Filmmakers, Be Good to Yourselves

Making a film is incredibly challenging. I have talked with many local, indie filmmakers and it seems pretty common to put passion for filmmaking before being healthy. So today's post is brief: filmmakers, be good to yourselves. Here are a few simple ways to do it.

Filmmakers, Be Good to Yourselves

• Eat well.
  Don't eat too much. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies. Don't eat too much fast food. Buy stuff from the local farmer's market. Learn to cook. Stock your fridge like a vending machine so you always have a healthy option.
• Remember to relax.
  Spend quality time with family and friends. Drink some wine. Do something that has nothing to do with films like sailing, swimming, or golf. Find your way to relax, and do it often.
• Get at least eight hours of quality sleep each night.
  You may pretend you need less than eight hours a night, but very few people actually do. Allow yourself the luxury of enough quality sleep. Fight for it. You'll think better, be healthier, make decisions faster, and eat a less.
• Exercise every day, even if it's just walking.Don't sit behind the camera or at your computer too long. Get up, walk around your block for a while, and come back to what you were working on. Eventually add a little jog. When that's no longer challenging, start running faster, join a gym, or lift weights. Exercise. Everything works better when you're in great shape.
• Drink plenty of water.Do whatever it takes to make drinking lots of water convenient and easy to do. It's worth it. You'll feel the difference. Plus, if you're a starving artist, choosing water while dinning out will save you money because it is almost always free.

These are things I recommend because once I started doing them, I felt infinitely better. Feeling healthier made me happier, and allowed me to work faster and better.

Don't sacrifice your health for your passion for filmmaking. Be patient, and take the time to be in good health. I think you'll make better films because of it.