There’s nothing fairly like the joy of a music competition.
When you arrive and arrange camp, you would possibly sit with associates and plan out all the varied stuff you need to do and see all through your time there. Then, whether or not you follow the plan or end up on one other journey, you already know it’s positive to be a time value speaking about later.
With so many wonderful issues to do, typically we discover ourselves caught up within the ‘should hold going’ mindset and placing self care behind our minds whereas we expertise what the competition has to supply. This mindset, mixed with lack of sleep, meals, or fundamental self care, can shortly result in burnout and finish with you mentally and typically bodily collapsing.
Operating the match at each ends is simple to do with a lot pleasure occurring. Here’s how you can make the most of your festival experience while feeling your best.
Self care at a music competition means many issues.
It means various things to completely different individuals, and various things at completely different occasions. Let’s begin with the fundamentals: meals and water.
When my associates and I first began festivaling, we’d pack sufficient meals for every week. After just a few festivals, we found a tough reality, which was that we weren’t consuming any of it! The very fact of the matter is, if you end up out and about, partaking in numerous actions, and having a good time all evening lengthy…. Meals might turn out to be a second thought.
The important thing to creating positive you eat at festivals is to be reasonable about what you might be bringing, how your surroundings would possibly affect what you’ll want to eat, and whether or not you’ll really eat it. Determine what works for you (typically this takes trial and error at completely different festivals) and when you do, follow that.
For instance, I’ve discovered that packing pre-chopped fruit and berries for when meals simply doesn’t sound good is an effective way to get in some vitamins and hydration. Granola bars for fast carbs and protein are important objects in a daypack whenever you’re out and about. And I like to hit Dealer Joe’s earlier than the competition to purchase just a few pre-made wraps and salads for a fast, nutritious, gentle meal at camp earlier than kicking off the day.
Generally, consuming feels like the very last thing we need to do. Simply bear in mind it’s important to sustaining your vitality and conserving complications and hangovers at bay, so find what works for you to make it happen.
It’s not unusual for a mimosa breakfast or Bloody Mary bar at brunch to make you overlook in regards to the good outdated H2O from the second you wake till you’re passing out at evening. Save your self from the insufferable battle to your life that occurs at 6 am whenever you’re in search of a water bottle, begin the day with a tall glass of water (actually).
I prefer to kick it up a notch by including in Liquid IV for additional hydration. Be sure to are consuming water all through the day, and at all times have some on you to affect you even additional to remain hydrated. Dancing within the warmth, respiration within the mud, and when you select to, ingesting alcohol, will knock you out at 5 pm actual fast—UNLESS you deal with your self and keep hydrated.
Maybe one of many greatest struggles on the fest will probably be that between letting your self relaxation and the cruel FOMO chances are you’ll expertise when you just do that.
Nevertheless, I can promise you that bodily being there after being up for twenty-four hours is NOT the identical as bodily, mentally, and wholly being there after getting some sleep. Now, I’m not saying you want a full 8 hours an evening (however when you handle to get that—good on you!), however take heed to your physique and take what you want.
One other secret from competition veterans is the great ol’ disco nap. You already know what I’m speaking about— that mid-day nap you are taking when the remainder of your folks are out dancing the afternoon away. It’s a standard incidence to return again to camp at 5 pm to search out your buddy crawling out of their tent after getting a fast 2 hour nap.
Then earlier than you already know it…
They’re totally prepared to go out to the ten pm headliner when you are downing stimulants (espresso, duh!) to pull your self there within the outfit you’ve had on since 10 am.. All I’m saying is one in all these individuals could make it to the after-after get together with full vitality reserves, whereas the opposite would possibly find yourself knocked out at 5 pm the subsequent day and lacking the entire final day of the competition (if it sound like I’m talking from expertise….it’s as a result of I’m!).
Lastly, festivals are stuffed with all types of psychological, visible, and auditory stimulants, in each type, all over the place you look. Generally, it would simply be time to sit back, take a breath, and take a while to recenter your self. This would possibly imply waking up early and bringing your espresso over to the hillside to observe the sundown earlier than the day begins.
This might additionally imply becoming a member of a yoga session to maneuver and stretch after an evening stuffed with enjoyable and being in your ft. Or it might simply imply laying down a blanket behind the gang and watching the stage performers whereas fading out and in of a nap.
While it’s easy to be all go-go-go, it’s just as vital to invite in the chill. Relaxation is the easiest way to prioritize your self throughout any competition. Prioritize your self care and watch how your expertise turns from wonderful to completely every thing you hoped it could be…and extra!
