Of course, there are worse feelings in life than waking up and realizing all the fun you had last night came at a terrible physical cost, but it doesn’t feel so in the moment. As you groggily make your way to the bathroom and are taken aback by the pitiful creature in the mirror, you know the upcoming day is going to be a tough one.
One question swirls around your mind while you reach for that glass of water – is there a way to resolve this hangover for good? Well, everyone has an opinion, of course. For some, it’s obvious, that you just keep drinking. We’re going to heavily recommend against that, however, because it only delays the physical effects and binge drinking is never advisable. You have to deal with this sooner or later.
Moreover, while some might suggest drinks with raw eggs or specific concoctions passed down through their family from generations ago, they’re not entirely proven. We’re also going to try and avoid giving you advice that might be unhealthy, like eating a huge fried breakfast – some people might enjoy this and swear by it, but we’d be irresponsible if teaching you to solve one unhealthy problem with another.
So – how do you actually deal with that hangover? We have some thoughts. Let’s get started:
Consider Over-The-Counter Painkillers
A pounding headache can make any other focus on this list harder to engage in, which is why using an over-the-counter painkiller can help. Make sure you take the correct dosage, take it with water, and eat a light breakfast or even just a piece of fruit to avoid taking it on an empty stomach. This can help you gain a momentary reprieve, and allow you to counter some of the worse physical effects. However, if this might clash with other medication you’ve been taking (in which case, alcohol might not have been the best idea), make sure to call your non-emergency healthcare line to ask for advice. Always take official healthcare advice as a matter of priority over anything you read in this post.
Hydrate
The reason we feel so awful after drinking so much is because for the most part, we’re dehydrated. This is why drinking water, gently, without guzzling too many glasses down, is key. You need to get liquid into your body to help flush out the toxins of alcohol, and it’s unlikely you would have drank so much water the night before. IV Hydration https://www.ivboulder.com/hydration has also been considered a nice luxurious means of hydrating your body and perhaps eroding your hangover more quickly than usual.
Eat Something Nutritionally Dense
Alcohol may contain a good amount of calories, but they’re empty, in that they provide little nutritional benefit at all. This is why it’s good to eat something nutritionally dense. We mentioned that some prefer greasy foods above like bacon sandwiches, English fry-ups, or whatever else you have on hand. That’s certainly something you can eat, though as outlined above, we won’t recommend it. We’d suggest eating as balanced a meal as you can – making sure you enjoy healthy fats, clean protein, and complex carbs to get you going. For example, eggs and avocado on wholemeal toast can be a lovely breakfast, and hits all the food groups you may wish to meet. Take a multivitamin on top and you’ll be on your way to success.
If You Can, Go Back To Sleep
The first sleep of the night after an evening of drink is what we might call the “placeholder sleep.” Sure, it’s nice to sleep and get some rest, but you’ll find that you hardly feel rested. That’s because alcohol impacts our natural sleep cycles, and that’s a problem.
For this reason, going back to bed and getting more rest, also known as “the second sleep” can be the one that feels live-saving. You’re likely to wake up from this feeling so much more rejuvenated, especially if you’ve had something good to eat and hydrated. If you’re struggling going back to sleep, try playing some calming music you can listen to while you drift off. You’ll thank yourself later for it. If you have to work that day, well, we wouldn’t recommend sleeping on the job, however temping that could feel.
Consider Light Exercise
You might find that going out and getting a little exercise can help you feel so much better, especially if it makes you sweat. Getting out there, going for a walk in the park (and enjoying the fresh air), working out in the gym (take it light), or even enjoying fifteen minutes on the exercise bike helps you feel more alert, and it helps you sweat, which allows you to process the alcohol more easily.
Moreover, you’ll burn off some of the empty calories from the wine, beer or other drinks you had last night. It can also help you feel a sense of self-respect after achieving something that day, which helps you push through the general self-pity we all feel when questioning our actions like night and worrying about if we said anything silly.
Enjoy A Luxurious Shower
Showers are not only great for personal hygiene, but they provide us with a small space in which to steam and sweat the toxins of alcohol out of our pores. Moreover, it feels good! At a time when everything aches and you feel tired, a shower is a self-care ritual that feels comfortable and easy to partake in, which is nice.
It can also help us feel so much more fresh and alert. When you’ve been out since the early hours of the morning getting up to no good, as it were, there’s something to be said for that. Just make sure to brush your teeth well to help remove any of the sugar impact of the drinks you enjoyed the night before.
With this advice, we hope you can deal with that hangover much more reliably, without any gimicks. Sure, it might take a little time to feel human again, but you’ll get there.
