Almost every actor has heard their teacher say, “You’re too in your head.” “You are overthinking.” “Get out of your head.” At the moment when it’s being said, the actor is typically already in a frustrated place, even if they don’t know it. They are already not as emotionally engaged as they need to be, and they are pushing and exhausting their mind to think through the moment instead of living in it. Processing what to do with that note can often push an actor further away from organically engaging and put them even more “in their heads.” The frustration can then cause an even greater block emotionally. We need to have a sense for that when it’s happening and try to stop the blocks from spiraling the actor into a place where they cannot stop themselves from overthinking and bring themselves back into the organic moment.
Here are some reminders for when the brain starts dictating to you so much that you are finding yourself too far away from the moment.
1. Go back to one. Stop, breathe, and place yourself back in neutral. Have you ever had a car stuck in mud or slush? If you keep pressing on the gas you will spin your wheels further into the ground. Stop
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