Cosplay Care: Taking Breaks While Cosplaying

You Cannot Cosplay If You’ve Completely Exhausted Your Body

Welcome back to Cosplay Care, where we make sure that you get to cosplay longer and have more fun doing so. This time we will take a more holistic approach and talk about rest in general. 

Most major conventions are multi-day affairs. If you plan to attend them back-to-back, you don’t want to be so wiped out that you can’t function the following day. This means you need to pay attention to exertion and energy levels. 

The most straightforward answer to this problem is to rest and have the means to take breaks. Find seating. Bring a foldout chair if it’s allowed. At least lean against a wall. 

Beyond that, let’s talk about specific things that might help. The first is shoes. Your cosplay might use boots, heels, or raised shoes. These can mess up your feet over time. So, have a change available. Flat, comfortable footwear, with a new and clean pair of socks. Getting some gel pads to soothe your aching arches might even be worth it. Blisters are not fun. 

Another thing to mind is sleeping. Between days of the con, you must sleep somewhere, and getting that rest is critical. Sleep deprivation will sneak up on you. Things like caffeine can help, but it’s a limited solution. It might be hard to sleep when you’re hopped up on excitement and adrenaline from the day’s events, but you’ve got to try.

The final issue is something a weightlifter might tell you: don’t do more than your muscles can handle. It’s easy to ignore minor pain and then have it sneak up on you. If your costume has heavy parts, like armor, prop weapons, or mechanical functions, pay attention if you’re straining. Put it down for a while until you’re no longer sore. Noodle arms will end the fun quickly. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the festivities. To barely notice when your body is trying to tell you something. Take breaks, rest, and you’ll get to spend more time enjoying the convention in the long run.