Mental Fitness for Performers: Training More Than Just Your Body

As performers, we know how much our bodies matter. Rehearsals, auditions, eight-show weeks - we train our muscles, joints, and stamina so we can do it all. But what about training our mental fitness?

According to Understanding Mental Health for AUSactive Professionals (AUSactive), mental fitness is “the changeable capacity to utilise resources and skills to psychologically adapt to environmental challenges or advantages to meet psychological needs.” In plain English? It’s the mental version of cross-training - the ability to shift, adapt, and keep showing up even when things get hard.

And just like physical training, mental fitness is something we can work on.

What mental fitness looks like on stage and off

For performers, mental fitness can show up in moments like:

• Recognising when you need to reach out for support (instead of trying to “push through” alone).

• Adapting to the stress of a last-minute casting change or rehearsal schedule.

• Reframing a setback - like an audition rejection - into something that doesn’t derail your whole week.

It’s not about being endlessly positive. It’s about having the inner resources to keep moving forward - in the studio, on stage, and in life.

The continuum of mental health

Mental health isn’t fixed. It exists on a continuum, ranging from thriving to struggling (literally, there’s a graph from struggling up to thriving) - and people move back and forth across that line throughout their lives. As performers, this movement can feel amplified: one week you’re thriving under the lights, the next you’re drained by rejection, fatigue, or financial pressure (or all of the above..!)

Research shows that females approaching early adulthood and gender diverse people are more likely to experience a mental health condition. For many in the performing arts, these years overlap with training, auditions, or launching a career - a perfect storm for mental health challenges (yay, go us..!).

The two most common conditions experienced by Australians are anxiety and depression, both of which can deeply affect performers. Anxiety can make stage fright feel overwhelming, while depression can sap the energy to create, rehearse, or connect with your craft.

Movement as medicine (with boundaries)

The good news: movement can help. Physical activity has proven benefits for people experiencing mental health conditions - but like all good training, it works best in balance. AUSactive notes that the sweet spot is often 3-5 days per week, under an hour per session, at a moderate intensity, across a variety of activities.

For performers, that might mean:

• Three short strength and mobility sessions a week.

• Walking or cycling to clear your head.

• Dancing in your living room just for fun.

And yes, both less and more activity can still provide positive outcomes. It’s not about hitting a perfect target - it’s about finding a rhythm that supports both your art and your wellbeing.

Just like you’d warm up your voice or stretch before a show, training your mental fitness is an investment in your performance longevity. Because just like your performance matters - so does your mental health.

You’ve got this!

Carolyn x

Reference: Understanding Mental Health for AUSactive Professionals - AUSactive