We’ve all been there. It’s Sunday morning and you need to get up, start your day, and be productive enough to make up for the Saturday you spent lazing around, ordering breakfast from Bob Evans, painting your nails, and napping to recover from Friday night and the long week behind you (okay, maybe that’s just what my last few Saturdays have looked like). It’s seriously time to take action…and yet you can’t seem to lift your over-tired, aching head off your pillow, let alone think about hitting the library.
Luckily for us, collegiettes, HerCampus Kenyon has compiled a list of tried and true hangover cures to help us all have productive Sundays without having to sacrifice any of the weekend fun! I always say prevention is the best cure, but hey, we can’t always be thinking one step ahead—that last cup of fruity, potent punch always seems like a good idea at the time (and hey, sometimes it is!)
- Emergen-C As Your New Best Friend:
If we’re talking prevention, Emergen-C is the way to go. You’ve seen it in the supermarket, you’ve seen the commercials, but perhaps you’ve only ever considered using Emergen-C packets to stave off the Kenyon crud. But allow us to let you in on a little secret: drinking one packet of Emergen-C mixed with a full glass of water after a night out—preferably right before you go to bed—can make you feel infinitely better in the morning. We’re not sure about the exact science behind this one…maybe it’s the 1000% daily dose of Vitamin C, maybe it staves off dehydration, maybe it’s a mind game. Whatever it is, trust us. You’ll wake up feeling great.
- Hit the Steam Room:
If Sunday morning greets with you with a dulled headache, light sensitivity and an overall feeling of malaise, the steam room might be your new best friend. The Gentleman’s workout—steam room, hot tub, light swim– has been proven and is a deservedly renowned hangover cure. We’ve modified it to be a little less taxing—walk down to KAC, sit in steam room for 10 minutes. Rinse off with a cold shower. Return to steam room for 10 minutes. Walk home. Sweat out the toxins and get in (minimal) exercise at the same time! Altogether this should take a mere 30 minutes, depending how far your commute to the KAC is, and will make you feel cleansed and ready to start your day. (Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water to keep hydrated!)
- Skip the Coffee!
This tip is more of a warning tip than a cure: AVOID caffeine at all costs! We don’t care if you normally need four cups of coffee to even think about focusing on your work. Caffeine will only further dehydrate you, and the last thing you need is a worse headache when you’re trying to write an A-quality paper in Olin all day.
- Restore and replenish nutrients:
While you’re NOT drinking coffee, be sure to consume things like bananas to restore your potassium levels, ginger (tea, ginger-ale, ginger root) to address nausea, bland foods like toast, crackers or plain rice to fill your stomach, and Gatorade (or the sports drink of your choice) to restore your electrolytes. Be smart, collegiettes. Listen to your body and give it what it needs.
The happiest Saturdays tend to lead to the most treacherous Sundays, but why should we let that fact stop us from celebrating at the end of a long, taxing college week? We deserve to enjoy our Saturday nights, even if that means accepting that we also deserve what follows. Keep working hard and playing hard, beloved collegiettes, and hopefully stave off the worst of it with a little help from your friends at HerCampus Kenyon.