Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you go to the bathroom more than you normally would. Add to that the fact that many of us are guilty of not drinking enough water in between glasses of wine and it’s very likely you don’t have enough water in your system. Dehydration, according to a 2014 study in PLoS One, can contribute to anxiety and other negative changes in your mood. “When you have nothing else to do that day, and you’re just resting … it does make your anxiety a little bit better.  You can just do self-care,” Adnand suggests.

First, let’s make sure we understand the words that combine to create this term. Talk to friends or family members who may understand what you’re going through. If hangxiety is a recurring problem, consult a mental health professional for coping strategies and support. Start by drinking plenty of water to help flush out toxins and stabilize your body’s natural functions. Consider beverages that replenish electrolytes, such as sports drinks or coconut water, to restore balance more effectively.

Sometimes, even if you took all of the appropriate steps to avoid a hangover, you still might experience one, and it may bring anxiety along for the ride with it. The older you get, the harder it becomes for your body to metabolize alcohol, so you might notice that it’s harder to avoid a hangover than it used to be. If you’re experiencing hangxiety, attending how to stop drinking out of boredom to the physical needs of your hangover can also help with the emotional repercussions.

What Is Hangxiety?

This varies; hangxiety can last anywhere from a few hours to a full day after drinking. “The severity and length depend on factors like the amount of alcohol consumed, hydration levels and individual sensitivity to alcohol,” Mehta says. If you’ve ever been hungover, you know that certain foods how to flush alcohol out of your system quickly just hit different when your head is pounding, you’re a little nauseous, etc. It’s not just in your head; some foods, like ginger, salmon, cucumbers and honey, can actually alleviate hangover symptoms. So while the McDonald’s cravings are hitting hard, it might be worth it to plan your meals around foods that will make you feel better physically (which always helps your mental state, too).

Hangxiety, on the other hand, is a type of everyday anxiety that people tend to experience from time to time while they’re sobering up after drinking, Wallace says. Once you’ve cared for your physical needs, be gentle with yourself emotionally. Realize that this is a temporary feeling, and forgive yourself for your sense of worry or unease.

Even if they don’t know the term hangxiety, we’re pretty sure they’ve felt it at least a little bit. When you’re stuck in an anxious loop, it can be hard to see things from an outsider’s perspective. liquor storage ideas Chances are you’re blowing whatever you think you did or said out of proportion. Beyond that, even if you did say or do something cringey, it probably didn’t even register as cringey to the people you were with at the time. Remember that no one is thinking about you as much as you’re thinking about you, and it’s very likely your embarrassment or regrets are unfounded.

What Should I Do When I Feel Hangxiety?

Whatever you do, don’t reach for another drink to get through the day. “That’s a bad recipe for developing more of a long-term dependence,” Wallace says. “The brain always wants to stay in balance and whatever feelings you manufacture with alcohol, the brain will cause the exact opposite feeling to maintain homeostasis,” Tietz says. Therapists have been writing about hangxiety since 2021, and those in the world of recovery have been using it since then as well.

How to Manage the Dreaded “Hangxiety” After a Night Out

1. But those who were highly shy tended to have higher levels of anxiety the next day.
2. However, Gunn said that hangxiety is estimated to only affect around 12% of individuals who drink alcohol, and why some people have different symptoms to others is not well understood.
3. “Alcohol itself is a depressant and has sedating effects,” Dr. Arielle Baskin-Sommers, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Yale, said in an email to USA TODAY.
4. Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.
5. These neurotransmitters play a major role in regulating our mood, and after they initially generate euphoria, sudden changes to their levels may be a major trigger for later symptoms of hangxiety.

This detoxification period, which can be considered a mild form of withdrawal, can take several hours. “The biggest difference between the two is the duration of the symptoms,” Wallace says. “With hangxiety, it can be a day or two.” An anxiety disorder, by definition, means that symptoms (excessive anxiety and worry) have been ongoing (on more days than not) for at least six months. The simplest way to avoid the troubles of a hangover, anxiety included, is to not drink.

Those who struggle with social interactions when sober may also be more prone to hangxiety, added Nutt. This is because people who experience social anxiety tend to have lower GABA and/or higher glutamate function, which makes them more prone to anxiety after drinking. A 2021 review published in the journal Clinical Psychology Review suggested that this imbalance in gut microbes may be linked to symptoms of anxiety disorders. However, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanism behind this, and it’s unclear how these gut bug disruptions might contribute to short-term feelings of anxiousness after drinking. A 2011 study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that even mild dehydration in men can lead to impaired working memory and increased anxiety levels.

What “Hangxiety” Is and How to Avoid It

Thinking about your drinking habits can help lessen the impact of alcohol on your body and mind. Eat a substantial meal before drinking to help slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream, which can moderate its effects. Foods high in protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates can be particularly effective. Get enough sleep before and after drinking to help your body recover and reduce the risk of hangxiety. Beverages high in congeners (chemical byproducts of alcohol fermentation, found in larger amounts in dark liquors like whiskey and red wine) may increase the likelihood and severity of hangxiety.

For example, maybe wine makes you sleepy while vodka makes you want to cry about your relationship with your mom. If you’re prone to hangxiety (or bad hangovers in general) be cognizant of what types of drinks your body responds best to and try to stick to those. That might mean giving up your beloved cosmo, but we’re willing to bet your anxiety-free self (or at least less anxious self) will thank you for the sacrifice.

However, Gunn said that hangxiety is estimated to only affect around 12% of individuals who drink alcohol, and why some people have different symptoms to others is not well understood. If your anxiety persists, or if you feel you need to drink more alcohol to cope with it, consider talking with a therapist or other healthcare professional. In her practice, Turner teaches alcohol moderation, a strategy that could help you avoid some of the negative effects of alcohol. If you find yourself frequently drinking more than you planned (and experiencing anxiety afterward), it might be time to take a step back and reevaluate things. Anxiety can happen for a lot of reasons, but one possible cause could relate to alcohol use itself. To put it another way, you might have some awareness, whether it’s conscious or not, of alcohol’s less-than-positive effects on your mental health.

What Is Hangxiety? Plus 6 Tips for Getting Rid of It

Feeling extremely thirsty is a common hangover symptom, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Alcohol is a diuretic substance, which means it makes your body lose fluids more rapidly than normal. After a night of heavy drinking, this fluid loss can leave you feeling groggy and tired when you wake up.

Science also supports this approach; researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that mindful meditation can help ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. You can also use a guided meditation app like Headspace or search YouTube for guided meditation tracks to get started. As I’ve mentioned, dehydration can be a major factor in bringing about or worsening hangxiety. It’s crucial, then, to make sure you’re getting enough water the morning after to combat this dehydration.