Post-event blues… what are they and how do we deal with them?
A STORY TO SHARE
Some years ago, I was in the States and I was gonna speak for the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce.
It was a big thing for me to travel and have a talk somewhere in the middle of nowhere…
And I had arranged with the lady holding the event that she would come and get me at this specific time in the evening…
And past 15, then 30 minutes after the agreed time – nobody’s still coming.
I sent messages and called until she finally got back to me and said:
“Oh, I didn’t think we were in a hurry. I’ve been here at this location and we’re all fine so I’ll come and get you in a little while.” And I was like, “what happened to our agreed-upon time?”
Fast forward to where I already got picked up, and all of us have settled at the place where we’re supposed to stay… and the day that I presented.
THE DAY OF MY PRESENTATION
I did my presentation, sold a few books, and went back to my hotel.
Then… It was quite late in the evening, and I was exhausted, really really exhausted because there had been so much tension – when she didn’t come to get me on time, other things after that, and then the presentation itself.
Went to bed straight away and fell asleep.
THE MORNING AFTER
The morning after my presentation…I surprisingly felt so depressed.
I just cried for so long feeling so low. Went down to the lobby to get breakfast, brought it up to the room, and just continued crying while not really understanding what was going on.
WHAT I DID DURING THE BLUES
I sent a message to my speaker mentor, saying I don’t know what was happening and what was going on but that I was just sooo sad and I received the response that it was all normal and advised me to just relax, take a walk, and all will be fine.
IT’S ALL NORMAL
Who’d have thought that it was such a relief to hear from him that it was all normal and that I wasn’t going crazy, and not really depressed in that sense?
And that what I was feeling was just all normal – a reaction because of all the tension that I was feeling the day before.
Now, going to the real deal…
HOW CAN WE MANAGE POST-EVENT BLUES?
1. Be Grateful
According to studies, gratitude thinking can substantially shift our thought patterns from negative to positive, causing a surge of feel-good hormones and even helping us foster more positive connections.
So every day when you wake up, try to start your day with gratitude. Be grateful for the simple fact you woke up that day, and at the end of your day, think of 3 things you’re grateful for that day.
2. Set aside time to relax immediately after your performance.
It may or may not sound cliche to some, but taking the time to relax after your performance and the event is a must.
Sit down, breathe, and relax.
3. Check your notes while they’re fresh.
Read the feedback, and take notes while they’re fresh. Say after your performance, reflect and jot down what went well and what you could have done better – doing this will make it clear right here and there and will give you the feeling that you know you did well and can always do better next time.
4. Be sure to wrap things up properly
I know how tempting it is to just jump right away onto your next project or things to do, but never forget the importance of being able to properly wrap the event.
Leaving a good ending is vital for both the audience and you. You know they’ll remember, and also you won’t end up stressing about how you forgot to do things necessary – things like invoices, contracts, the things you need to bring. Things like this can trigger you to break down when forgotten.
5. Interact with friends and family
You probably didn’t have that much time to connect with people during the preparation, so after your performance is the right time to interact with them. Treat them to coffee and celebrate, or just let them know you did well. Get in touch and it will help you feel better.
6. Treat it as a learning experience
Remember that every opportunity you get is an opportunity to learn. Write down, reflect, plan on how you could do better next time, and bring home the lessons together with the experience.
You know how they say experience is the best teacher, right?
7. Go back to your daily routine
When you’re preparing for things, this is one of the first things you get to sacrifice. After the event, it’s now time to re-introduce yourself to your routines.
Maybe you haven’t been exercising or watching your favorite shows anymore, or going for that quick walk or run outside – it’s now time to go back to the things you enjoy.
So when you’ve finally re-adjusted again… it’s time to:
8. Create new goals
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” – Benjamin Franklin.
Planning and setting up new goals is great for motivating yourself to take the road you just took but this time better and stronger, whether that is another event or just individual goals outside of work.
GET HELP IF YOU NEED
If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own – get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support.
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To your success and keep smiling,
