As lifestyles change, we develop different rituals or routines that suit our current situation. Different environments require different ways of living. Shifting mindsets can also result in new habits. Being a performer can mean so many different things these days. It could mean acting onstage at a local theater in your town, doing VoiceOver from the comfort of your home, recording a singing album in a studio, portraying famous characters in a theme park, or showcasing circus tricks onboard a cruise ship. When you’re in the Entertainment industry, performing can look different to everyone, there is no one size fits all. In our own unique environments, performers can adopt behaviors out of necessity or comfort, but they don’t always have their health in their best interest.
When I worked onboard Disney Cruise Line for nearly a decade, I had to change many of my normal activities because they just were not available to me. I couldn’t watch whatever I wanted at any time, I couldn’t enjoy a bath tub every once in a while, I couldn’t cook my own food, even something as mundane as shipping a box was dramatic. I had to adjust what I thought was abnormal into something that could potentially be sustainable for me if I continued to work there. Many of us want to work as long as we can as a performer and sometimes we can sacrifice a lot to maintain this. For me, maintaining this lifestyle was key for consistent work doing what I loved.
I had created some habits for myself while onboard, but it was when I wasn’t working during my 2-3 months off that my habits fell to the wayside. I had worked so hard for 10 months straight and had been deprived of what I thought were ‘normal’ pleasures that all of my standards I had once had for myself didn’t matter during that time. Unfortunately, this led to playing catch up when I was about to head back for new contract rehearsals. I didn’t feel my best or look my best because I hadn’t been prioritizing my health during those few months. Here are some of the habits I adopted that didn’t serve me.
Treat ‘Yo Self
The mess hall onboard did their best with the resources that they were given. For most performers, we don’t need fancy extravagant meals created for us to feel fueled. We need the right foods. Most of the time things like raw or cooked veggies (without butter or excessive oil) were not available as healthy options. On the other end of the spectrum, junk food was glorified. I didn’t find eating those things productive while I was onboard, but during my off-times, I seemed to gravitate towards all things fatty and greasy. I was in vacation mode, so I gorged on things like sugar, salt, and carbs. Pizza, donuts, and fast-food were my go-to’s. It’s like I was giving myself permission to eat what I wanted because it had not been available to me for so long. A few days of this is normal when debarking from a long-stint at sea, but this went on for weeks. By the time my new contract rolled around, I had already developed this unhealthy habit of reaching for comfort food.
I Crave It, I Eat It
Because I was treating myself after difficult and emotional contracts, I started to crave these foods. I wanted sugar, salt, and caffeine all the time. This had been before my Health Coaching training. Now, when I have a craving I can decipher it and know what’s missing from my diet. However, then I figured it was fine to eat a dessert every day or be obsessed with kettle cooked chips and popcorn. That soy milk vanilla latte was starting to take its toll as well. I needed my 3pm fix and I filled it. Chemicals in these foods can quite literally change your palate. Since I was eating for pleasure more than normal, I craved that food more frequently. I also found normalcy with drinking alcohol after dinner more than 3x/week. This also affect my cravings for salt because I was getting dehydrated from that glass of Sauvignon Blanc I was having.
Laziness Vs. Rest
When you work on a cruise ship, you don’t get days off. We may not have a show everyday, but you’re in your work environment all the time. This can become draining to your physical and mental health. After debarking from contracts, I would usually go home and sleep for 1-2 days straight. That was expected. It was only when I would validate that I needed more rest than necessary, that I became addicted to complacency. Of course, family and friends supported me because they understood that I had worked so hard and ‘deserved’ to do nothing. It actually made things worse for me. I didn’t work out and slept way more hours than my body needed. When it came time to head back to work, I had lost some technique, flexibility, and the stamina that had kept me fit during my shows. I wasn’t focused on maintaining my fitness level because I was making unrealsitc excuses.
Lack of Exercise Routine
My shows burned a lot of calories most of the time. So, I had let my performances become my workouts for the day. This didn’t help me develop an exercise routine in any form. I did enjoy doing videos like Tracy Anderson and P90X with my cast mates, but didn’t feel like they were the exercises I should be doing for MY body. I also wasn’t really interested in finding out what that could’ve looked like. Of course, when I did get off the ship, I confused and unmotivated. I would attend some classes here and there or try to do videos at home, but nothing was really sticking. I wasn’t serious about maintaining my physical fitness during my breaks, so I didn’t really discover any workouts that I loved. Performers need multiple methods of exercising the body, but I was not being consistent with anything.
No goals, just fun
Since getting my certification in Health Coaching and learning more about health and nutrition, I have learned how to shift these habits into more sustainable ways of living. Whether I’m onboard or not, I keep the same goals at top of mind and these dictate my actions. What’s important to me is my health and well-being and that shouldn’t change because I change environments or go on vacation.
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