For some, Halloweekend can go from one of the best weekends of the year to one of the worst in just a few hours. Hangxiety, the combination of a hangover and anxiety, plagues many after an intense night out with alcohol — especially after an extra special night like Halloween. (If you’re 21+, of course.) While Halloween falling on a Saturday is some of the best news I’ve received this October, this also means the hangxiety might hit on Sunday morning. So, I spoke to two experts to get tips on how to battle hangxiety this Halloweekend so we can all have a great Halloween… and a great Nov. 1.
While hangxiety sounds like a TikTok slang term, it’s actually a very real thing. “‘Hangxiety’ can become a vicious little feedback loop: you wake up with a racing heart, poor sleep, shakiness, or a vague sense of dread, and your brain immediately tries to explain those sensations by searching for something you did wrong the night before,” says Giulia P. Davis, a therapist and Founder of Mycelia Therapy. “That can turn a physical rebound into a full-blown anxiety spiral.”
While the urge to say “I’ll just make sure not to drink too much” will likely arise to try to prevent hangxiety, Lori Nabors, a clinical psychologist at Dr. Lori Nabors Psychotherapy, says this might not work for everyone. “Your brain and body are readjusting as alcohol leaves your system, [and] you can experience hangxiety after even just one drink, not only after a heavy night of drinking.”
So even if you’re not a big drinker, hangxiety can still creep up on you. Fortunately, there are some tips for handling these symptoms the night and morning after a big night out so that you can drink alcohol and not have to worry about the morning after.
Don’t interrogate yourself.
Although the pit-in-your-stomach anxiety can be really good at convincing your mind that something terrible must have happened, it is never a good idea to make conclusions while experiencing hangxiety. “My first recommendation is not to interrogate yourself while you’re still physiologically recovering,” Davis says. “If you’re lying in bed replaying conversations, checking your phone, or trying to determine whether you embarrassed yourself, give yourself a rule that I don’t make conclusions about last night while I’m hungover.”
According to Davis, only after you have taken care of your body and recovered should you revisit anything from the previous night that needs addressing, like if you were asking that cute guy too many questions, dancing too obnoxiously, or being too affectionate toward that random stranger.
Take extra good care of your body.
Unfortunately, there is no easy fix to the “anxiety” part, so the best thing to do is take care of your body, which can be easy to forget while mentally overloaded with anxiety. “Eat a real meal, drink water, take a shower, get some daylight, and take a gentle walk if you feel up to it,” Davis says. “These simple cues tell your body that the social event is over and you’re back in your normal environment.” She also warns against using alcohol to fix hangxiety, since despite its temporary relief, it typically keeps the hangxiety cycle going.
Nabors also emphasizes focusing on taking care of your body in place of focusing on trying to “fix” the anxiety. “Coffee, cold showers, electrolytes, hydration, and sleep may help you feel better and more ‘human’ in the moment,” she says. “And, by all means, you should absolutely tend to your body after the fact to help you feel better and more ‘human.’ The reality is, nothing is going to speed up what is happening in your body.”
Be aware of your habits.
Although it’s not entirely possible to prevent hangxiety, it’s worth being aware of your drinking habits and how often it occurs. “Since alcohol disrupts sleep (even in small amounts), stopping drinking 3-4 hours before bed gives your body more time to process it before you’re trying to sleep,” Nabors says. “It’s also worth mentioning that certain types of alcohol have been consistently linked to worse hangxiety (e.g., darker alcohols like whiskey, dark rum, red wine), so it’s not just about how much you drink, but what you’re drinking, too.”
Along with this preparation for before the hangxiety hits, Davis advises paying attention to how you feel after every night you drink alcohol. “Notice the pattern rather than judging yourself for it. If you regularly experience intense anxiety after drinking, that is useful information,” she says. “You don’t necessarily have to label yourself as having a problem with alcohol, but it is worth asking whether the temporary fun is consistently followed by a psychological cost you’re no longer willing to pay.”
Simply preparing for your Halloweekend night out allows you to make all of the same awesome memories, and not regret it as much in the morning. Knowing how to take care of yourself before, during, and after drinking is crucial to dealing with hangxiety, so hopefully these tips help you prepare yourself for one of the best holidays of the year. Drink responsibly!