As a working actor, I am often asked: How do you balance your acting career with the rest of your life?

It usually comes from those who aren't actors/artists or those who are actors but are struggling to find that balance.

This got me thinking about balance and I asked myself whether "balance" is just an abstract idea or something practical to have in your life. More importantly, is it even possible to have balance with all the things we have going on, all the tasks we have to perform every day, all the people we have to see (virtually or in person), and all the places we have to go?

And how can we have balance as a creative, especially as an actor? Most actors tell me one of two things: Either they are totally focused on their career as they have a lot going on Or they are on the other end of the spectrum and have a side hustle, which takes up a lot of their time in addition to family commitments that keep them busy.

I think that irrespective of the category you’re in, balance seems to be hard to find and maintain, at least for me.

So after thinking about it long and hard, I came to the conclusion that leading a balanced life is hit and miss and it’s constantly in flux. We self-tape for a role, we do our shopping and cooking, we go to work, we visit our family, we work out at the gym and go out with our friends… and sometimes it feels like it all flows beautifully and easily and life is fun. And at other times it feels like it’s all too much, we’re overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated and there aren’t enough hours in the day or in the week to get it all done. We tend to beat up on ourselves when we don’t seem to be doing well or getting everything done as we had planned.

I remember one particular occasion when I had a lot going on in my life and felt totally overwhelmed: My elderly parents were ill, I had to book a flight, get on a plane to fly out and take care of them, do all the household chores on a daily basis and in addition to that I had a self-tape to submit within 48 hours... Phew! I felt completely stressed out. Once my parents had recovered and I was back home, I was exhausted and in need of a rest.

That's when I realized that balance for me doesn’t exist, it’s an illusion... it’s not a fixed goal, but it fluctuates and changes all the time with my constantly changing needs, moods, and requirements.

The only way I am able to manage is by prioritizing my tasks and focusing on one or two things at a time. Then I either move on to the next thing or take a break to ground and center myself and catch up with MYSELF in this constant ebb and flow of activity.

I enjoy the times when things are in flow and feel balanced and I am learning to be easy on myself when life gets hectic and I have to juggle a lot of different balls all at the same time.

So I’d like to invite you to be kind and gentle with yourself and adjust to what you need in the moment, instead of trying to achieve the impossible task of finding balance in your life.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Emily at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .