We sang. We danced. We swung from the proverbial chandelier. Now we’re paying for it. Too much food, too much drink, lots of good times but now left feeling sluggish, grumpy and unmotivated…we’ve all been there.
The morning after an overly-indulgent evening can be frustrating especially with the added guilt. Stop cursing yourself for last night’s sins. You had fun. Embrace it and move on. The day may not function as you planned, but if you burden yourself with shame then that negativity will make it all the more unpleasant. Shake it off and get back on track.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! image courtesy of Aileen Clarke
Here’s the plan for recuperation:
Sleep
If you don’t have kids stay in bed as long as possible. If you do have kids, I’m sorry. Instead turn on the cartoons, rest your head, and start hydrating. Speaking of…
Hydrate
Flush out the toxins stat. Hold off on caffeine until you have at least 2 very tall glasses of water. Then drink more water. If you normally nurse your hangover with a sports drink, try coconut water (Zico Natural Pure Premium Coconut Water) instead for that same boost of electrolytes without the nasty chemicals. As a side note, Coke (Powerade) and Pepsi (Gatorade) did remove the flame retardant (yes, you read that correctly), BVO, from their products, but the list of ingredients is still unpleasant to read.
Eat
Start off on the right foot with something healthy. This will help change your mindset. Please do not feed the hangover grease. This will bring your mood down further and mess with an already temperamental stomach. For the rest of the day stick to comforting, healthy, veggie-rific, high protein meals. Asparagus, bananas, eggs, quinoa, spinach, avocados, tomato juice (not bloody mary’s) restore depleted minerals and vitamins and propel you further down the road of recovery.
Straighten up
Yourself and your surroundings. Remove evidence from the previous night, clear out the wine bottles and martini glasses, and hop in the shower. Sneak away from the brood for 30 minutes, indulge in some tv or music, and fold laundry in solitude. All mindless activities that offer a little movement and to-do list checks.
Get outside
Move! Fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity are your cure-all. It may be hard to drag yourself off the couch, but sulking inside definitely will not improve your situation. Not only will you feel better once you are moving but the day also will progress a bit faster. Hike, walk into town, ice skate, rock climb, take the kids to a playground! If there is still 4 feet of snow on the ground, go to the gym (especially if there’s daycare), stroll on the treadmill while perusing trashy mags or saunter through the mall or a museum. 2 hours out of the house and you are a new person!
Prep
You’ve almost made it through the day! Possibly you even enjoyed it! If you got blottoed on a Friday, great news you have the rest of the weekend to recover. If it’s Saturday (or a weekday…mon dieu!), hmmmm….bummer. No, no all is not lost. Avoid those Sunday blues by prepping for your week. Make lunches, lay out clothes, and organize your calendar.
Relax
Once you have everyone to bed, make some tea, get cozy then hit the sack nice and early to start the week off on the right foot!
At the end of the day, pat yourself on the back for pulling it together. If things did not come together as you had hoped remind yourself that tomorrow is another day!