((Disclaimer: Just like with my article about preventing hangovers I do feel the need to say I am in no way promoting alcoholism. I am not saying to never worry about the amount you drink or that anything you do while drunk is dismissible. This article is for the average college student who goes out on the weekends and deals with anxiety the next day.))
Nothing like a night out with your friends! Hitting up some local bars, turning casual acquaintances into karaoke partners, swearing on your family dog’s grave you’ll meet up for brunch tomorrow morning, and then stumbling home to fall asleep in jeans holding an open bag of Doritos. Just a bit of carefree fun most people in their 20s enjoy on a regular basis. Harmless. That is, until you wake up the next morning to the realization that, for a fact, you are the most annoying person who has ever walked the Earth. All of your friends hate you. Everything you said was mind numbingly dumb and every thing you did is vivid in everyone memory, bound to occupy their minds for the entirety of the day. On top of that, the Doritos/White Claw smoothie in your stomach isn’t sitting well and you really regret not brushing your teeth last night. Yikes, they call it Sunday-scaries for a reason.
If any of this sounds familiar, you have experienced hangxiety. Hangxiety is a combination of the words “hangover” and “anxiety” and is, you guessed it, anxiety experienced during a hangover. Other than anxiety, symptoms include feeling depressed, overwhelmed, embarrassed, and paranoid. Someone with hangxiety will commonly over analyze the previous evening and hyperfocus on specific things they said or did. They might question how others feel about them and worry that their drinking buddies are wishing they had made different plans.
So why does this happen? Is it because you truly are just a fool? Should you lock yourself inside at 5pm Friday and remain in an underground bunker until Monday morning? Not something to completely rule out but there is also a less self deprecating explanation. According to Lyre’s “When drinking alcohol, normal brain functionality is disrupted, and an excess of “feel-good” chemicals (like endorphins) are released. As a result, the following day you often feel drained with a rapidly declining mood due to your body trying to maintain an appropriate state of homeostasis (a self-regulating biological process that adjusts itself to maintain an optimal condition for survival). Cortisol (the stress hormone) is also triggered during and after drinking alcohol, making you feel more anxious than usual.” So basically, while there surely are aspects such as self esteem and stability in relationships that also affect hangxiety, much of it is a chemical reaction outside of your control.
So how do you prevent hangxiety? I could say don’t drink but that feels a little like teaching abstinence to highschoolers. So your best bet is to be smart about your drinking. Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Pace yourself. Drink plenty of water. Read “13 Tips to Avoid a Hangover” written by yours truly. Basically just try to not get carried away. While you are out, keep in mind how you want to feel the next morning. Something I read one time said that alcohol steals joy from the next day. I think that’s a good way to think of it if you are a person prone to hangxiety. You can go out and have tons of fun drinking but that happiness comes from somewhere and you will likely be depleted of those feel good chemicals the next day.
Okay so let’s say it’s too late to prevent hangxiety and you are in the nitty gritty of it, what now? First of all, don’t lay around. I know it sounds like a good idea to nurse your hangover but you will just be replaying the evening in your head and beating yourself up. Get some schoolwork done, take your dog for a walk, visit friends or family, etc. Re-hydrating is always beneficial after a night out so grabbing a Gatorade or even just slamming some water will help at least with the physical symptoms that no doubt contribute to the mental ones. When the feelings of anxiety come up; talk yourself through it. Tell yourself that there is nothing wrong with going out to bars on the weekends. Remind yourself that nobody is as focused on you as you are and that everyone is the main character in their own life. Even if you did something embarrassing, people are too busy thinking about themselves and their own lives to dissect your actions.
If all else fails, hit your friends up and ask for reassurance. I have had friends text me the next morning after a night out and apologize for being moody or loud and my response always is that I didn’t even notice and I had a good time with them. This brings me to my final tip; surrounding yourself with friends you feel comfortable and safe with. Hangxiety can be drastically reduced by knowing that even if your worst fears are true and you were annoying the night before, your friends still love you and want to spend time with you.