11 Ways to Survive a Hangover

Tis the season to be hungover, yes?

NOOOO!

Last year, I posted a few hangover tips the Thursday before New Year’s. I don’t know if anyone actually read it. I know this time of year, reading blogs is not at the top of everyone’s priority list.

And guess what friends, I have already suffered my first hangover of the holiday season. So I’m coming to you, not only armed & ready with tips, but fresh with hangover experience. Awesome, huh? Not only did I suffer through a hangover, but I survived and managed to sing at church hours later and… AND got my party on 24 hours after I drank the drinks that awarded me one of my nastiest hangovers.

1. Eat. Eating before you drink seems obvious, doesn’t it? But it was my very first mistake last week. I was on the go all day and before I started drinking Dragons Milk at a work-party… all I ate was a banana for breakfast and a small bowl of pasta with a little olive-oil for lunch. At the party, I was dealing with 2 kids and made sure they were fed of course, but I only ate a mini-rueben before I was pulled away from my plate for… whoknowswhat. Yeah. Don’t be dumb like me. You know what you get when you drink Dragons Milk on an empty stomach? A spewing dragon. Enough said.
2. Drink Water… before, during & after. Again, another obvious tip, but it is so important to keep yourself hydrated when you are celebrating. Yes, water can be boring, and if you don’t want people to think you’re a puss, or ask you for a ride home, add a lime and make it look like a vodka-tonic.  
3. Vitamins are your friend. I’ve been on B12 since contracting mono last year. It is an amazing little vitamin that gives me energy and keeps me healthy. I highly recommend taking B12 before, during & after your celebrations to help avoid that hangover. It didn’t help me before the work-party last week, but it did help the day after.
4. Avoid mixing alcohol. Know your body and how it processes alcohol. I personally can not drink anything else once I drink a beer. Beer is my end drink. I usually start with a glass of wine or bourbon and move onto beer from there. The hubs claims he’s the opposite. He does tend to avoid hangovers more than me. Trust your body and use your experience as a guide. Had a bad experience drinking too many bottles of Dragon’s Milk? Try a beer with les than 10% ABV next time. Yes, I’m speaking to myself. Experience is the best teacher — especially when it comes to hangovers. 
5. Pay With Cash. If you’re going out, make it a priority to hit up the ATM first and actually pay for each round with cash. It’s the easiest way to maintain a solid grasp on how fast & how much you’re drinking. 
6. Limit Yourself. If you’re not going out to a cash-bar setting, but it’s BYOB, don’t bring a full-case of beer unless you’re sharing with friends. Get a good 6-pack of Michigan beer instead. You will drink it slower, and when it’s gone, it’s a good signal that it’s time to switch to water. 
7. Watch the time. Not the easiest thing to do when your goal is to celebrate, but you know your phone will be in your hands at some point — check the time and make sure you’re not drinking too many drinks/hour. Take it from someone who didn’t watch the clock and drank 3 Dragons Milks in about 90 minutes. Not. Cool. The next night, however, I sipped 2oz of really good bourbon for over an hour and that treated me much better. 
8. Sleep it off. The best thing for a hangover with a sour stomach is laying completely still for hours. Sleep will not only help you get through the spins and turning into Pukenstein, but the more sleep you get, the better you will feel in the morning… or afternoon if you are lucky. 
9. Eat. Oh yes, it deserves to be mentioned again. First of all — anything with natural peppermint & ginger can be very helpful, especially if you happen to wake up hungover. Altoids, candy-canes… ginger-ale are things I tend to have around the house this time of year. Then, try to eat something that sticks. For me, a big authentic Mexican meal seems to do the trick. Something cheesy with a little spice tends to absorb the last alcohol’s ugly grasp, and gets me back on my feet.
10. Get Back On That Horse. Unless this is your 3rd or 4th hangover of the week (signaling the need to find something other than alcohol to help you? #justsayin #psaover) Sometimes, the hair of the dog is just what the doctor ordered when you have a hangover. Bloody Marys are usually my friend… don’t know what it is about the spice that helps, but it works for me. Some people swear by drinking exactly what did them in. But, you won’t find me drinking a Dragons Milk… yet. 
11. Don’t Beat Yourself Up Over It. If you’re like me, you feel like hell when you get hit with a hangover: physically & mentally. I felt so stupid and the guilt hit me hard: Worst Momma of the Year! But hangovers happen. Learn from it and move on. I did have a ton of fun, right up until I turned into the dreaded spewing dragon. Hindsight is telling me I needed the lesson & reality check. Nobody’s perfect.