Why Showing Up to Live Events Might Be the Self-Care You Didn't Know You Needed

Sometimes healing doesn't look like rest—it looks like movement, music, and being around people who remind you that you're not alone

In a time when burnout feels constant and loneliness shows up without warning, healing doesn't always look like quiet meditation or self-help podcasts. Sometimes it looks like moving your body to a beat. Being in a crowd. Laughing at something small. Or just letting the energy of a space hold you for a while.

Whether it's the rush of a concert, a neighborhood block party, a local night market, or even a laid-back hang in a park—being present in community can be healing. For real.

Why Showing Up (Even Imperfectly) Matters

Leaving your comfort zone—especially when your energy is low—can feel like a lot. But science backs what many of us have felt firsthand: showing up for a moment outside your routine can have a real impact on your mental health.

Social settings, movement, music, and shared spaces can:

• Reduce anxiety and depression symptoms

• Increase dopamine and serotonin (your brain's natural mood boosters)

• Create a sense of connection and belonging

• Offer sensory grounding—through sound, sights, and atmosphere

And you don't have to be the loudest voice in the room to feel those effects. Even sitting quietly in the back row of a show or strolling solo through a vendor market can help shift your mindset and offer relief from disconnection.

Music Really Is Medicine

Live or in your headphones, music is more than background noise—it's a tool.

Studies show that music can:

• Lower cortisol (the stress hormone)

• Improve memory and focus

• Help regulate emotions

• Offer nonverbal emotional release when words don't cut it

It's not about finding the "right" genre—it's about the moment when a lyric hits exactly how you feel. When a drop makes you breathe deeper. When a sound carries you forward, even just a little.

Being Around People—Even Strangers—Can Ground You

Here's the truth: you don't need deep conversations or a full social calendar to benefit from presence. You just need to be around people.

Whether it's a crowd at a show, a café full of quiet strangers, or an open-air event buzzing with soft energy—being seen in small ways helps remind us that we belong.

There's something quietly powerful about simply existing in a space where others are doing the same. It doesn't fix everything, but it helps you feel less alone—and that's a start.

Helpful Mental Health Resources to Keep Close

While events and experiences can help, support also looks like having access to the right tools. Here are a few trusted organizations that offer mental health resources:

• Mental Health America – Free screenings and community support

• The Jed Foundation – Mental health guidance for young adults

• Therapy for Black Girls – Therapist directory and safe space for Black women

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – Nationwide education and peer support

• Open Path Collective – Affordable therapy across the U.S.

Gentle Reminder: You Don't Have to Be "Okay" to Show Up

You don't need to be fully healed, perfectly dressed, or full of energy to participate in life. Go anyway. Sit in the back. Cry during a song. Hug your friend. Dance awkwardly. Or just watch.

What matters is that you let yourself feel the world around you. It's okay to ease into it. It's okay to leave early. But give yourself a chance to be there.

Because sometimes the most radical act of self-care is just showing up—messy, tired, and human—and letting the music, the crowd, or the moment remind you that you're still here.

And that still matters.