Acting In Gratitude: Daily Mindful Practices for Actors

Acting is a taxing career choice, as enjoyable as it may be. The memorization, the deadlines and pressure connected to finding work can really weigh on a person. If you are wanting to have an incredible acting career, we want to share some tips to help alleviate that discouraging pressure a little bit. 

When we are stressed and overwhelmed with the daily demands of life, no less the pressure of an acting career, it's easy to become overwhelmed and forget our purpose or to take care of ourselves. 

It's important that we set aside our frustration with the industry, the directors, our fellow cast members and even ourselves and simple rest in gratitude. Gratitude is the fuel the expands our creativity and success. It feeds the relationships and opportunities in our life while inviting more good to come in.  

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let's take a moment to pause and find appreciation in the littler things. 

A play on words, if you will, here are our tips for...

"Acting in Gratitude: Daily Mindful Practices for Actors"

Exercises for Expanding Gratitude and Shifting Your Perspective

1. List all the things you have decided to be grateful for in your life and acting career.
2. In your daily journal, record each time you fail to express gratitude for a challenging situation.
3. Catch yourself reacting emotionally to what someone says or does and shift your perception in that moment to appreciate the learning experience at hand.
4. In your daily life and business, who are you not recognizing as magnificent? (even yourself, maybe?)
5. How can you champion their excellence and express gratitude for the opportunity to grow in love and wisdom that they are gifting you instead of reacting with worry, frustration, anger, sadness, or fear?
6. Who are you seeking to control or avoid being controlled by? Will you take on the practice of non-attachment in your relationship with them by creating space for them to be who they are? Do this for 30 days and record in your journal how your interactions with them grow and develop. Make note of something that you can be grateful for in each situation.
7. Set your intention at the start of each day.  What word will you seek? Love? Compassion?  Whatever word you choose, both be an example of it, and also seek to notice it in others and then be quick to have thankfulness in your heart for those acts and the people doing them.

Thanksgiving is coming near. Let it have a healing and inspirational theme for you. As actors, this is another role you have.  Visit us at the New York Acting School for Film and Television for more tips, and class information.

Have a thankful day!