Last Updated on October 24, 2023

Headaches, nausea, grogginess, and sluggishness are all dreaded side effects of too much drinking. These side effects combine to become what is known as a hangover. Hangovers are periods of recovery for the body. Drinking interrupts brain functionality, releasing endorphins and making us feel good in the moment. But the next day you can feel exhausted and drained. Hangovers can be so bad for some people that drinking causes anxiety before the symptoms even kick in. That’s called hangxiety—a new term but not a new concept.

When you’re drinking, there’s an influx of the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which causes you to feel relaxed and calm. When you stop drinking, you have withdrawal symptoms. Your body gets used to alcohol as a crutch to feel calm. Take it away and anxiety can follow. Add interrupted sleep to the mix, which often happens when people drink to excess, and feelings of depression and anxiety can intensify.

Despite these challenges, you can still enjoy drinking. Here are some tips to avoid or cope with hangxiety and get the most out of your relationship with alcohol.

1) Plan ahead:

The best way to avoid hangxiety is to know your drink number. Understanding how many drinks you can enjoy before feeling negative side effects can unlock a sense of peace. You can go out and plan your night knowing exactly how much you’ll be having that evening. You can plan your drinks at optimal times throughout your day or night. You’ll have complete control and can wake up in the morning comfortable, rested, and refreshed. 🌞

2) Plan your meals:

Eating food while drinking or having a solid meal before you start can line your stomach and ensure the alcohol doesn’t go straight to your head. In addition, knowing you can eat some foods to ease hangover symptoms the next day, like asparagus, can bring comfort around your drinking experience the night before. Here are some foods that can improve your experience.

• Bananas are full of potassium and 75% water. 🍌
  
• Greek yogurt is full of protein, carbs, fat and probiotics. Greek yogurt digests slowly, which can slow the absorption of alcohol in the body. 🐌
  
• Salmon helps you to replace your B12 vitamins which alcohol depletes. 🐟
  
• Eating avocado toast with an egg is loaded with protein, and is a great brunch option!🥑
  

3) Plan your sleep:

Getting a good night’s sleep is very important to having a bright, productive morning. Sleep gives the body time to recover. Knowing when you want to get into bed, allows you to plan your evening backward. What time do you need to be home in order to make your bedtime and what time do you need to stop drinking to ensure a good night’s sleep? Here are three tips to improve your sleep after drinking

• Try to stop drinking three hours before bed. Alcohol interrupts deep sleep, which is crucial to fighting grogginess. 💪🙂
  
• Use the bathroom right before you lie down to better ensure fewer interruptions during the night. 🚽
  
• Skip drinks with caffeine. Drinks such as soda or coffee will keep you up and make it hard to fall asleep. ☕️
  

4) Shower before bed:

Showers are relaxing and can clear the mind of restless thoughts that might keep you up when you’re trying to sleep. Bonus tip: brushing your teeth before bed and when you’re done drinking can keep you from craving another. 😉

5) Have a pre-sleep snack:

You forgot to eat or didn’t eat enough, slipping some food into your wind-down routine can help your body process the alcohol you drank. 🍪

6) Stay hydrated:

Simple water intake is one of the best and healthiest ways to improve your drinking experience and ensure you feel better in the morning. Here are three ways to use water strategically while drinking:

• Delay your first alcoholic drink by having a couple of glasses of water first. 🕜
  
• Have a glass of water before and after each alcoholic drink. 💧
  
• Switch to water once you’ve hit your targeted drink number. 🔄

Learning to avoid hangovers takes practice. Remember to be forgiving if you don’t wake up feeling fantastic the next morning. Each day is a new opportunity to hit your goal. 🙂