It’s one week after your competition, and your emotions are all over the place. How is it that you were feeling on top of the world on that glorious day that you were on stage, and now your world is various shades of gray? You feel bloated and fat, you feel lost, and your inner critic, out of control. In other words, you’re experiencing the post-show blues. It’s important that you know that you’re not alone in this. In fact, most if not all competitors around the world experience these feelings of extreme change right after a show. And it’s happened to me after every show. So like I said, post-show blues is something that happens to almost everyone who competes.

Do you ever walk past a mirror and start looking for the flaws? Yeah, I know, it doesn’t feel good. If you feel like all the work you’ve done over the last several months is all gone in one week, this is absolutely a common experience. So what I want to do today is share four problem areas that pop up with post-show blues, and more importantly, give you a process that you can go through to minimize these issues and take back your life. Oh, and while you’re thinking about it, please go ahead and give my video a like.

Hey, you did it. You made it through all the prep, the pounding in the gym, the missed social events, the food weighing, the measuring, and then came the day that you got to walk onto the stage and it was amazing, right? That high buzzing energy of everyone around you, I love that. And the smell of the spray tan? Yeah, I love that too. I know, I’m weird. The feel of the stage under your feet, the lights, the cheering crowd, and that overwhelming sense of accomplishment of finally being up there in front of everyone and showcasing all that you’ve worked for. Man, it’s addicting. So you leave totally high on life. You go out and celebrate and eat, get some much needed rest, and then go back to your life, right? Well, maybe not quite. So what I want to talk to you guys about today is what happens after the show on an emotional level, and specifically what’s referred to as the post-show blues.

Now, before I get into the process of identifying the four problem areas and some solutions that I have found to be helpful, I want to answer the question of why does this even happen in the first place? And there’s several things going on. So one factor is a quick drop in neurotransmitters. I’m sure you’ve all heard about the uplifting effects of dopamine and serotonin. We get hits from these all day long on social media. To quote an article on tnation.com, “Dopamine is intensely triggered by the competitive mindset that comes with the figure competition prep. When you enter that zone, dopamine is released in heaps.” So basically when the competition is over, you don’t have the same amount of happy drugs circulating in your system, so that leads to a more depressed state. And serotonin does essentially the same thing. It decreases anxiety and the perception of pain. So just from a chemical standpoint, it makes sense why there can be such a feeling of change.

Now, the other reasons for getting the blues after the show are psychological, and those are things that we can affect. So let’s get started. Number one, let’s talk about identity. For the last several months, you’ve been wrapped up in food prep, workout progression, booking, cutting, posing, picking out a suit, fretting over how you look, wondering if you’re going to be ready in time, checking in with your coach. Being a competitor has been your identity for quite some time, and now that role is fulfilled and temporarily removed. So think about it. Prepping has been your life up until the show. So when it’s over, you can feel a little unsure sometimes, and feel like you don’t know exactly what to do.

So let’s look at some identity modification to help you ease the transition back into “normal” life. Now, you’re still going to identify as a competitor. It just doesn’t need to be in the number one or two slot anymore. The biggest shift I would like to encourage is into a healthy mindset. So healthy versus lean, ripped competitor, because we have focused so long on what our bodies have to look like to be on stage and we know that we can’t stay in that physical space to be at our healthiest. So what other areas of your life could benefit from renewed focus? There’s probably areas that took a back seat while you were in prep mode. Think about what else brings you joy. This really is a perfect time to reassess and add things back into your life with intention. I know the show is important for you, but what are the other things in your life? Being a mom, being a partner? Are there projects that you’ve been wanting to work on? Maybe there’s a cause that you’ve been wanting to contribute to. Having these options will immensely help you to keep from wallowing in a post-show depression. In the near future, I will have a video out on how to be intentional about and really know your identity, so keep an eye out for that. I will put a link in the description once it’s ready for you.

All right, number two. Another area that pops up with post-show blues is feeling lost and wondering what those next steps are. I think that there are two pieces to this part. One is that you don’t have a goal anymore, and you’ve all heard that life is the journey and not the destination, right? So a good part of your time has been on your journey to the stage. Once you reach that destination, you can feel lost when you don’t have a goal to work on anymore. The other piece is that you likely didn’t have a plan for what happens after the show. You’ve been way too engrossed in this process, and it’s totally understandable. There’s so many things to think about and be working on, so when there’s no plan for after, you can feel kind of blindsided and lost and thinking, what do I do now?

We can counter some of the anxiety that comes with this lost feeling by having a plan and new goals. In that first week after the show, I suggest that your goal and your plan be to sit with what you’ve been through during this prep, good and bad, strength and stress. Writing it all out can be super helpful. If you’ve never journaled before, I challenge you. Even if you have, I challenge you to just do a mind dump. It doesn’t need to be a literary work of art. Nobody’s going to see it, but you. When you really take some time to reflect and journal your thoughts, you’ll find the clarity that you need to move forward to the next steps. Also, creating a vision for your life can be an extremely helpful tool, and no, it doesn’t need to take hours. Just a simple, concise statement that you can use as a guidepost for a direction in your life.

Also, take time to relax and do fun things. Remember fun things, things like coffee with friends, hiking, dancing, whatever brings you joy. Your brain needs a break from stressing out, and yeah, I know life doesn’t stop for you. You still have the kids, work, your partner, but take this time out to regroup. After a week or two, you’ll be able to come back with fresh eyes and a renewed spirit. You will be energized and fired up about it. Now, go ahead and plan for that next show or add in completely different goals that are meaningful to you.

Okay, on to number three, and this is a big one. Let’s talk about body image. So it’s a week after your show, and that weight is back on way faster than it came off, and if it’s your first time you’re probably thinking, what the heck is going on? This is so unfair. I worked my ass off literally and now it feels like I’m going right back to where I started, and fast. It sucks. Competing in a bodybuilding show is a double edged sword from an emotional standpoint. On one hand, it’s very empowering. You’re realizing how mentally and physically strong you really are and that you can break through limits you thought you had. You were tested in so many ways on your way to the stage, and here you are. You accomplished the very thing that you set out to do. You are a badass.

On the other hand, we oftentimes already have body image issues, trying to compare ourselves to the perfect bodies that we see on social media every day. But then add in the fact that we are striving towards that same perfection because we choose to actually go through a meticulous process for months, put on a bikini, step on stage, and ask to be judged. Crazy, right? Yeah, it is. So we work really hard in the off season, and when it comes time to be cutting for the show, you are going through some drastic changes to drop fat, to show the muscle that you’ve built up. For many of you, this is the leanest you’ve ever been, which tends to correlate in your mind to this is the best I’ve ever looked, which is awesome and empowering, but this is only for a very short period of time. It’s not sustainable, because it is not healthy to stay at stage weight for an extended period of time. Please don’t do that.

You need to slowly come back up to a weight that’s healthy for you, and when this happens, you are very likely going to feel fat no matter how you look, because now you’ve seen yourself in a lean place that you’re probably really happy about, and it can be hard to adjust to bringing that weight back up again. And sometimes if you say, “I look fat,” or “I feel fat,” to friends and family who don’t compete, you might hear things back like, “You’re crazy,” or “You’re too skinny now.” Or you may just get straight up eye-rolling and negative comments about complaining about weight gain, because they don’t understand the psychological effects of what’s going on inside your head. And people aren’t usually intentionally mean.

I want to give you some advice to get through it. Take some time to develop a vision of what a healthy body looks like for you. Now, if you’re not sure about that, think about what would you tell a good friend that you love to look for in that vision. It’s really important in this process to be fair and loving to yourself. So what is a healthy body weight for you? What does the new diet look like? What does a new exercise regimen look like? We have a tendency to set unrealistic goals for ourselves, and this just sets us up for feelings of failure and unworthiness. For example, I know there’s lots of people out there who are looking to have the abs year-round. I need to have abs. I get that. They’re pretty dang cool to have. But for a high percentage of people, this is simply not attainable on an off season body, and that’s perfectly fine and normal. So maybe you change that to being comfortable in your favorite dress. Having goals that are healthy and loving will help make you feel better and give you something positive to focus on. You can always modify them, but start realistic.

So this brings us to the last point. Number four is self-talk. Oh yeah, we know how to do the negative self talk, right? Most of the time we have a narrative going on in the background that we’re not even aware of. It influences decisions that we make all day. Common thoughts with self-talk are, I’m not good enough, I’m not lean enough, pretty enough, strong enough, smart enough. It goes on and on. Fill in the blank with your favorite. It’s pretty obvious why this is not helpful, and I think just bringing some awareness to your thoughts is a great start. So much of our self-talk runs on automatic pilot that we don’t even question it. So my challenge to you is start listening to what you’re telling yourself. Now, I also know that you’re an athlete, and this means that you possess some pretty powerful positive self-talk, as well. I mean, you have to, to stick to the discipline of training and ultimately competing. And you coach yourself all the time. You can really draw on this, especially when your shitty thoughts are overriding everything else and pulling you down.

So here’s an idea for you. I strongly suggest that you make a list of your personal attributes that make you the incredible woman that you are, ones that you know to be true and that you can believe in. So when your inner critic pipes in about how not worthy or not good enough you are, you can say, hmm, well that’s an interesting perspective, but here is what I know to be true. You whip out your list, and you read it to yourself, you read it to your inner critic. It may feel a little awkward at first, but with repetition, your brain will start to counter what your critic is saying with that list. And you won’t even have to look at it anymore after a while. And how cool would that be? So don’t just say, yeah, that’s a great idea and not do it. That doesn’t help you. All kinds of research indicates that repetition is how we rewire our brain with those new improved habits and thoughts. So please make the list. By using this technique, even if you don’t completely believe it when you’re reading it, you’re letting your mind know that you are in control and this is how you choose to see yourself. Self-talk is a really important habit that’s pervasive in all the areas I’ve talked about today.

So to recap, when you feel like you lose your identity after a show, move into a mindset about what a healthy, goal-driven woman you are. When you feel lost, develop a new vision and plan for your life. When you feel fat and overwhelmed because you just gained your post-show weight back, look at your healthy and loving body image goals, and when your inner critic is in overdrive in a negative way, pull out that list that you made of why you are so incredible. So go ahead and take some notes from today so that you can turn these ideas into habits, habits that will affect every area of your life. And be strong in your journey. Know that feeling some of these things I talked about today is normal. Work to counter those thoughts that don’t serve you. Seek out support from others who will uplift you, and you can always reach out to me too.

Now I could go on with other tips, but this video is getting long, so I’m going to save it for future videos. Thank you guys so much for watching today. I do hope you found this to be helpful. Please write down your insights in the comments below. I would love to continue the conversation. And hey, before you go, do me a favor and repeat after me. I am beautiful, strong, capable, and powerful. One more time please, and really do it this time. I am beautiful, strong, capable, and powerful, and you are. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next video.