Ah, Anime convention fatigue.
If you’ve been cosplaying for a while, then you know Anime conventions can be exhausting physically and mentally. However, there is also another phenomenon; Anime convention fatigue. If you’ve been going to conventions for the longest time, then you’ve probably have felt this.
Anime convention fatigue is when you feel tired and unmotivated from attending all the cons you’ve been going to. It’s kind of like burnout from Anime cons. You can also experience fatigue during the convention as well. You have no desire to attend another convention or to work on your cosplay. You may even think about quitting this hobby!
But not to fear; there are solutions and techniques to deal with Anime convention fatigue. If you are feeling the effects of fatigue, then this post will help you. I’ll give you tips on how to achieve balance between cosplaying/being a congoer and getting enough rest so you’re ready for the next convention.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Be realistic with your convention expectations
I feel like most of the time, we experience Anime convention fatigue because we try to do too much during the weekend. There are so many things to do at an Anime convention and we want to experience it all. But unfortunately, it’s impossible to experience everything at a con. Some activities may be scheduled at the same time, and others may be far away from each other. If you try to do every single thing at an Anime convention, then you’ll for sure experience burnout.
What I suggest is planning out your Anime convention weekend in advance. Usually the convention organizers release their schedule about a week or two before the actual event. When this happens, you can go ahead and decide which events/activities at the convention you want to attend. When you carefully plan out your weekend in advance, you can avoid Anime convention fatigue and be realistic with your schedule.
Which leads me to my next point…
Give yourself lots of breaks
While you’ll be motivated to try to see and do as much as you can, it’s important to give yourself lots of breaks during an Anime convention. I myself forget to do this! I try to do too much and I definitely feel it physically and mentally when I overexert myself. So my suggestion is to schedule in a time when you can take a break from the Anime convention. It can be during a period where there isn’t much going on, or when it’s time to eat.
For me, I like to schedule a long break in the middle of the afternoon. Usually there isn’t much that interests me during a Saturday afternoon of a convention, and that’s also a good time to grab some food and drinks before the evening activities.
Also feel free to schedule shorter breaks in between your convention activities. It can be as simple as sitting down at a panel or video game room and taking a 10-20 minute break.
Trust me, taking breaks during a convention is really important and does wonders for you. You will feel a lot more stamina to continue congoing. So don’t forget!
Avoid Con Crunch
Now here is something that will definitely contribute to con fatigue; Con Crunching. If you didn’t know, Con Crunch is when you try to finish your cosplay last-minute and stay up all night and all day to get it done before the convention happens. Some cosplayers even work on their costumes at the actual convention! If you want to learn more about what Con Crunching is and how to avoid it, click here to read my guide.
But in general, you want to avoid Con Crunch. Not only will procrastinating and staying up all night will sap you of your energy, but you’ll probably lose all your motivation and enjoyment of Anime conventions. I can tell you from experience that being sleep-deprived during a convention is such a terrible feeling. This easily leads to Anime convention fatigue.
So when it comes to Con Crunch, either work on your cosplay well in advance or save it for a future convention.
Set aside a budget for each Anime convention
You might think that finances have nothing to do with Anime convention fatigue. But having to worry about how much money you’re spending can definitely affect your enjoyment at a convention. It’s important to be aware of how much you spend and put limits on the money you will use during the con.
What I suggest is deciding in advance how much you want to spend. By planning this out in advance, you won’t have to worry so much about money during your convention weekend and have everything taken care of. Here are a few categories where you may spend money on:
- Food
- Vendor/dealer’s room
- Cosplay
- Hotel
- Transportation (to and from the convention)
You don’t have to attend every convention
Last but not least, you should know that you don’t need to attend every single Anime convention you may be interested in! It’s always tempting to try to be all the conventions, especially if they’re in your local area. The FOMO is real! But it’s okay to skip some of them. Spending money, planning your activities and preparing your cosplays for a bunch of conventions can definitely be exhausting!
I feel like most people only go to an Anime convention maybe once or twice a year. So don’t feel obligated to attend them all. Pick and choose 1-2 conventions you’d really want to attend and stick to those. If you have the energy and finances to attend more, then go ahead. But if you don’t, then it’s okay to skip some.
And there you have it; a complete guide on dealing with Anime convention fatigue! It happens to the best of us.
But with the right approach and using the strategies and methods mentioned in this article, you can easily deal with fatigue to ensure you have the motivation and enjoyment for Anime conventions!
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below.
My name is Roger Senpai. I’m a cosplayer that’s been in the community for well over a decade now. I’ve traveled all over the world to Anime and Comic conventions and hosted my own cosplay events. Now I’m writing articles for new and experienced cosplayers like you to help inspire, save you money and improve your cosplays!
