15 Ways to Recover from an Emotional Hangover

It’s the morning after. We wake up feeling so bad that getting out of bed doesn’t seem possible. In fact, we'd love nothing better than to pull the covers over our heads and let another day pass without us.

We finally stumble to the bathroom only to see our bloodshot, swollen eyes looking mournfully back at us from the mirror. We haven’t been drinking. No substances were involved.

It’s just an emotional hangover.

Have you been there? I know I have. There are days that hit us so hard we cry ourselves to sleep at night. There are nights we chase sleep because we can't turn off our thoughts long enough to rest. We wake up wrung out and more exhausted than when we went to bed. We drag ourselves through the day as if we partied hard the night before, rather than cried our eyes out or engaged in other strong emotions.

In the wake of those emotions, it may seem like we should do something productive. After all, we lose so much time when we’re deep in emotional upheaval. But the first step to recovering from an emotional hangover is easy.

Rest.

Don’t do anything. It's counterintuitive when work has probably piled up while we were being devastated by our emotions, but the first thing we need to do isn't the pile of work; it's rest. Actually, it’s best to do the absolute minimum while experiencing the hangover that comes after strong emotions. Make time for a nap, if you can.

If there's no time for a nap, try to take it a little easier as you go through the day. Be gentle with yourself. If possible, make it a priority to go to bed early.

Drink more water.

Crying is dehydrating. In general, strong emotions can leave us feeling depleted. Drink up.

Nourish yourself with healthy foods.

Put something nourishing in your body. When we’re rocked by hard times, we need the comfort of good, healthy food. My go-to is a homemade vegetable soup with warm cornbread muffins.

Indulge.

Eat healthy foods, but also give yourself treats. Eat the ice cream. Have a brownie. Over-indulging can create additional stressors, but making space for a small indulgence can be a sweet relief in more ways than one.

Take a long bath.

Water is healing. Add a scented body wash or bath bomb to the mix. Light candles. Listen to music. Just enjoy the experience of the water washing away all those troubles.

Journal.

Are you experiencing lingering emotions? Write them out. Clear your head. Put it all down so that you can clear the air to start finding positive ways to move forward.

Smudge.

Burn some sage. There’s scientific proof that this purifies the air, and it’s also reputed to remove bad energy. If sage doesn't work for you or feels too much like cultural appropriation, clean house instead. A little cleaning can feel like scrubbing away our troubles--particularly when it's something mindless we can do without thinking.

Take refuge in music.

Spend a little time with a playlist that gives you comfort. Avoid the ones that stir up those strong emotions and instead focus on the ones that bring you peace. Certain songs have been suggested to have mood-boosting potential--like Clair de Lune by Debussy or Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir.

Meditate.

Try a guided meditation. Allow a soothing voice to walk you through relaxing your body and letting the stress go. Guided sleep meditations can also be great for getting rest when your thoughts won't give you a break.

Forest bathe.

Go out into nature. Surround yourself with trees for a forest bathing experience, no water or nudity required. Simply soak up nature. Go for a nature walk, a hike, or even just sit outside in the fresh air and sunlight. Is it raining? Put on some boots, grab an umbrella, and walk in the rain. Be outdoors.

Ground yourself.

Do a grounding exercise. Place bare feet on the ground and recenter. Open your senses to your environment. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell and taste? Take the time to focus on the present moment experience of your physical body.

Be kind to yourself.

Now is not the time to berate yourself or wallow in shame or regret. Now is the time to be gentle with yourself. Practice thought stopping to halt negative thoughts in their tracks. Replace more negative thoughts with the kind of gentle things you would say to a friend in this situation. Be loving with yourself today.

Pamper yourself.

Put cucumber slices on your eyes. Use an eye or face mask. Smooth lotion on your dehydrated skin. This isn’t just for the ladies. Our skin often bears the brunt of hard times. We need to make sure we’re moisturizing and caring for the skin we’re in.

Exercise.

Get a little bit of movement into your day. Go for a walk or swim. Ride a bike. Have sex. A little exercise will stimulate the endorphins and help you feel a little better.

Plan ahead.

Life can be excruciatingly hard at times. Strong emotions will happen, and we can plan for them by regularly practicing self-care. It's also important to have a next-level self-care plan for the truly tough times. Building a support system, learning and using a variety of coping skills, and even seeing a therapist can help prepare us for future emotional hangovers--and help equip us with the skills we need to manage them better.

Recovering from an emotional hangover can be every bit as taxing as recovering from an alcohol-induced one. Be prepared to treat yourself as gently as if you had partied hard the night before. Re-hydrate, get some rest, and try to eat something a little healthy.

The emotions are likely not gone--only giving us a little break. By taking care of ourselves now, we can prepare for the next onslaught of feelings knowing that we are strong, capable, and resourceful enough to handle them.