Here’s the video of my Shout Out Friday chat with Vicky Blades. Details of the event she mentions, Investing in me, in Belfast next month are below.

Investing in Me – An insightful and inspiring day of mindfulness, coaching and learning to support good mental well-being for those involved in the Arts in NI.
We will be hosting a variety of workshops, classes and talks on the subject of Resilience and Self-Care. Come along and learn practical tips on how to build self care practices in to your life, including yoga, mindfulness, EFT and coaching. 

12 April at 10:00–16:00

Accidental Theatre   12-13 Shaftesbury Square, BT2 7DB Belfast

Other helpful links:

Aware NI

Inspire Well Being

Theatre NI

Lifeline  Dial 0808 808 8000 All of the people who take calls from this number are trained counsellors and there is free crisis counselling for anyone who has the need.

Samaritans – you can call

It used to be that auditions were my job. They came in every week. I’d spend my time, learning lines, preparing, traveling in to the centre of London, meeting the casting people or directors and coming home to wait for the call as to whether I was successful or not.

It was a roller coaster of emotions that my mother found very difficult because inevitably I’d call her with excitement about an upcoming role that  I would be auditioning for. Then a couple of days later, I’d call her to share my anxiety about it. Then I’d call her on the day of the audition in the hopes that she’d have some soothing words. Then I’d do the audition and call her for a debrief. Then there’d be the inevitable wait for news, and I’d call her every day moaning about the lack of news. And then there was…