Self-Care Tips for Comedians
Self-care isn’t optional - it’s vital. Tips for womxn+ and underrepresented comedians building their voices, staying sane, and surviving the stage.
Comedy can be brutal. There’s rejection, late nights, unpaid gigs, and the constant threat of bombing in front of other humans. But surviving, and thriving, requires more than “grit.” It requires strategy, boundaries, and a sense of humor about yourself. Here’s how we do it at TLC:
1. Protect Your Energy Like It’s a Secret Weapon
Comedy will chew you up if you don’t guard your time and attention. Saying no isn’t selfish - it’s survival. Not every open mic or showcase is worth your energy. You want to spend your mental currency on material that strengthens your voice, not on gigs that make you cry in the bathroom (been there).
Research on creative performance shows that deliberate rest and boundaries improve both productivity and creativity (Sio & Ormerod, Thinking & Reasoning, 2009).
2. Track Your Progress, Not Your Bombs
Bombing is part of the process - but obsessing over it is a trap. Instead, record your wins: the jokes that landed, the moments when the audience laughed harder than expected, or the lines that got a delayed chuckle (trust us, delayed laughter counts!!)
Tip: Keep a “micro-wins” notebook - it can be as absurd as “Audience laughed at my sneeze gag for 3 seconds.” These small victories add up and remind you why you do this.
3. Get Ruthless With Time Management
Your brain is not an infinite resource. Schedule writing, rehearsal, and recovery blocks like they’re sacred appointments. Skipping meals, caffeine overdoses, and 3 a.m. joke marathons might feel productive - but they actually sabotage your timing, punchlines, and sanity.
Your set won’t land if your brain is running on Monster energy drink fumes and existential dread.
4. Build a Tribe That Actually Gets You
Mentors, peers, friends… find the people who laugh at your weirdness, tell you the truth, and survive the industry with you. Avoid energy vampires pretending to be “helpful” comedians who only critique to make themselves feel smart.
Did You Know? Social support increases resilience and creative output (Feist, Handbook of Creativity, 1999). Your people matter.
5. Own Your Feelings On Stage and Off
Your rage, joy, identity, and perspective aren’t baggage - they’re material. Hiding them for fear of rejection is exhausting. Comedy works best when it’s specific, honest, and fearless, and that starts with you processing your own experiences first.
Even awkward personal stories can be comedic gold - just be ready to exaggerate responsibly.
6. Protect Your Body Like It’s Part of the Act
Comedy isn’t just mental, it’s physical. Sleep, hydration, and movement directly affect your timing, vocal delivery, and presence. If your body is negotiating with exhaustion, your jokes won’t land—no matter how sharp your material.
Side note: standing up straight also makes you look like you know what you’re doing, even when you don’t.
7. Create a Safe Place for Ideas (and Weird Thoughts)
Not everything you think is ready for the stage, but keep it. Voice memos, journals, sticky notes - your brain generates brilliance in the weirdest ways. Looking back later often gives you the strongest jokes.
We once found a note that said “Banana philosophy bit” and it became a 3-minute set about grocery store existentialism….
8. Learn When to Step Back Without Shame
Trolls, microaggressions, unpaid gigs - it’s all real. Stepping away to rest isn’t quitting; it’s survival. Your career will thank you, and your mental health will thank you more.
Psychological research shows that regular breaks and downtime improve creativity, focus, and emotional regulation (Benedek et al., Thinking & Reasoning, 2017).
TLC Truth Bomb: Self-care isn’t fluffy advice - it’s strategic. Comedians who thrive aren’t just “funny.” They are grounded, specific, honest, and unapologetic. That’s how your voice breaks through, connects with audiences, and survives the grind. Treat yourself like the headline act of your own life - because you are.
