Stage of Wellness: Tech Week Survival Secrets by Patti McCabe

Another wonderful resource by our guest contributor Patti McCabe!
Stage of Wellness presents:Tech Week Survival Secrets

I am honored to have had the opportunity to begin to share nutrition and wellness information with all of you here.  And I am truly excited about some new approaches I am taking to ensure that I am serving you, the performing arts community, in the best way possible.  To that end, I am proud to announce the launch of a new name for my Health Coaching practice – Stage of Wellness.

I truly believe that a taking a journey into wellness is like performing on your own personal stage.  Whether on stage or off, we all play a unique and important role in this industry.  And in that role you have the opportunity to grow, change, overcome challenges, and celebrate successes.  This is the same opportunity that performing on your stage of wellness offers you.  The difference on this stage, however, is that this particular role must reside within you for a lifetime, rather than for just the duration of a particular production.

I am constantly awed by the support systems that exist in the performing arts community.  And so just like an actor needs a director or a director needs a stage manager, I hope that I can be your support system whenever you need my help to achieve the energy you need to live the life you love!

When I am thinking about how I can best be a resource for you, I often consider what my own greatest challenges have been as a Stage Manager.  Can you guess the first words which come to mind? 

Tech Week! 

I have to say that there is nothing more exhilarating for me than seeing a production through this process.  The culmination of all of the hard work around the rehearsal process, and the dedication focused towards delivering the absolute best production to an audience.  There is nothing more satisfying.  There is also nothing more stressful and exhausting.  I have no doubt you can relate! 

This is why I want you to have my brand new report:  The Top 5 Secrets to Surviving Tech Week…without the crash and burn!   It is available right now for free on my new website.  I invite all of you to join me there and grab your copy today:  www.techweeksurvivalsecrets.com

I look forward to being in touch again soon with more tips and resources for you.  In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions, feedback, or need support!


Patti McCabe is a Certified Holistic Health Coach whose mission is to help the performing arts community learn how to achieve the energy they need to live the lives they love!  She received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City and is accredited through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  She leads workshops on health and nutrition, and offers both individual and group counseling services in person and by phone.  Learn more at www.techweeksurvivalsecrets.com.

Avoiding BURNOUT in Summerstock

 Rotating three or four shows per week, sometimes playing in two shows per day, 6 days a week is a usual schedule in summer stock theatre. It can be cruelly demanding and stress building to the point of exhaustion.
How do you avoid burnout when the schedule barely allows you to sleep?

Here are simple tricks that can make up for the lack of sleep and that will truly diminish your stress level.

-First rule: eat well:
Drink plenty of water and feed your body with good fuel. No junk food allowed!
You want to give yourself all the proteins your body craves and plenty of good nutrients to replenish and energize yourself
See Patti McCabe's column and blog for that.

- Second rule: ease lack of sleep by a short relaxation before bed:
 In 15 minutes of deep meditative relaxation you can replenish your body of the missing sleep.
Lie down in a quiet space, in silence or with relaxing music.  Concentrate on your breathing. Take deep cleansing breaths. Start by relaxing the top of your head, inhaling clearing energy and exhaling stress you want to release. Gently breathe in and out, and move down to your forehead, then your eyes, eyelids, throat, lips, and neck. Then move to your shoulders and your chest area.

When focusing on your heart, think about a place, a pet or a person that you feel grateful for. Feelings of gratitude have an immediate effect on your nervous system. When you feel grateful your body releases hormones that calm your nerves, and your heart beat slows down. The coherence of your heart beat improves. your immune system strengthens. (FMI  about heart coherence and scientific research, check Heartmath.org).

Then move to your solar plexus, and your lower abdomen. Finish by going down your legs, and the sole of your feet. imagine stress leaving from the sole of your feet, dissipating and transmuting in space.
When your attention wanders, gently bring it back to your breath and body.

Finally, imagine a bubble of colors surrounding you. You are bathing in it. Perceive it is a cocoon that can recharge and regenerate your cells. Feel it, sense it, and absorb its benefits for as long as you want.

Finally, open your eyes. You should feel refreshed and regenerated.

Emmanuelle Chaulet
Energy Awareness Counselor, acting coach
Author, A BALANCING ACT