How To Maintain A Healthy Mental State As A Filmmaker

Over the last 8 years in LA as a director and producer, I feel like I've seen so many sides of the filmmaking world. I've done backyard shorts with friends and family with guerilla shooting, I've done features for over a million dollars, I've directed a big studio episodic for TV, and I’ve even funded my own short docs.

As everyone in the industry knows, this work can be intense. We often have long hours. We give 120% of our brain power dissecting scripts, making shot lists, and scouting locations. We are "go, go, go" for pre-production through post, distribution, and marketing, and then eventually everything just suddenly stops. The project is complete and you are left to move on.

No matter the project scale, I always come back home with the same routine to reset my mental state. I find it very important to decompress and realign my life once a project wraps. We give so much to every project we are a part of, that it is just as important to make sure you give just as much to yourself once you no longer have that project in your life.

To help me relax and rejuvenate, I turn to ten tools that I've fleshed out through my mind-coaching business "Medicine with Words". These 10 tools (with 8 exercises under each) help me to maintain a healthy mental state. Enabling me to be mentally ready to begin the next project.

These ten tools are:

1.“Brain Breathing” Is Remembering To Stop

Take Things SLOW!

Stop obsessing over timelines.

Learn to let things go.

Opportunities often come around. Don't be afraid to say yes. One moment can completely change the course of your life.

Work hard to live in the moment.

2.“Kintsugi Technique” Is Acknowledging And Accepting Who You Are

Know your WORTH!

Work at being kind to yourself. It's okay to take a step back and regroup.

Observe your mental responses to the situation you are in. If something is going downhill, stop and evaluate.

Recognize how far you want to fight. If others are not respecting your worth, consider taking a pause.

Think about what you are fighting for and why. Is the reason you started fighting still relevant?

Hard work is necessary to achieve what you want. Be aware when hard work turns into unnecessary fighting.

3.“Stepping Stones” Is Understanding The Path To Your Destination

We can all DEVELOP!

Decide who you are and who you want to be, you’re in control of this.

Establish a solid foundation. Put the time into the groundwork and plan.

Visualize what your end movie looks like.

Exude creativity through every pore. Take as much time as you want to work it out.

Live now, don’t put it off until the end result.

Organize your time so that you have clarity, peace, and joy.

Prepare yourself for your purpose.

4.“Tides of Truth” Is About Absolute Honesty With Yourself

Live Your TRUTH!

Try and find some clarity in your thoughts by working out what makes you tick.

Redundancy, what becomes redundant when you find your truth?

Understand that truth-telling can disrupt the status quo of your current life, so be prepared for changes.

Talk to yourself when making decisions, and keep talking to yourself. It’s ok to continually grow and change to find your truth.

Honesty is paramount, honesty with yourself.

5.“Pen to Paper” Is About Taking Your Journaling To The Next Level

Let's UNPLUG!

Understand this might be hard to start with. Spend a day looking at how you normally use technology, start with the computer or TV.

No phone areas. Create a space where you choose not to have phones.

Periodic breaks from technology. Work up to one day a week.

Lock away your devices if you’re not able to leave them alone.

Use technology only in a positive way.

Give yourself time to get used to this new behavior. You might find changes in your mood.

6.“Cabinet Cleanse” Is About Spring Cleaning Your Mind

Do a CHECK-IN!

Calculate how you’re feeling at the beginning of the day, and how you want to feel at the end of the day

Have a break. Stop and have a cup of tea, read something, or just close your eyes

Examine how busy your day is, and if it’s realistic to get everything done

Check-in with yourself all day long, not just once

Keep yourself hydrated and eat the right foods to keep your energy going

Internal health is just as important as external health. How is your mental health doing today?

Now is what you focus on. Ensure you are happy with your current state

7.“Pyramid of Purpose” Is About Keeping You On Track To Attain Your Purpose

Recognize the SHIFT!

Strong desire to make alterations. You feel like you want a change

Hear your inner musings and thoughts to feel your gut. Listen to your intuition

Impossible is what a lot of people will say. As Audrey Hepburn said "anything is possible. The word itself says 'I’m possible'”

Future is exciting. You never know what lies ahead, so embrace it

Trust yourself. Only you know what is best for you

8.“Sense Memory” Is About Re-Grounding Yourself

It's about being SIMPLE!

Structure your life in a different way, even small tweaks are positive steps at the beginning of the road to simplicity.

Imagine not having to worry about everything. Put your energy into the things that count and nothing else.

Materialism is around us 24/7. Instead of what you want, take a look at what you need.

Purpose should be at the forefront. What is your purpose at the moment? Not the bigger picture purpose, but how you want to spend your time at that moment.

Learn to let go, remove all the surplus in your life.

Establish a new way of living.

9.“Gratitude Glasses” Is About Gaining Perspective

Take yourself on a DATE!

Dedicate some time for just you. Have a cup of tea, read a book, or think.

Activity - take yourself somewhere. Go to a library or an art exhibition.

Treat yourself to something special. Could be a sweet treat or a new journal. Something small but meaningful.

Exercise your brain!

10.“Manifestation Mirror” Is About Learning That Anything Is Possible

How do you spend your TIME?

Today is what counts. Focus on being in the moment.

Identify with whom you want to spend your time. Surround yourself with uplifting people.

Make the most of any situation. You can always learn from it.

Enjoy your time. Life is too short to worry about the little things.

Even being able to spend time on a couple of these ideas gives me the time I need to reset and feel recharged. There is no right or wrong way to do this, try and create new practices that can encourage you to form new habits, and learn to listen to yourself.

So now what are you supposed to do? Well, each exercise and tool can be repeated as little or as often as you would like. Remember, this isn’t about having completed something, it’s about a circle of life, a continuation of growth. I reset every six weeks. Do whatever works for you.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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