With more artists performing at concerts and touring around the world, more than likely you’ve been to a concert or want to go to one. Going to my first ever concert a few weeks ago, it was the absolute best experience I’ve ever had that just made everything else sad in comparison. This sadness, however, is something that may take weeks to fade and can be one of the most heartbreaking moments following the event. You guessed it: post concert depression.

Post concert depression is characterized by the ultimate sadness following the joy of being at a concert. The energy, the cheers of the crowd, the opportunity to see your favorite artist, just being able to feel the rush of feeling the beat of the music and craziness in the air. But all of this comes crashing down the moment the artist says goodbye and people are rushing to their cars to leave the hectic post-concert traffic from the venue. That is post-concert depression. But to all of this to say, I’m here to help you with a few tips on how to cope with the sadness in order to get back to the reality of school, work, or whatever you may be doing on a standard day.

1. Re-watch clips of the artist
Being able to find clips on Youtube, Tiktok, or videos you recorded from the concert gives some ability to relive the moment of seeing them in person. Although the music may not feel the same and it just doesn’t satisfy the craving of being in a stadium, it starts the slow process of realizing that you cannot see them again in real life until the next concert you may or may not be going to. Harsh statement, but it is a tough reality that you have to accept in part of the acceptance process.

2. Re-listen to the entire set-list
More than likely, you’ll be able to find the entire set-list for the concert either online or through Spotify. If not, your true fan knowledge can help you rebuild the entire set-list to relive the experience after leaving the venue. Again, it won’t feel the same but being able to re-listen to the music provides comfort in knowing that the artist and their music is still with you in some way. As an extra bonus, if you have a phone with the live listen function, using the live listen with earbuds in provides an extra sensitivity to all of the noises and is as close as you can get to the concert experience from home! It makes everything a little bit louder than your usual listening experience and can be watched with clips from the concert to be back in the moment.

3. Buy concert merch and live in it (pre-concert tip)
This tip really depends on whether you bought concert merchandise at the concert or not, but is really recommended in order to keep a physical item as a memento. Sure you can take photos, polaroids (depending on the venue), or save wristbands, but nothing beats having a hoodie, shirt, bucket hat, or pin that you can wear anytime to wrap yourself in whenever you feel the desire to go back. It’s really a hit or miss if you are able to get merch before it sells out, and it may be really pricey depending on the popularity of the artist, but it really is an underrated tip that people come to regret when the concert is over and need something to hug after having the sadness sink in.

4. Make plans for the days following
As for me personally, the day after the concert, I had a practice exam for AP testing which may not have been the way to go. But regardless of that, make time to have plans with your friends and family! If you are able to stack enough tasks and plans, you will slowly forget the sadness and instead remember it as a good memory to look back on. Whether it’s studying for the testing season or just spending quality time with friends, look for events to take your mind off of the concert for a while so you can forget and come back when you want to recall the happy feelings.

Having gone through post-concert depression myself, it has been the toughest battle when realizing I have to prepare for AP exams. Nevertheless, don’t forget that going to the concert was to enjoy the artist’s music and overall just making good memories to look back on. Hopefully these tips will prevent you from succumbing to the feeling of sadness and tackle post-concert depression at its core.