Hangxiety is the anxious feeling you get after a night of a bit too much drinking. It’s typically the same symptoms you’d feel with general anxiety, with the added bonus of hangover sickness. You may be feeling anxious about poor decisions you made the night before or things you don’t remember, or it may just be a general feeling of uneasiness that has no explanation.
So, what causes it? Basically, as the sedating effects of the alcohol begin to wear off, you go in to a mild state of withdrawal. Because your level of endorphins and dopamine was so high when you were consuming the alcohol, when those endorphins drop back to normal it can feel like that good mood is being leached from your body. Drinking the night before may also have led to some bad decisions that you will begin to regret the next day. Alcohol scrambles the way our brain functions, often making us feel more happy and confident, and this is why we may sometimes say or do things we wouldn’t usually.
It goes without saying that hangxiety is bad for both your mental and physical wellbeing. If you’re someone who drinks frequently, then you may experience this type of anxiety more and it could lead to ongoing mental health problems. Obviously, the best way to avoid hangxiety is to stop drinking altogether, but we understand that this is unrealistic. Consuming alcohol is a very normal part of Australian culture, and can be a super fun and social activity when done the right way. Alcohol can make us feel more relaxed and some specific drinks like red wine can have health benefits like antioxidants.
With that being said, the most realistic way to avoid hanxiety is to put some repercussions in place. First of all, know your limit. You know how much alcohol your body can take without things getting too messy, be aware of this and also let your friends and family know this so they can help monitor your drinking if need be. Another helpful tip is to drink lots of water while drinking alcohol. With every glass of alcohol, you should also be drinking a full glass of water. This will mean you don’t get drunk as intensely and it also minimises the effects of your hangover the next day: feeling dehydrated only makes the anxious feelings worse.
If you wake up the next day and find you’re feeling anxious, go easy on yourself and take a rest day if you can. Make sure you get yourself something to eat (something greasy always helps, if you can afford the cheat day!) And try doing something relaxing like meditation or watching a movie you enjoy. Always be safe when consuming alcohol, it will be much more enjoyable if you can wake up the next morning and feel happy about the night before rather than anxious.