The Calgary Stampede kicks off July 3rd, and if you're a Calgarian, you already know… the energy, pace and even the grocery store feels different.
If this is your first Stampede, welcome to the greatest show on earth!
If it's not your first rodeo (literally), you might already be having a few feelings about what these 10 days can cost you if you're not paying attention.
If you're looking to actually enjoy this Stampede — all 10 days of it — without arriving at July 13th feeling completely wrecked, I've put together 10 self-care tips to help you navigate your wellbeing without sacrificing the fun.
One tip for each day (but use them as needed).
Let's go!
Before the first pancake breakfast hits, take 10 minutes to sketch out what the next 10 days actually look like for you. Not a rigid schedule — more like a loose map.
Which days are you going to the park?
Which nights are the big ones?
Are there work days in between?
Knowing this upfront helps you protect the things that matter most, and gives you something to check in against when the week starts to blur.
Here's a quick 5-step planning approach to get you started:
A plan doesn't mean you can't be spontaneous. It just means spontaneity doesn't cost you everything.
And speaking of what things cost you…
Ten days is a long time to sustain peak fun, and if you spend everything in the first three days, the back half of Stampede is going to be rough.
Think of your energy like a bank account. Big nights are withdrawals. Sleep, food, and quiet time are deposits. The goal isn't to hoard your energy — it's to keep the account from going to zero by Day 5.
Ask yourself at the start of each day: What am I spending today, and what am I depositing?
You don't need perfect balance every day. You just need to be honest about the math.
Which brings us to fuel…
Stampede food is part of the experience.
Deep-fried everything, mini donuts, the novelty items that show up every year — absolutely enjoy them.
But if that's all you're running on for 10 days, your body is going to let you know about it.
As someone who does peer support work and trains front-line workers, one of the most consistent things I hear about burnout is that people forget the basics.
Eating is a basic. It sounds obvious until you've skipped two meals, had three beers, and are wondering why you feel terrible at 7pm.
Try anchoring each Stampede day with at least one real meal — something with protein, some vegetables, something your body can actually use. The NIMH backs this up simply: a balanced diet and adequate hydration improve energy and focus throughout the day.
You don't have to skip the fun food. Just don't let it be the only food.
Once your fuel is sorted, the next thing to get honest about is your limits…
But after years of peer support work, I've learned that most people know their limits — they just don't always honour them in the moment.
Drinking, late nights, big crowds, certain social dynamics…
All of it has a threshold. Yours might be different from your friends', and that's fine. The issue isn't the limit.
The issue is what happens when you keep pushing past it, night after night, for 10 days straight.
A good question to sit with: What does "one too many" look like for me — and what's my early signal that I'm approaching it?
Knowing your signal before you hit it is the difference between a good night and a rough morning.
Knowing your limits also means knowing what you actually want to say yes to…
Stampede comes with a lot of invitations. Parties, park days, pancake breakfasts, after-parties, after-after-parties.
And because it's a limited window, there's a pull to say yes to all of it — because what if you miss something?
Here's the thing…
Sometimes saying yes to everything just gets you more of the same. More noise, more crowds, more stimulation, less actual enjoyment.
It's okay to skip a night.
It's okay to say "not this one" without a detailed explanation. Choosing what you actually want — rather than what you feel obligated to attend — is one of the most underrated things you can do for yourself this Stampede.
The fun you choose is almost always better than the fun you feel pressured into.
But even with good intentions, some situations just go sideways. That's what the next tip is for...
Before you head into a big night, give yourself a quiet out. Know how you're getting home.
Have a friend you can signal. Know what "done for the night" looks like for you — and decide in advance that it's okay to act on it.
This isn't about being a killjoy. It's about making decisions when you're clear-headed rather than when you're three hours in and peer pressure is louder than your instincts.
A pre-decided exit strategy removes the guilt and the negotiation in the moment.
Once you know how to leave, start paying attention to how you feel while you're still there...
People tend to monitor the physical stuff — tired, hungover, sore feet.
But your emotional state is worth checking in on too, especially mid-week.
Irritability, withdrawal, the feeling of being "over it" before Stampede is even half done — these are signals, not personality flaws. They're your nervous system telling you something needs attention.
You don't have to do a full emotional inventory every morning. Just notice.
Am I having fun, or am I performing fun?
That's usually enough to tell you whether you need to adjust.
What you do with that information — especially after a big night — matters more than you'd think...
Somewhere along the way, we decided that rest during a big event is failure.
Like sleeping in means you're doing Stampede wrong.
Taking a slower morning, skipping one night, spending an evening on your couch are signs that might guide you in ways to show up for the things you chose.
Permission to rest isn't something you need to earn. If your body is asking for it, that's enough of a reason.
Rest is also what you do after the big nights. And that morning-after matters more than most people realize...
The morning after a big Stampede night is its own thing. How you handle it shapes how you feel going into the next day — and the next, and the next.
You don't need a complicated recovery protocol. But a few simple rituals go a long way:
Do this consistently across the 10 days and you'll notice a real difference by the end of the week.
And once you've taken care of all of the above, remember…
After all that self-care groundwork, here's the most important tip of all: actually be there.
Try something you've never tried before — a food you wouldn't normally order, a tent you've always walked past, a show you know nothing about.
Stampede is genuinely one of the most unique events in the world, and it's easy to sleepwalk through it when you're focused on logistics and survival.
One simple awareness practice for the moment: pick one thing each day that you want to be fully present for — no phone, no half-attention, no thinking about what's next. Just that thing.
Whatever it is, let it land.
Ten days goes fast. The memories that stick are almost never the ones where you were the busiest. They're the ones where you were actually in it.
Have an amazing Stampede, Calgary.
If you find yourself needing some extra support with your energy or your headspace this Stampede — or any time of year — grab my free guide: The Front-Line Worker's Guide to Managing Overthinking.
To get more reflections, tools, and lived-experience experiments, you can subscribe to the email list at thejeffturner.ca.
Until next time, remember to take care of yourself — however that looks for you.