3 Tips When You Feel Lost + Overwhelmed

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts lately among several actor communities that have a similar theme of feeling lost and overwhelmed, and even thoughts like “Maybe it’s time to quit?”  Can you relate?

What sparks this type of thinking?  Usually it’s…

Watching award shows.
Noticing other actor’s “booked it” posts.
Seeing someone’s social media perfection.
Delivering great self-tapes + hearing nothing.

What’s at the root of it all, when it makes you feel bad?
Judgement, comparison…and more judgment.

Look, the logical ego-mind is always going to find reasons you are somehow “not enough.”

And unless you cultivate a daily practice that helps you refocus your energy and quiet the inner critic, this kind of thinking will take you down a dark rabbit hole…every single time. 

Let me remind you that no actor is always pleased, always thriving or always feeling good (no matter what their Instagram reels look like).

So next time you’re feeling lost and overwhelmed, see if you do these 3 things.

1) Cultivate conscious awareness.  Notice your habit of thought, and the ultimatums and judgments you whip up about yourself.  Become aware of the meaning you are adding to an event.  (Without the meaning you add, it’s simply an awards show, a post, a self-tape).

2) Recognize your default state. Notice your specific default mental pattern, and your go-to thoughts, that you often repeat on a weekly (or daily or hourly) basis like…

I should be further along by now.
If I was going to make it, it should have already happened.
That person is doing great, which means I’m clearly not enough.
Everyone’s booking off their self-tapes except me.

3) Shift your perspective. Change your definition of the challenging moments + you will experience them in a whole new way. 

(Dig this quote? Screenshot the above graphic, share it on social + tag me on Instagram) 

Yes, shifting your perspective allows you to be compassionate with yourself, instead of condemning + criticizing yourself. 

Don’t know how to begin? Try practicing this empowering mindset…

Today, I let go of adding any meaning from what I see in the outside world.
Today, I let go of judging myself.
Today, I trust in the future I cannot see.
Today, I do something just for me (that has nothing to do with this business).
Today, I flow love, compassion and appreciation to myself for being on this journey.
Today, I give myself a break from social media, comparing and deciding I’m not enough.
Today, I remind myself that I am here to have fun along the way.
Today, I take a step back from doubting myself, and I refocus my energy.

We forget so easily, that all of this is an inside job.

When we stop looking outside ourselves for validation, approval, joy and accolades, and we start accepting ourselves exactly as we are right now, things shift.

Big breakthroughs happen when we’re doing the inner work not to get somewhere else, but to make the entire journey more fun + fulfilling. (Read that again – this one took me decades to learn). 

Want extra support + fierce encouragement like this on repeat? Press play on my latest guided meditation + visualization session, Refocusing Your Energy.

However you make your mental health a priority this week, remember that we all have a raging inner critic at times, but we also each have a choice daily on what we do to refocus our energy.

Let me know in the comments below which one of the above steps you’re going to take this week. 

I’m rooting for you (and hope you’re rooting for yourself too)!

Love + Gratitude,

Wendy

P.S.  If you want to make your mental game mastery a priority, but don’t know where to begin, try my monthly mindset gifts for actors.  Come join our global community + get support + monthly mindset tools here.