Once you've learned how to make your own actions, using batch edit is what will really speed things up.  Go to File -> Automate -> Batch, and the Batch window will show up.  This will let you set the action to perform on either all the images open in photoshop, or an entire folder that you choose. 

1.  Set: choose the folder your action is in.

2. Actions: choose your action

3.  Source: choose what images you want worked on.  If you choose "folder" be sure to set the folder you want used.

4.  Destination: choose what you want to happen after the action has been performed.  You can select folder to place the changed images into a new folder, which you must set.

Hit "OK".  It may take photoshop a while to run the batch.