I went out drinking last week. I had a netball social at Electric Shuffle in London Bridge (very fun – would recommend). The excessive drinking seemed like a good idea at the time but I ended up out of action all of the next day with one of the worst hangovers of my life.
This got me thinking about how hangovers have changed (worsened) for me since I was at university.
I used to go out two or three times a week at university meaning I was probably hungover 50% of the time. I accepted this as part of life and generally carried on as normal.
However, now I’m in my 20s even a small hangover renders me completely useless all day the next day.
While the best advice might be to stop drinking, we’re probably not going to do that. Instead you might want to think about managing your drinking in order to better survive a brutal hangover at work or at home.
Pick your night carefully
Spontaneous drinking is fun and all, but you won’t thank yourself the next day when you are dealing with a brutal hangover at work.
When you’re in your 20s you really need to plan which nights you are going out-out and which you are going to stay (reasonably) sober for. Also important to consider: which days you can cope with a hangover and which would be a bad idea.
Night before a big presentation at work – not a good idea. Night before your parents are coming to visit for the weekend – really not a good idea.
Some people swear by drinking on a Thursday night because then you can be hungover on your work’s time instead of on your own time. This can work, but do it at your own peril. You will need to plan your friday effectively so you have few meetings, a short to-do list and (ideally) can work from home.
If you have something important you need to do the next day, try to be sensible and get home at a reasonable time. Or try to reschedule your events to a better day. I know it’s a bit boring, but honestly you will thank yourself in the morning.
Another thing worth thinking about is the fun to hangover ratio. This (my own theory) asks you to consider how much fun the night out needs to be to make the hangover worth it the next day. Too many times I have ruined my next day for a mediocre night out. It is not worth it!
During the night out
There is a lot of advice out there on how to manage your night out to avoid a brutal hangover at work or at home. However, a lot of the time as soon as you get out with your friends, all your good intentions fly out the window. At least this is what often happens to me.
My top advice is that if you want to avoid a hangover and drink less while out, you really have to fully commit to it. If you aren’t fully sure at the start of the night, there is no way you will stick to it after a drink.
Everyone has their own system for how to stay within your limits. Here is my tried and tested system:
- Do not pre-drink (unnecessary units!) but remember to pre-eat (line the stomach!).
- Do not order wine unless having a meal (I get drunk on a single glass of wine and it gives me the worst hangovers).
- Instead order single spirits with mixers (g&t for me). Single because it’s less strong and also cheaper. (win-win)
- Once you’ve had a few drinks, start ordering tap water alongside any further drinks at the bar. And make sure you finish the water before you consider going back to the bar. (no having a single sip and forgetting about it)
- Plan to get the last bus or tube home (avoid staying out too late)
- When you get home, down a pint of water before bed. (stay hydrated!)
The morning after
Get yourself a standard hangover routine that makes you feel better. Some people swear by wacky hangover cures.
My personal theory is that when you are hungover you have to give your body whatever it is craving. For me it’s usually something from this list: paracetamol, coffee, orange juice, dry toast, greasy carbs.
If I’m going into the office, I like to get myself a Pret on the way in to cheer me up. I have to be careful not to let others know this though, because otherwise it’s a dead giveaway.
If you feel really bad, remember it is OK to call in sick. I know it’s a self-inflicted illness, but you really can’t do your job if you are sick and crying into a pillow. Obviously don’t tell people you are hungover – come up with a plausible but short-term illness instead. Something like a migraine or food poisoning works well.
If you don’t have work, try not to stress about the fact you are wasting a day being hungover. The emotional side of a hangover can be just as bad as the physical side. It’s easy to wallow in your hangover and get very down.
Distract yourself instead with a nice film or TV show. If you feel up to it, try and do some cleaning or household chores. It won’t make you feel any more ill and you’ll feel better having done something productive. Also a clean environment can do a lot for your mental health.
It’s tempting to stay in bed all day. But honestly you’ll feel bad wherever you are, so getting out of the house to do something isn’t the worst idea. Fresh air is good for your mind and body so try to plan a walk or even a light jog.
Avoiding a two day hangover
When you get into your late 20s you might start experiencing the two day hangover. This is a bit like jet lag from socialising and drinking too much. Your sleep patterns become messed up, your body struggles to rehydrate and your body takes longer to clear the bad toxins in the body. All this means you wake up on day two feeling like you’ve been out two nights in a row.
To avoid this, make sure you look after yourself properly when hungover.
It’s often tempting to take an afternoon nap, but avoid this if it will stop you from sleeping that night. You want to get your body back into a normal schedule as soon as possible.
It’s also tempting to just eat junk food. However again this will not make you feel good. Try to get some fruit and veg goodness in and make sure you are constantly drinking water. (Aim to get your pee back to a normal colour!)
Finally, take care of your skin. A night of drinking can do a lot of damage and make you look and feel rough. Make sure you cleanse and moisturise well and consider a face make to help your tired skin recover.
Having a brutal hangover at work is something almost everyone who drinks alcohol experiences at least once. The best thing to do is to avoid it in future. But if not, I hope this article helps!
The NHS recommends we shouldn’t drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week and to spread this out over multiple days. If you have problems with alcohol please visit Drinkaware for advice and support services.
