressure to keep going,
to stay “on”, to push through…
To train, rehearse, perform and recover quickly enough to do it all again!

There’s still such a strong culture of the show must go on but when the nervous system never gets the message that it’s safe to come out of survival mode, burnout can start to build in the background.

“Does that mean I shouldn’t work out…?”

Not at all. Movement is of course awesome and we should all be doing it!

It’s just about paying attention to how you’re feeling and responding to what your body actually needs.

If you’re struggling with sleep after shows, constantly feeling wired, noticing shallow breathing, heightened nerves around performance or feel like you’re living in alert mode all the time, then this is a prime example of when to look at your training and recovery routine.

Remember that rest is imperative to healing, recovery and performing at your best. So perhaps first ask if you’re giving your body and brain enough breaks throughout the day. And yes, that definitely includes phone and screen use too.

One of my favourite ways to rest my brain when I’ve been using screens a lot is to get outside and look into the distance to give my eyes a break – something that can feel especially supportive after intense focus, editing work, rehearsals or long production days.

It’s also worth noting that when you begin to break the stress cycle, it can be really common to suddenly feel extremely tired. I’ve worked with many clients who have dealt with feelings of exhaustion as they’ve started to slowly address anxiety, burnout and long-held stress patterns.

So always listen to your body. It tends to know best.

Striking the balance

If you’re going through a rough patch mentally, navigating performance pressure or finding yourself exhausted after training, here are my top 3 tips for striking a better balance…

#1 GO GENTLE 🧘

If it’s a short period of stress or anxiety and you simply want to move your body, try going gently. Trading a high-energy pummelling for something like a slow flow or yin yoga can help down-regulate your nervous system and relax both body and mind. If that’s not your vibe, go for a run or a walk but perhaps reduce your pace, shorten the distance and focus on nasal breathing throughout. This reduces stress on the body while still giving you the movement and mood boost you might be craving.

#2 TRY DIFFERENT 💁

Another option is to switch things up completely! Climbing, tennis, swimming, paddleboarding… whatever feels playful. Because you’ve not done it before, you’ll naturally have to focus your attention and stay present. And that could be exactly the change your brain needs to step out of overthinking mode and give your nervous system a little respite.

For performers especially, movement that feels less outcome-driven or aesthetically focused can be incredibly refreshing.

#3 FOCUS YOUR BREATH 😮‍💨

Feel like you just NEED the sweatiness only a semi-intense workout can bring? Totally get it.

But try using breathwork to support regulation as you go.

👉 Keep breathing nasally during your warm-up to gradually build into exercise with less strain on the body.

👉 During cool down and stretches, focus on slow nasal breathing while keeping chest and shoulders relaxed.

👉 Extend the exhales to help guide the nervous system out of that heightened state and support better recovery afterwards.

This can be especially helpful if you already spend large parts of your work feeling alert, visible or “on.”

Final thoughts

Understanding your nervous system changes everything. Particularly if you’re someone working in high-pressure environments where energy, focus and recovery really matter. I truly wish I’d had this knowledge and some of the techniques I use now back then.

Whether you’re navigating performance anxiety, burnout, difficulty switching off after shows, sleep disruption or simply feeling wired more often than calm, these patterns are not just “in your head.” They’re physiological. And when we learn how to work with the body instead of constantly pushing through it, performance and wellbeing both benefit.

If you’re a performer, artist or creative professional wanting support with regulation, recovery and managing pressure more sustainably, I offer confidential 1-1 nervous system and breathwork coaching tailored to high-performance environments. On set, in-person or online to suit you.

Click here to read more and explore working together 🤍