When you come back from an incredible festival, sometimes you feel like you’re the best you’ve ever felt. You’re on that festival high and it can feel like a combination of any of the following things: you feel like you’re in flow, you’re more outgoing, you let go of your default world problems, you laugh a lot more and vibing is just easier. But also, you’re not. You’re groggy and you’re irritable. The lack of sleep plus coming down off of everything you ingested can throw you into a deep dark hole... And not a fun hole nor a k-hole. Festivaling is like a marathon, not a sprint. Especially if you already have a lifestyle built around going to festivals, you know that taking care of yourself during and in between events are going to save you from getting burnt out. I mean, festivaling is not all rainbows and butterflies - it can be a lot! Festivals have a way of testing your friendships, throwing your body out of whack, and putting you in extreme states of emotions and stress on your body and mind. But the highs are just so worth it!
These are all a matter of preference, of course, but here are my do’s and don’t’s for recovering from a festival. Decompression can look different for different people!
DO:
Let yourself get some good restful sleep. Call on all your sleep work horses - you know which ones work best for you. I personally love some CBD and teas that support sleep, like passion flower, valerian, chamomile, and of course lavender.
Eat a nourishing meal. I love soup, stews or a home cooked meal with veggies while recovering from a festival. A good meal perks me right up and helps me not feel so depleted from being out in the elements for the last several days.
Enjoy the company of your friends. Friends who decomp together, stay together (just kidding, not really, not always). Don't be shy about saying no however. I am an introvert so I need alone time after a festival to be able to recharge. However, having a movie sleepover with friends can be exactly what I need to relieve some of the grumpiness that I might feel! Netflix and chill, it is!
I love a good spa day. If you’re feeling bougie, book yourself a massage and scrub. We love Korean spas for this. Being able to enjoy a sauna or steam room is an incredible way to detox! If this doesn’t tickle your fancy, then maybe putting on a korean face mask, taking an epsom salt bath, or sticking on some icy hot to your lower back would be another great idea!
Get some exercise in. I love yoga for its ability to help detox and get my energetic body moving. Doing some breathwork helps bring in some fresh prana, the life-force energy, in. Getting in my body and finding ways to harmonize the connection between my body, mind and spirit always helps me ground myself back again into reality. Some people also enjoy tai chi, running, circuit training or just going out on walks. The added benefit of all this is sweating out toxins through your skin!
Look out for a decompression event or party. I miss the music and the vibes when I’m back home and being able to go to an event with some DJs I enjoy is sometimes the perfect remedy for me! It helps me break up the routine of having to do laundry and clean my festival gear too. It’s another nice way to rally your fellow festival friends so you all can ease your way back to reality, instead of it being cold turkey!
DON’T:
Avoid retoxing too much while you’re detoxing. When you’re coming down from a festival, it can feel really shitty. Your body is processing out a lot and is also trying to recover a lot. It’s no wonder your mind is also going through the wringer. It might “make sense” to wean off, but at some point, letting your body do its recovery thing will get you back on your feet.
Don’t be a dick. Just because the festival is over doesn’t mean that you get to become a huge dick after the fact. Everyone is tired and everyone wants to go home to sleep. Everyone has things and people to take care of, including themselves. Give yourself ample time for what you need to do so you don’t all of a sudden step on other people to get what you want. Practice patience even with yourself. Recovery can take a week, a month or even longer for some people!
Don’t make any big decisions or leave things too up to chance! I say “too up to chance” because while I believe in synchronicity, I also believe in being responsible for yourself. You’re definitely in an altered state of mind when you’re back from a festival. And sometimes you are faced with an opportunity or an obligation to do something. It can be really easy to say yes or even let some things slide that you in your right mind have some discomfort towards.
On the off chance that you had a terrible festival experience, avoid placing blame on others or yourself. Reflect on what you learned rather than draw negativity and start projecting it onto your future experiences or your friends. There is a learning curve to attending festivals and you will eventually learn what you need to bring with you or what resources you need to make your experience the ideal experience for you. It’s really easy to neglect your needs at these kinds of events because well, FOMO. But it could be worth starting a list while it’s fresh in your mind of what you can do better next time.
A good festival can make me feel like my best self for a while. There is a particular magic that can happen when I integrate these parts of myself into the default world. Just because you're not physically at the festival grounds doesn’t mean you can’t vibe the way that you did there. It can get really easy getting caught up in the rat race, deadlines or client meetings. I try to do my due diligence to make sure I can support the longevity of being able to enjoy festivals, which includes recovering well from them so that I can carry forth with the benefits of what I’ve gained from attending a festival. The way in which I recovered from a festival has evolved quite a bit as I got older and learned the limitations of my lifestyle and body, so don’t feel like you need to stick to this list! Some people have Energizer Bunny-like stamina, and some are good with one festival a year. Whatever you choose to do or partake in, make sure you listen to what you need and what your body needs!