Your Acting Career Called...It Wants You to Relax

You ever notice that actors can make anything stressful? Audition? Stressful. Callback? Stressful. Self-tape? Stressful .Meeting someone who might know someone in the industry?

Oh, that’s a full-blown cardio event.

Actors are the only people who can turn reading two pages of dialogue in their own living room into a scene from “Mission Impossible.”

Meanwhile, your acting career just left you a voicemail: “Hi… yeah, it’s me… could you just… relax?”

Let’s talk about it.

INTRO

Hello my wonderful, talented, slightly over-caffeinated friends! Welcome back to Casting Actors Cast, the show that brings you insider insight, encouragement, and a healthy dose of “Please calm down — everything’s fine.”

I’m Jeff Dreisbach, your guide through the beautifully chaotic world of acting. I’m a casting director, teacher, author, former actor, professional blue-pen user, and once, in 1994, the man who tried to fix a faulty audition chair in the middle of a session. (Spoiler: it broke again.)

Today’s episode is something every actor needs — whether you're brand new, seasoned, or somewhere in the middle.

Because here’s the truth: The biggest killer of confidence, creativity, and bookable performances is tension.

And actors are Olympic-level tension creators. Tension in the jaw. Tension in the shoulders. Tension in the soul.

So today, we're talking about why your acting career desperately needs you to relax. Not chill completely — you still have to care — but relax enough to let the real you show up.

WHY ACTORS ARE SO TENSE

Actors are a fascinating species. You are creative, intuitive, emotional, passionate……and also wound tighter than a guitar string before a rock concert.

Why? Because:

1. You care deeply.

Actors want to do a good job. They want to be seen, understood, appreciated. That passion turns into pressure.

2. The industry is unpredictable.

Audition today, hear back in 2037.You don’t control the timeline, the feedback, or the outcome.

3. You get judged. Constantly.

Sometimes by people who don’t even know they’re doing it.(Like your friend who says, “Oh, this role would have been perfect for you!” Thanks, Janet.)

4. You’re asked to be vulnerable on command.

That alone is enough to make anyone tense.

5. The stories you tell yourself matter.

“If I don’t get this role, that means I’m failing.” No. It means they picked someone else. End of story.

6. You think tension equals effort.

As if clenching every muscle magically enhances your performance. It doesn’t. It just makes your neck look like you’re trying to win a bodybuilding competition.

The real reason tension is such an issue? Because it blocks your instincts, your connection, and your presence.

WHAT TENSION DOES TO YOUR PERFORMANCE

Let me walk you through what tension actually does to your acting.

1. Tension shuts down emotional availability.

When you're tense, your body literally restricts emotional flow. This is why your tears disappear when you “try.”

2. Tension blocks listening.

You’re not hearing your partner — you’re listening to the critic in your head: “That line sounded weird. Do it again. Why are my hands doing that?”

3. Tension causes “performance mode.”

This is the dreaded state where you stop behaving like a human being and start behaving like you’re doing an impression of an actor.

4. Tension shrinks your charisma.

Charisma is relaxed focus. You cannot be charismatic while clenching your molars.

5. Tension tells casting, “I don’t trust myself.”

When we see tension, we see fear .Fear is not bookable. Honesty is.

6. Tension makes preparation useless.

You can prepare for hours. But if you walk in tense, your preparation evaporates like it never happened.

Actors often think the problem is their technique. But many times, the real problem is tension.

THE SECRET: RELAXATION CREATES CONFIDENCE

Relaxation is not laziness. Relaxation is readiness.

Athletes do it. Musicians do it. Dancers do it. Actors? Actors get nervous and drink iced coffee.

When you relax:

1. Your instincts sharpen.

You're not thinking — you're responding.

2. Your creativity returns.

Relaxed actors make better choices without trying.

3. Your presence expands.

People feel relaxed people. They want to be around relaxed performers.

4. Your truthfulness increases.

Relaxation allows you to reveal, not perform.

5. Your confidence becomes visible.

Relaxed actors radiate: “I know who I am. I'm not trying to prove anything.”

Relaxation is the foundation of compelling acting.

HOW TO RELAX BEFORE A SELF-TAPE

Here’s where we get practical, step-by-step.

Actors make self-tapes harder than they need to be. So let’s fix that.

TIP 1: Do the “One-Minute Shakeout”

Loosen your shoulders, hands, face, tongue — yes, the tongue holds tension. Shake out the tension literally.

TIP 2: Breath Like a Real Human

Not the dramatic “pre-performance breath.” Just real breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Let your ribs expand naturally.

TIP 3: Use a 30-Second “Connection Trigger”

Pick one thought or image that puts you in the emotional world of the scene. Hold it. Feel it. Begin the tape from there.

TIP 4: Remove the Pressure

Say out loud: “I don’t need to be brilliant. I need to be truthful. ”This rewires your nervous system instantly.

TIP 5: Don’t Start the Tape Until You Feel Ready

You’re allowed to reset. You’re allowed to breathe. You’re allowed to sit for a moment.

Rushing is the enemy.

TIP 6: Set a Time Limit

Perfectionism thrives in unlimited time. Limit your self-taping window. Your relaxation will improve instantly.

TIP 7: Reward Yourself for Showing Up

Even if it’s a gummy bear. Or a walk .Or a high-five in the mirror. Your brain loves rewards.

HOW TO RELAX BEFORE AN IN-PERSON AUDITION

In-person auditions bring their own special flavor of stress.

Here’s how to maintain ease in the room:

1. Arrive Early But Don’t Hover

Being too early creates anxiety. Being on time creates calm.

2. Don’t Over-Rehearse in the Waiting Room

Nothing kills spontaneity like whispering your lines to the bathroom plant.

3. Use the “Doorway Breath”

Right before entering the audition room, pause. Inhale deeply. Exhale as you cross the threshold. The breath signals your body: “We’re entering with ease.”

4. Let the Room Be Your Scene Partner

Don’t fight the environment. Use it. Lean into it.

5. Assume They’re On Your Side

Because we are. Audition rooms aren’t designed to break you — they’re designed to discover you.

THE MINDSET SHIFT THAT LASTS A LIFETIME (2–3 minutes)

This is the heart of the episode:

Relaxation isn’t something you do. Relaxation is something you allow.

When you stop gripping your career so tightly…

• You free your confidence

• You free your instincts

• You free your presence

• You free your joy

• And you start booking from authenticity instead of effort

Relaxation is not the absence of preparation. Relaxation is the expression of preparation.

CONCLUSION + CTA

So today, give your acting career what it’s been begging you for A little exhale. A little humor. A little faith.

Your best work comes when you show up with ease, confidence, and curiosity — not pressure.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with another actor who needs a reminder that relaxing is part of the job description.

And if you haven’t already, hit that subscribe button so you never miss a new episode of Casting Actors Cast.

I’m Jeff Dreisbach — reminding you to prepare smarter, act better, and book more.

See you next time.