They differ from regular anxiety in that people feel an excessive amount of fear or anxiousness. Yes, hangxiety can occur even after a small amount of alcohol — especially in people who are sensitive to alcohol’s effects or prone to anxiety. Even one drink can temporarily alter brain chemistry, trigger adrenaline release, or disrupt sleep. If you notice anxiety after light drinking, it may help to track your symptoms and explore lower, or non-alcoholic alternatives.

Typically, the feelings of hangxiety can last from several to 14 hours, even after your blood alcohol levels return to normal. 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.

Test Your Stress IQ

While this protocol provides immediate relief, the real transformation happens with consistent application. Reframe’s data showing a 55% anxiety reduction after 30 alcohol-free days demonstrates the compound benefits of sustained effort. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone, is integral to how our brain processes rewards, makes decisions, and develops habits (How Urge Surfing Can Help You Overcome Alcohol Cravings). The brain’s reward system has evolved to reinforce behaviors that are crucial for survival, such as eating and mating. Alcohol hijacks this system by artificially stimulating dopamine release (How Urge Surfing Can Help You Overcome Alcohol Cravings). 💙 The intensity of hangxiety depends on factors like alcohol type, amount, genetics, and how well your body processes stress and alcohol.

• Getting active helps to take your mind off of the issues bothering you.
• Some people with anxiety use natural remedies alongside conventional treatments to find relief.
• This comprehensive 30-minute protocol combines immediate neurochemical interventions with proven techniques that can start working within half an hour of implementation.
• A therapist can also work with you to use this tool to guide treatment planning.
• While many of the studies on herbal supplements for anxiety are limited, the results are promising.

Eat healthy foods

• “That’s a bad recipe for developing more of a long-term dependence,” Wallace says.
• Alcohol also might reduce the effectiveness of your anxiety medication, if you take it, further leading to anxiety after drinking.
• It’s said that the people who don’t have time for meditation are the ones who need it the most.
• Low blood sugar can make you feel nervous, irritable, and anxious.

We all deserve to let loose and have fun–the point is simply that you’ll be best served, and feel the best later, if you do so moderately and conscientiously. A hangover is what occurs after you ingest more alcohol than your body can easily metabolize. It’s the series of changes that happen in your body following drinking, and it usually sets in by the next morning. While not everyone experiences hangxiety when they have a hangover, it’s believed that about 12% of people do. Those who are the most likely to deal with an anxiety-ridden hangover are shy people, according to a British study on the subject. We’ll look at why hangxiety occurs and what you can do about it.

Alcohol use disorder

Hangxiety is a common side effect of drinking more than your body can handle comfortably. Fortunately, awareness can help you manage your alcohol consumption to avoid hangxiety, or cope better when it occurs. Whether you’re prone to anxiety hangovers or just curious about the link between alcohol and mental health, let’s get into some science-backed strategies to help protect your mind the next time you raise a glass. 💙 You can ease hangxiety by staying hydrated, eating well, practicing mindfulness, and resting. Recurring symptoms may signal deeper anxiety and require professional support.

Lifestyle Quizzes

Research indicates that meditation can help to relieve anxiety symptoms, helping you to feel more at ease. It’s easy to fall into a cycle of drinking to reduce anxiety symptoms, only to have them return tenfold the next morning. Why do some people wake up after drinking feeling relaxed and ready for brunch, while others stay wrapped in a blanket, feeling the weight of the world? New research suggests highly shy people may have a higher risk of experiencing anxiety with a hangover. Other symptoms include sleepiness or excitability and warm, flushed skin, especially on your face and neck. It’s also possible to experience mood-related symptoms, including feelings of anxiety.

Manage physical symptoms

You may also be feeling anxious and worried about what you said or did the night before. Otherwise, set some boundaries for yourself and make sure to prioritize food, water, and sleep the next time you drink. Feeling physically well won’t completely resolve anxiety, but it can make you better equipped to tackle racing thoughts and worries. A 2019 study looked at 97 people with varying levels of shyness who drank socially. Researchers asked 50 of the participants to drink as they usually would, and the other 47 participants to stay sober. People are also more likely to indulge in foods that might also trigger anxious feelings.

Here, we asked mental health experts to share some of their top natural remedies for anxiety. The symptoms of hangxiety are likely to happen along with the physical symptoms of a hangover. Your doctor may prescribe anti-anxiety medications or refer you to a specialist. In some cases, the natural remedies described above may be used along with more conventional treatments to help you manage your symptoms. Both alcohol and cigarettes may appear to calm your nerves at first. Research shows that weighted blankets can be beneficial for alleviating symptoms of anxiety.

But those who were highly shy tended to have higher levels of anxiety the next day. “About two drinks, or a blood alcohol concentration of 0.055, tends to increase feelings of relaxation and reduce shyness,” Cyndi goes on to say. Linda is an award-winning medical writer with experience writing for major media outlets, health companies, hospitals, and both Hangxiety relief consumer and trade print and digital outlets. Linda hopes her work will help to destigmatize mental health conditions and encourage others to get the help they need. If you already experience anxiety or social anxiety, alcohol can make these feelings worse.

💙 Check out the Nightly Relaxation Routine session of the Daily Move for a movement routine before bed that can actually help you feel more calm in the morning. The term “hangxiety” is now fairly widely used, though the official origins of the verbiage are unknown. Hangxiety is not a clinical diagnosis, but rather a hangover symptom that many experience.

Homeaglow’s network of home cleaning professionals have you covered. This breakfast recipe is easy to make ahead for busy weekday mornings. Drink this combination slowly over 5 minutes to avoid overwhelming your system. If you or a loved one is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, please call or text 988. You might also find it useful to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Often, a big part of hangxiety is worrying about what you might have said or done while drinking. But remember, what’s true for you is likely true for everyone else. And if you’re not totally sure what you did, you might feel nervous as you wait for your friends to tell you what happened. “But more than three drinks can begin to impair balance, speech, thinking, reasoning, and judgment,” Turner says. Alcohol can also cause your folic acid levels to dip, which could explain why you don’t quite feel like yourself the next day.

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. 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. 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. You can meditate while sitting or even lying in bed, if you don’t feel up to being upright. It can help to start with some deep breathing, so lie or sit back, close your eyes, and focus on your thoughts and how you feel, physically and emotionally.