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Every college student knows the feeling: waking up the morning after a night out with friends, regretting every life decision previously made that got you to this moment, wishing you hadn’t had even a single sip of alcohol to drink. The physical agony can vary from person to person, and drink to drink, and so can the “hangxiety” – those morning-after scaries. Maybe you don’t remember what you did last night, or worse, maybe you do, and it was horribly embarrassing! Maybe you’re feeling bad about crawling home at 4 A.M. with a work shift in a couple of hours, or perhaps you have no idea why you’re anxious – you just are. This feeling can be so draining that you may feel inspired to swear off substances forever… or at least until next weekend.
How can we break this never-ending cycle? Eventually, enough will be enough. You’ll be mentally ready to break up with the bathroom floor, but how do you actually go about doing it? The truth is that it won’t be easy. I remember not really taking all of the lessons of my youth about peer pressure that seriously, and it never really showed its face to me in very extreme ways, but now that I’m older, I understand that peer pressure can look different than expected. Whether you want to admit it or not, it’s hard to feel like you’re disappointing your friends. And in college, part of the culture is partying and having fun. Most students correlate the idea of a fun night out with the idea of alcohol. So when you tell your friends, “I don’t want to drink tonight,” it can sound like what you’re really saying is “I don’t want to have fun tonight.”
That’s not true, though. Alcohol physically affects everybody differently, and can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety in people who already struggle with it. If your friends are all able to bounce back after a night out, but you can’t seem to, that’s normal. You’ll actually be able to have more of a good time without worrying about a debilitating hangover, if that’s something you struggle with! You don’t need to drink as much as your friends (or even at all) in order to have fun with them. If you’re thinking of cutting back, that’s a choice you’re making for your well-being, and your true friends will support you in it!
It’s becoming more and more popular for members of Gen Z to cut down on their alcohol intake. Younger generations are slowly making lifestyle changes to help support their mental and physical health, which includes swapping alcoholic beverages for gym memberships, according to USA Today. The upward surge in Gen Z’s interest in personal well-being is an indicator that maybe, over time, you won’t feel so judged for taking a break from alcohol.
One way to help kickstart a journey towards less drinking is trying some of the “mocktail” alcohol alternatives that are beginning to take over the market. I really like Hiyo Social Tonics, which have functional ingredients like Ashwagandha, L-Theanine, Lion’s Mane, and Lemon Balm, for stress-relief, improved focus, and overall mood support. I think this is why I enjoy them so much – I feel like I’m getting lots of benefits for my brain while getting to hold a beverage in a can that makes me feel a lot less left out when friends are drinking alcohol. Another option is Recess mocktails. I got their “happy hour sampler” to drink on New Year’s Eve because I knew other people would be drinking alcohol. I liked that all of the flavors are named after real cocktails, so you can really feel like you’re drinking what everyone else is drinking!
I know it can be hard to make a choice as drastic as stepping away from alcohol in college. But it’s not impossible! Making easy swaps from cocktails to mocktails some nights is a good place to start, and being honest with your friends about why you’re cutting back is another. Everyone who cares about you should want you to feel your absolute best. It can be hard to juggle everything college throws at you sober, and even harder if your body doesn’t agree with the alcohol you’re consuming. If going sober or even just drinking less than normal on a night out is something you are considering, give it a try, and take note of how you feel. The difference might surprise you!