Trying to Stay Healthy While Back on the Road: Lessons from My Failed Attempts
Hi, it’s Mel again. So, I recently returned from my first event post-pandemic. Going back made me realize the difficulty of keeping up with my healthy routines developed during the lockdown, especially when contract work comes into play.
Before leaving, I gathered my yoga mat and equipment, thinking, “Hey, I can practice anywhere!” But guess what? They never made it out of my car. Three weeks of laziness, folks.
Eating generally goes haywire when I’m not home, so I tried to plan for this. Many of you have heard about my experience with meal kits at home, so I considered something similar. I was set up in an Extended Stay with a small kitchen. So, I ordered salads and microwavable meals from Farmer’s Fresh and Factor – they’re supposedly super healthy.
My optimism told me cooking was out of the picture, but popping a meal in the microwave or opening a salad box? Seemed doable. The Farmer’s Fridge meals cost $58.21, but some salads went bad by day four. The layers made it a bit challenging to eat directly from the container. I had thought I would just pour in the dressing and go. Lesson learned!
As for Factor, I spent roughly $70 on eight meals, but only managed to eat half of them. After spending $138.22 on groceries, I was stuck with lots of wasted food. Not my proudest moment.
Let’s fast forward. Trying to balance the rehearsal chaos, sudden funding issues, and a venue change turned my attention away from eating. It’s ironic that worrying about gaining weight before this turned into barely eating at all.
Some days, after basically starving through 12-14 hours of intense stage management work, I gave in to the charms of Taco Bell on my way home. Suddenly it made sense – when you’ve used up all your discipline for work, there’s none left for healthy food choices.
You’d think having the means to afford healthy options would solve the problem. Nope. Your state of mind plays a crucial role. This contract pushed me to my limits, rendering all my good intentions useless.
In hindsight, this whole experience was more about the heavy work expectations and its impact on mental health, rather than simply sticking to a healthy diet on tour. Regardless of how prepared I think I am, high-stress levels will always make Taco Bell and wine seem more appealing.
So, is this about me not handling stress well? Or is it about not overloading one person with a three-person job?
If there are stage managers among you who’ve found ways to balance this madness, I’m all ears. Your advice is much appreciated!
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