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Whether you were there for Taylor Swift’s seemingly never-ending tour in Singapore or you were lucky enough to score a ticket to Bruno Mars’ concert, there’s almost no better feeling than singing your heart out, along with your favourite performer on stage.
Yet, this feeling of bliss turns into blues once the lights come up, and the show is over. This emotional change is loosely termed Post Concert Blues; and in this article, we’ll delve into why Post Concert Blues may happen, and coping strategies to help you get over this feeling of melancholia.
What is Post Concert Blues?
Post Concert Blues describes the crashing of your emotions when a concert ends – especially one that you’ve been really looking forward to. While there’s no clinical definition available, it does share a slight overlap in terms of symptoms for depression.
This can take the form of a slump; and common symptoms of Post Concert Blues include:
- Feeling disconnected from your daily life
- Feeling a lack of motivation or interest in any activities
- Having trouble concentrating or focusing on your tasks
- Feeling melancholy and empty
- Prolonged feelings of sadness
Typically, this gloomy mood may last for a few days (or even up to a week), and should eventually go away on its own.
Why does Post Concert Blues happen?
Despite Post Concert Blues not being an actual medical diagnosis, the phenomenon does have a scientific explanation.
During huge, exciting events that we’ve been looking forward to (such as the concert of our beloved musicians), our brains start to increase the production of endorphins and dopamine. These chemicals are known as ‘feel good’ chemicals as they elevate our mood, and make us feel excited and happy.
However, when the concert ends, the levels of these chemicals fall in our brain — and this can result in a plummeting of our moods. The contrast between our initial high feeling during the concert and the crash we feel can indeed make Post Concert Blues seem like an intense experience.
Post Concert Blues may even be worsened if we don’t have anything else that we’re looking forward to on the horizon. The lack of plans can make life feel rather empty or purposeless; and these feelings may end up persisting for more than a couple of days.
What can we do to decrease the feeling of Post Concert Blues?
Although the feeling of Post Concert Blues will subside on their own, there are some things you can do to cope with what you’re feeling. These are just some tips that you can adopt, to help you feel better.
Relive the memories
Looking through your old photos and videos can help to soften the sting of the performance being over. Spend an evening or two sorting through the media you’d collected during the concert, and let yourself relive the concert. Try journaling, so that you have a record of all your special memories too.
Reflect on your experience
Whether you’ve chosen to journal or not, take some time to reflect on your experience and everything that had happened on the concert day. By doing this, you can identify what it was about the event that had delighted you so. Perhaps it was the excitement of the crowd or the anticipation leading up to your favourite singer coming on stage? Pin-point these moments of happiness, and think about how you can bring the same energy and sources of happiness into your own daily life.
Connect with others
Exchanging stories about the concert with your friends or fellow fans can help alleviate the feelings of Post Concert Blues. Talk about your favourite moments or unexpected things that had happened during the performance. It doesn’t have to be a physical conversation; you can search up fan communities online and connect with fans in these spaces too.
Engaging in these conversations can help you to both relive the experience and process what had happened; and may even lead to a few new friendships with fans who are feeling the same way that you are.
(Of course, if you’re connecting with anyone online, don’t forget to practise internet safety; such as avoid revealing personal identifiable information about yourself.)
Engage in your hobbies
While you may be feeling listless and tired when experiencing Post Concert Blues, try not to neglect your other interests or hobbies. Maintain the same routine you have: whether it’s going for an evening jog or working on a crochet project. This helps to take your mind off your melancholy and can distract you from your Post Concert Blues. Additionally, engaging in activities that you like can be a mood-booster, and help you feel better in general.
Be kind to yourself
Lastly, getting over your Post Concert Blues can take a little bit of time – so be patient with yourself. At the same time, try not to wallow in your sadness and let these feelings pass on their own. If it helps, make plans for something that you’ll look forward to, so that you have your mind fixed on something in the future as well.
Is Post Concert Blues something to worry about?
It’s a natural phenomenon to experience some sort of low, after the high of an exhilarating experience. For most of us, Post Concert Blues typically fade after a week or so.
However, like we mentioned before, the symptoms of Post Concert Blues does overlap with clinical depression. If you find that your symptoms persist for more than two weeks, or if you find that they’re growing more intense in nature, you may want to seek professional help to cope with what you’re feeling. Although not a diagnosis, these persistent feelings could be a sign of your mental health – and it’d be good for you to get more specialised support.
Try reaching out to a trained counsellor or psychologist, like any one on our lovely team; speaking to them can if you’d like with your mental health.
References
- https://www.healthline.com/health/post-concert-depression
- https://sundayscaries.com/blogs/all/post-concert-depression
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/post-concert-depression
- https://www.choosingtherapy.com/post-concert-depression/
- https://www.businessinsider.com/6-ways-to-combat-post-concert-depression-according-to-psychologist-2023-8
- https://www.hercampus.com/school/ufl/the-reality-behind-post-concert-blues/
- https://medicalchannelasia.com/life-after-coldplay-coping-with-post-concert-depression/
