So, I wrote a blog about getting Mental Rest on Simple Talk a while back, and the concept is that I go to theme parks (Walt Disney World whenever it is long, or @dollywood is my home park). and then I work my physical body to complete exhaustion, but my brain… it is completely in fun mode. I socialize with no more than 10 people, and I maximize my rides.

Nothing I do that week matters long term, and when I need memories, I have tens of thousands of pictures/videos. I come home bone tired, but also completely reset and ready to work (as long as I can still lift my arms after 50 times in a day on Expedition Everest or the Tennessee Tornado.)

The similarities and differences of a conference

But this past week at 6 days of conferences, I did 75% of the physical activity, 2000% more socializing, and 100000% more consequential learning (I do learn a little bit about the parks and operations when I am a park) for 6 straight days + 2 days travel.

Physically, I feel exactly like a week off. I am tired, but I can still get to and type on my keyboard. I feel like I need a nap, but that won’t be happening today.

But mentally I am drained too. Learning about Microsoft Fabric, SQL Server 2025, and socializing all week long was great, but it was things I needed to not only hear, but keep in my mind and in notes. As I am back at my desk, it is time to put the rubber to the road too.

One new thing I started on the trip was doing more Instagram posts on my @drsql account. While it didn’t help my exhaustion issues, it was fun (and really nice when a few people said they were watching). So I figured let’s keep it going. I still have 2 days remaining in my videos that will be posted by week’s end, but today I starting my once a week post to correspond with the editorial. At the end of this editorial is this week’s Instagram post.

How this post is helpful?

Just to say, if you are back home from a major conference and feel a bit more tired than you expected… like maybe you are a marathoner and think, I usually run 23 miles and feel more rested than this… my longest run in my life was 8 miles, so that is NOT ME.

It 100% is not helpful in any way to help you get past the exhaustion physically and mentally from coming back from a conference if you have this too. But maybe it is helpful for you to realize it is not only you.

Conferences are tiring because thinking and walking are. You don’t have to be old to be tired, even if I am getting there too (reference following post). Conferences have always wiped me out for these very reasons and it isn’t going to get appreciably better, but I am never going to stop.