Con crunches, over working and other looming deadlines can cause serious stress and burnout for cosplayers. If you’re feeling the pain of that stress while trying to create costumes and content, you may be in dire need of a break. These tips for dealing with cosplay burnout can help you better manage the stress in a guilt free way so you don’t lose that spark for costumes and still achieve the things you need to.
Tips for Managing Cosplay Stress & Burnout
- Switch projects – Sometimes novelty can help avoid burn out. Try to switch between different costumes and props, or switch between crafting techniques like from sewing to foam. This can help ignite excitement.
- Reconnect with your inspiration – Either replay the game or rewatch the movie or show that originally inspired the costume. That way you can reconnect with why you started the cosplay in the first place and see if you can feel reinspired.
- Do a “for fun” cosplay – Your cosplays can start to feel like work as you focus on commissions, sponsorships and more. Try to make time on a costume that is just for you to have a good time. That will help break up the feeling of always working.
- Step away – Taking breaks is vital and not something you should feel guilty for. Your worth as a cosplayer or content creator is not measured by constant productivity. Take time for breaks to avoid burnout.
- Aim for small wins – No matter how small the accomplishment feels, it’s worth working toward and celebrating. Having a bite sized task to focus on instead of the goal being an entire costume can feel more achievable and will enable you to celebrate more victories.
- Have realistic goals – Con crunching isn’t a good idea to avoid burnout. So set realistic goals with timelines that can actually be achieved. Having a cosplan can help you achieve this.
- Celebrate progress – Your end result isn’t the only thing to be excited about. You also should celebrate the progress you made. Share your WIPs, struggles and appreciate everything you learned along the way.
- Clean your work space – A messy workshop can make it hard to work or leave you feeling overwhelmed. Take time to tidy up your work space to make it easier to work without clutter or stress.
- Avoid comparing – It can be easy to compare yourself to other cosplayers on social media. Try to avoid doing this because it’s dooming you to feel bad about your progress and skills. Everyone’s journey and skills are different and that’s ok.
- Have other hobbies – Only having one hobby can make it easier to be burned out by it. Find other things to do besides cosplaying. That way you can take breaks from it that actually feel like something different. Then you can go back to cosplaying feeling recharged.