By Ade Ramos

THIS JUST IN: your addiction to raving and festivals can actually be good for you. I repeat, going to raves, concerts, and festivals can be good for your well-being and it’s backed by research.

A recent study by UK music venue, O2, concluded that spending 20 minutes at a concert “can lead to a 21 percent increase in [a] feeling of well-being”. Even better news for us ravers is that we are spending way more than 20 minutes. The research even went as far as saying by regularly attending festivals and concerts can extend your life by nine YEARS. Here is how live music can have positive effects on your well-being.

Stress Relief

We all feel it the moment we walk in the gates. The built-up anticipation, months of planning and you’ve finally entered into a whole new world. We feel this effect almost instantaneously as we can breathe and relax. Going to a festival can be an escape from reality, where for a weekend you can forget about all your worries. 

Connecting with New People

Festivals are a huge chance for you to meet others and bond over the commonality of music. Feeling that connection with others can boost your mental outlook and longevity. We sometimes feel that truly connecting with others has been limited by the digital world, but music festivals are huge opportunities to connect with music and others in real life.

Festivals are a Workout

I’ve worn my fitness to tracker to festivals and you might not even realize it, but you burn SO many calories when you are at a festival. Walking, dancing and jumping up and down for hours on end is a workout in itself. Us ravers have crazy stamina as we are able to walk miles on end and keep the party going till the sun rises.

How You Can Improve Your Well-Being

Within reason, of course, raving and going to festivals can be good for your well-being should you be making it a point of taking care of yourself. Here are some tips as to how you can better take care of yourself while going to festivals:

• VITAMIN C: In the weeks leading up to the festival, during, while you are recovering take EmergenC to help prevent yourself from getting sick.
• PROTECT YOUR FEET: Wear comfortable shoes or get foot insoles to keep your feet comfortable as you’ll be walking and dancing a ton.
• STRETCH: Your body will thank you if you stretch it for a couple of minutes before you enter the gates each day.
• FOOD IS FUEL: Eat well-balanced and healthy meals before you head to the festival and at the festival.
• SLEEP!: Sleep is SO important to help you fight off illness. Make sure you get enough sleep leading up to the festival, during and after.

So next time someone makes you feel like going to raves and music festivals isn’t good for you, you can show them this blog post backed by research. Now you don’t have to feel as guilty splurging on those tickets from time to time as those events will be better for you in the long run. If you want to learn more about what you can do to help yourself recover better from music festivals, feel free to check out my blog Vibe With Ade and follow me on Instagram @vibewithade.