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Written By: Smruthi Gelli
Emotional hangover, much like being hungover from drinking the night before, is when a person feels physically and emotionally drained in the morning following an emotionally taxing situation.
This could mean getting into a fight with somebody that you might have built a strong relationship with, feeling like you failed at something that you had been working so hard to achieve, or even a positive event that stimulates intense emotions. Unfortunately, this can be the start of many mental health problems – instead of recognizing an emotional hangover, one might feel that they are simply just being lazy and not doing anything useful. However, it’s important to acknowledge that these emotions are valid, and what can help are remedies to help overcome these dreadful emotional hangovers.
But how do I know when I’m experiencing an emotional hangover? Well, if you ever feel unusually lethargic and are for some reason having negative feelings about yourself or a particular situation, you may want to consider the possibility. Some additional symptoms are muscle tension, headaches or other physical ailments, feelings of guilt or remorse, sadness, fatigue, irritability, and feeling drained or burned out (Gillis 2023).
Once you have better understood the cause of your feelings, it is important to learn how to cope healthily. According to Charlies Health, there are a few simple steps that you should incorporate in your daily life:
Prioritize your self care. Everyone deserves a little time to themselves where they focus on improving their wellbeing on a journey to increasing their self confidence. One method I find helpful for self care is wearing a face mask to help feel rejuvenated and more awake. If you do not have access to store bought/ready made face masks, you can always make a simple homemade mask with three simple ingredients (turmeric, water, and honey).
Some other habits you could incorporate are deep breathing or physical exercises, journaling (which can be extremely helpful when you are keeping a lot of emotions bottled up), listening to music you love, taking a hot shower or a bubble bath, eating healthy food/not skipping meals, and most importantly, staying hydrated (Ladarer 2023).
Stay active consistently. Physical exercise is extremely important because not only will it motivate you to get out of bed, but it will also help boost bodily hormones, “which can boost mood and reduce anxiety” (Ladarer 2023).
Surround yourself with people that care about you and can uplift you depending on what might’ve caused those negative emotions. Remember, you can only be successful and motivated when you surround yourself with the people that want the best for you. This includes your family, friends, and even the mentors you choose to make a rapport with.
Be patient with yourself (Ladarer 2023). Give yourself time to recover and work on yourself. Remember that everyday is a new day and you will constantly be learning, but sometimes in order to grow you need to learn to not be frustrated with yourself. Along with this, if you are recovering from a traumatic event, and you feel like you need more help, do not try fixing it by yourself. Make sure to seek help if you need it and use the support of the people that you trust with your feelings.
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