Survival Mode ON: 10 Tips To Help Cure Your Hangover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xlkseW3z8o We’ve all been there. You wake up, open your eyes and the room is spinning. All your organs are screaming for water and your mouth is as dry as your skin. Your forehead is pulsating, your blood hurts and the smell of alcohol in your hair is making you want to projectile vomit. You carefully sit up perpendicular and give it a few seconds before you’re not seeing double. During this time you ask yourself, “Am I hungry? Am I sad? Am I dying?” You're physically and emotionally battling with yourself for a few minutes before you put your feet on the ground and take those first few, brave steps. Your hangover nightmare has officially begun. Survival mode ON: now let’s begin…
- Do damage control on your phone and social media: This is first and foremost. If your hangover is bad enough to need a survival guide, then you clearly did some dumb sh*t last night. Scan your texts, and check your social media for any posts. Nothing will make your head split more than seeing you posted 500 seconds of drunkenness on your Snapchat story.
- Hydrate: Dehydration is playing a big part in this hangover. I know the thought of chugging a glass of anything right now is horrible, but it needs to be done. Multiple glasses of water is a must. Gatorade, coconut water and Pedialyte are also great options to help replace lost electrolytes.
- Take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory: For that earth-shattering headache. Example: ibuprofen or aspirin.
- Take a hot/cold shower: Hop in the shower and start with the water as hot as you can take it. Let it beat down on your head and neck for 30 seconds. Switch the water to ice cold and stay under it for another 30 seconds. Keep alternating between hot and cold for the remainder of the shower. I don’t know if there’s any scientific evidence behind this, but I swear by it! I feel like it’s getting my blood circulating and therefore helping speed up the removal of toxins (it makes sense right??).
- EAT: Unfortunately there isn’t a magic meal to stop the roller coaster going on in your stomach. Some people feel better with greasy food, some people feel better going the healthy route. Just eat! Hamburgers, french-fries, burritos, fruit, pasta, you name it. Calories don't count when your in survival mode. Eat whatever floats your little hungover boat.
- Ginger: Whether it’s ginger tea, ginger ale or ginger tablets- ginger is known to help with nausea. I personally like to put fresh ginger in a fruit smoothie when I wake up. The ice-cold liquid is hydrating/satisfying and the ginger helps battle the wooziness.
- Avoid the hair of the dog: Just don’t do it. Stay far, far away from that aggressive little bastard. All it’s doing is masking the inevitable. The hangover WILL arrive once you stop drinking, probably barking louder than before.
- Sweat: OK I know this sounds crazy, but nothing makes me feel better. Go to the gym, take a hot bath, or lay out in the sun. Sweat it all out! Just make sure to hydrate while doing so.
- Stretch: This doesn’t take as much effort as going to the gym, and all you need to do is lie on the floor and channel your inner yogi. Stretching has been noted to improve circulation, release toxins and aid in the digestion process. Try this one: sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Bring one knee up with foot on floor. Take your opposite elbow and press it on outside of that same knee. Twist that core and take a few deep breaths. It’s like ringing out a wet towel!
- Sleep: If you’re lucky enough to catch a few extra zzz’s during the day then do it! Once you are hydrated, nothing will make you feel better than a nice long nap. So slip on your I Woke Up Like This shirt, get under the covers and let your body rest, re-cooperate and metabolize last nights herd of Moscow mules.
Feel better ya little party animals...
jen