3 Tips for Managing Concert Anxiety

If you feel an unsettling twist in your stomach around crowds, you might also experience anxiety at concerts. Although this feeling is common, it can leave you with a sense of loneliness, especially in a venue where everyone seems to be having a good time. Fortunately, there are plenty of coping skills to lessen the physical sensations and thoughts that come with anxiety. If you’re unfamiliar with these tools, trying them out might bring comfort and help ease your anxiety at the moment so you can focus on the artist’s performance.

1. Communicate with your friends and family

Though concerts tend to be safe environments, it’s good to prepare with safety precautions. If you’re attending with a group of friends, stick with them, and if possible, let them know about your anxiety. This way, they can be extra considerate of what you might be feeling. For added support, have the location on your phone turned on for friends and family. After the show, check in on your friends and family in case of emergencies.

2. Pack a Coping Skills Kit

If you’ve never tried making a coping skill kit, it’s a perfect time to create one. A kit like this looks different for everyone—some people might have a list in their notes app of breathing techniques to use in case of an anxiety attack. In comparison, others might have a physical kit with a snack that brings comfort and noise-canceling headphones. Put anything small that brings you relief in this kit, and carry it with you.

3. Practice self-care before and at the show

Preparing ahead of time can also ease emotions. Meditation is a great daily practice, but life gets busy, and sometimes we forget self-care. Before a concert, try meditating for five minutes with a guided YouTube video. Repeating an affirmation before and during a show if anxiety arises can lessen the sensations. One affirmation to try is: “I’m okay. I’m fine, and it’s all just in my mind.”

If you already know that you might feel distressed during the show, staying on the outside of the pit rather than in the middle can easily give you an exit plan. It’s important to remember you can always leave, and it’s not the end of the world—you can always see the artist again. Your mental health is most important. Concerts are supposed to be fun, so prepare in advance and enjoy the moment. Living in the present shows us beauty, but more importantly, a connection we didn’t realize existed.