What is the "Festival Blues"?

Have you ever heard of the "Festival Blues" and the "Post-Concert depression"? It is not a mental diagnosis, although it is a thing that really exist. From these bubbly and rosy feelings during and right after the festival/concert.... Towards feeling completely drained the day(s) after. Physically drained, emotionally exhausted, sad, empty and even questioning the purpose of life. These feelings can linger for a few days up to a few weeks. So, what is exactly happening? Why is this a phenomenon? And how to adjust to get back into the routine of life?

Festivalists know the feeling: The festival/concert has ended: It was amazing. It was as if you could enter a new dimension. And suddenly, it is over. You go home, might or might not get some sleep. And then... The clock tells you what time and day it is. Was it all real? Or was it an imaginative story? You're faced with the constraints like family, work, school and what people expect of you. It is a big smack in the face.

Why is this happening? What is the secret of festivals and concerts?

A Festival/Concert brings people together as a community.
When operating in life, people's connection is mostly focussed on a small group of friends, family and co-workers. Most of this lifestyle is spent in isolating situations and conditions.
When visititing a festival/concert, there is the opportunity to meet all different types of people and connect with them on the same level. This is out of the ordinary!
 It is quite a contrast with the daily lifestyle.

In anthropology - people have lived in small tribes, communities and villages along in the human existence. In the past 300 years or so, people have been living in the big cities as individuals. It might be that people are trying to get back to this touch of social connections, through that festival/concert experience. Or it might be the mission of a festival/concert to keep the world back in it's original place and guides the nature of human beings.

A Festival/Concert encourages play-elements
From an cultural point of view: The festival/concert plays a part besides the normal daily lifestyle. And so, the "game" is set within it's own timeframe and settings - according to Johann Huizinga, the founder of modern cultural history. Play has a beginning and an ending. Meanwhile, the festival can continue the next year/repeat itself, which is essential for a "game". Every game has it's own playground as well (the location), which collects it's own terrain, rules and formalities. It is almost like a different dimension, although there is a certain order. Also, it can lead to a new clubformation.
- No wonder why we feel like a spoilsport when leaving the "game" -

A game is mostly execptional and diviant and so it creates a feeling of "this is ours, and not for others". Within the game and the vibe of the game, the rules of daily life doesn't belong there. We are and we behave "differently". The difference and the secret of the game are hidden in a kind of masking "playing" another persona.

A Festival/Concert encourages self-expression and individuality:
A festival/concert is a representation of something. It literally "shows" what it is about, with shows and performances. It is almost like a holy vision of something important, although in a form of "play" (in daily life this wouldn't fit). The performances are played in a 'playful' way as well. It is something mystical, something aesthetic, something invisible and beautiful at the same time. It is almost like a feast, until the next feast will be celebrated - tradition.

The festival/concert has a stage for self-expression and identification plays a part.
The festivals/concerts create a facilitating role: You don't really have anything else to do - you can interact freely with eachother. There is a lot of "free-play". Festivalists can experiment and display new parts of their self that they surpress during their normal lives. Also, anybody can do everything and you're accepted for that. All this positive feedback from the festivalists, gives three posibilities: They are accepting you, nobody is critiquing you and by that you can do whatever you want. 

A Festival/Concert creates a "loop" of energy
As we look at the social aspect of it, sociologist Émile Durkheim calls it: "Collective effervescence." It's like this invisible force that uplifts everyone out of their seat during a game. Everybody is tuned into the same frequency as the band/speaker on stage and everyone around them. It is an instant interaction of energy between the band/speaker and the crowd that creates a feedback or loop of energy. A shared experience.

Photo Attribution: Frederik Merten / Unsplash

Festivals/Concerts (Events) create this temporary community that is socially, physically and experimentally seperate from daily life. When festivalists leave the scene, they leave that part behind. It is a part of yourself, a period of time that you can't take with you in the next days ahead. In this way people start to get disconnected.

Festivalists can feel dissapointed and yearn for these pleasurable emotions that they have experienced during the event.
It comes down to two reasons:
1. The amount of endorphins and dopamines, the chemicals in the brain, rise up during pleasurable activities and drop down when these activities end: A biological reaction.
2. The preparation and expectations have been build-up and can lead to dissapointments. It feels like your life orients around the event. People might have spend hours planning and anticipating/visualise the event. And when the event is over, after the 'achievement' there is a hole/void. People may feel unable to enjoy their daily life.

There is hope. These feelings may ease with time. For some it can take 1-2 days, for some a week or two. When it takes longer, it might be wise to contact a family doctor to check-in or a mental health professional for underlying issues. Check-in with yourself for the following signs:

• Feeling sad or empty

• Disinterest in activities & social interactions

• Trouble concentrating or making decisions

• Feeling worthless

• Feeling tired or lacking in energy

• Having trouble sleeping

• Changes in appetit
  

Knowing that people can experience lows after festivals/concerts may help them prepare for it.
Think about what you can do for yourself to understand this feeling/switch and take action.
To guide these levels of energy, it is like creating a soft landing of energy, a count-down.
It can be creating a boost for the endorphin levels by taking a walk outside or exercising. It can be to eat healthy and avoid high sugar foods to prevent more ups and downs. Remember to drink water and get hydrated, get enough sleep and catch some sunlight if possible.

There is also this shared experience loss. There are ways to deal with that too! Simply said create a physical or online photo collage or write down your experiences in a journal. Or, connect with other participants either in person or online.

Talking about the concert and sharing memories can help to remember the positive aspect of the event and the reasons why people wanted to go in the first place. It can even create new ideas to plan for another event or something to look forward to next time.

Recognize that this, too, shall pass
This quote mostly helps me to make the switch to daily life. Even so, creating space for these feelings are important to process it. Even so to remember that this is part of the post-festival/concert days. If you can accept the letdown for what it is, it tends to pass more quickly. Tell people about it, spread the knowledge, tell eachother: I have.... the Festival Blues.