How to Handle Post Con Depression

Let’s face it, leaving a convention and going back to your regular life is a heartbreaking event for every cosplayer. All the excitement of the panels, food, shopping, and meeting new people fades away as you pack up those last two wigs into your suitcase and prepare to check out of the hotel. Below I have provided some tips on how to handle this fleeting post con depression.

1. Binging your favorite shows.

Now, this one seems obvious but binging Netflix or Crunchyroll can help get you excited for new cosplays or just pass the time. I know I get excited watching new anime and deciding what character(s) I want to cosplay from the show.

2. Get started on preparing for the next convention.

If conventions are something you attend often, getting started on a new cosplay for the next convention is a good way to keep yourself from feeling down in the dumps. Seeing your costume come together will keep you motivated and excited. Though working on cosplay can get stressful, I’ve had a few breakdowns because of failed work myself, but once you see your finished piece is just as exciting as putting it on at the convention itself.

3. Cosplay work parties.

Like I stated above, creating something new is exciting. Being able to work on a new costume with your friends is much more fun, though. I like to get my friends together in my apartment and creating a circle of sewing machines at the table and a painting station at another table. It keeps people entertained and less lonely than they would be were they doing everything alone.

4. Cosplay meetups or photo-shoots.

Maybe you buy your costumes or don’t feel like making anything new for a while but still want to join in on the fun. Cosplay meetups are the perfect way to do that. People from all over come to these to have fun when there are no cons to attend or if they can’t afford to go to a convention.

Photo-shoots are another good excuse to get into cosplay. Along with getting an excuse to put on the costume, you also get good photos (assuming the photographer is good, that is.) What’s better than getting some high-quality photos and spending the day doing what you love?

5. Create other content with your cosplays.

I am part of a cosplay group called Fruit Cider Cosplay. When the eight of us aren’t at cons or doing any of the above we are creating cosplay music videos. It is very simple to set up a YouTube account and begin making your own videos. You can do cosplay tutorials such as makeup or how to create certain objects, you can film skits and original content. There is also a chance that you can create anything you want as long as you’re having fun! You get to wear your cosplays and walk around as the character you’re dressed as. Learning new dances or lyrics to be able to lip sync is always a great joy for everyone in our group and it might be fun for you, too! Post con depression is real!

Whatever you decide to do to beat your post con depression, know that you’re not alone. We all miss the new friends, especially those that live too far away to see outside of con. We all miss the exciting atmosphere. Keep busy and do what you need to beat that funk you’re in.

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