Sarah Geronimo is of the most hardworking and passionate singers in the Phillippine music industry. So when she broke down at her recent concert in Las Vegas, fans and non-fans alike expressed their concern for the Popstar Royalty on social media.
Geronimo was supposed to sing “Forever’s Not Enough” when she got emotional and exited the stage.
Most people commented that her breakdown might be due to burnout, especially since she has been constantly performing since April 14 for her 15th-anniversary concert.
Sarah Geronimo’s life has similarities w/ Brit’s. Both are at the top of their games and yet they still feel empty. Breadwinners, missed out their childhood, overworked, burnout. I remember Brit’s infamous 2007 breakdown. pic.twitter.com/kQmqQdTn9M
— C H A (@cha_alejandra_) May 1, 2018
Geronimo celebrated the milestone at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
On April 21, she flew to the United States and performed in four cities. She is slated to visit Chicago and New York next.
Mark Bautista, Geronimo’s guest performer, shared in one of his Instagram stories that the popstar wasn’t able to sleep prior to her performance.
“No Sleep but she gave her all. Congrats #SarahG” – Mark Bautista (This15Me Concert Las Vegas)
We Love You Sarah G. #SarahGThis15MeGlobalTour pic.twitter.com/1rD5dHnsP4— Sarah Geronimo (@JustSarahG_) April 30, 2018
Reports also state that Geronimo was evidently exhausted.
In her dance number before she sang, the artist requested the musical director to redo a portion two times because she was out of beat.
When she sang “Forever’s Not Enough,” she struggled to reach the high notes.
It’s not just Sarah
Geronimo is not the only one in the local entertainment scene who has broken down.
Richard Gutierrez revealed that he has also felt burnout. He admitted at a press conference, “There was a time that I was getting too tired, burned out and I wasn’t enjoying already. So, ako mismo ’yung tumalikod; ako mismo ‘yung umayaw.”
That was before he transferred to ABS-CBN. He continued, “Ang daming nangyari and I guess I wasn’t prepared during that time aside from the continuous work which, I guess, resulted in my not knowing anymore about myself, my wants.”
Burnout among performing artists
Social psychologist Christina Maslach enumerated poor concentration and loss of curiosity as the cognitive signs of burnout.
Psychologically, individuals may experience depersonalization, anxiety or depression. depersonalization is when an individual’s thoughts and feelings do not seem to be his, and a sense of identity is being lost.
Burned out persons, as a result, would be prone to substance abuse and thoughts of suicide.
The physical symptoms are more pronounced: Poor coordination, inability of muscles to recover from exertion, excess fatigue, disrupted sleep, altered menstrual cycle, headaches and compromised immune response.
Paula Thomson, co-director of the Performance Psychophysiology Laboratory at California State University Northridge, affirmed that performing artists experience physical and emotional exhaustion that would lead to burnout:
“They typically practice or rehearse for long hours, they must exert intense concentration during these sessions, and they are continually scrutinized for performance excellence. These conditions can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion.”
“Like mental health workers, performers are vulnerable to emotional exhaustion, a factor that is considered a key component leading to burnout. Emotional exhaustion is characterized by increased cynicism, callousness, dehumanizing perceptions, or flatness.”
Geronimo has previously expressed that she felt “empty” during her concert. According to her, “I have been asking myself, ‘Bakit I feel empty?'”
I have been asking myself, ‘Bakit I feel empty?’
Thomson also warned artists of having an “obsessional passion” to their craft if they love it too much.
She wrote, “Unfortunately, if they are driven by an obsessional passion, they are at a much higher risk for burnout, as well as the negative associated effects of fatigue and overuse syndromes.”
