Dear friend,
Many I had the chance to speak with face this problem. The infamous social hangover that renders our energy and focus to a bare minimum is something many people experienced, including me. It goes without saying that it’s in direct connection with when we are engaged in multiple social activities for days at a time. But there’s a catch. We can only endure so much of it before we become overwhelmed and drained.
Social hangover is real
Since holidays are closing in, you only need to imagine the following scenario. You are surrounded by dozens of people, and are forced to engage in dreaded small talk over and over again. Whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, it won’t take long before your energy levels drop to zero.
You start feeling as if you’re suffocating, and in need of fresh air. It’s the kinda feeling we all felt at some point in our life. It’s as if the room isn’t big enough, and you get that claustrophobic sensation to desperately breathe in some fresh air.
This is all too real. Don’t get me wrong, we love our people and want to spend time with them. Humans are social creatures, and spending time with those we cherish the most is amazing! But we also need time with our own thoughts, and the holiday season renders that time almost impossible to get.
No wonder so many of us feel anxious, nervous, and under huge stress realizing, social hangover is real.
Having said that, I’ll get straight into sharing with you the three most effective ways to overcome social hangover, and to prepare for it before it happens.
3 ways to overcome a social hangover
1. Plan your exit strategy in advance. It’s vital that you plan how you will leave the event before you reach a social hangover moment. Determine how many hours you can stay before approaching that limit. Remember, you are not being selfish, you are protecting yourself, and by doing so, you will also give more focused attention to everyone around you before you decide to leave. Carefully plan how much you can endure before you need to recharge.
2. Expand small talk to a genuine conversation. You will inevitably experience small talk when you’re in a large crowd which is extremely draining. So when you find yourself in a situation like this, try to shift the topic you’re covering to something more meaningful. This will help reduce the social hangover dramatically. For example, if you speak with someone about a book, ask them about the main character, their actions in that specific book, or their thoughts about the message the book brings. Small talk may happen, but that doesn’t mean that you have to stay in that realm.
3. Embrace solitude as a must. I cannot stress how important this is. In order for you to recharge your batteries, you must spend a little bit of time alone, because you have to look after yourself, too. And that means lots of solitude after exhausting events, too much small talk, and being surrounded by people for large quantities of time. You don’t have to surround yourself with complete silence. Put some silent music in the background, be in nature, meditate, journal, play with your furry friend, or simply take a replenishing nap. Anything that will nurture your mind and body will do the trick.
Remember that sometimes social hangovers will happen no matter how much we try to avoid them. But by applying these three simple, but effective techniques, you will be able to conquer social hangover and give that much needed care to yourself. 🙂
Love,
Marko
What’s your experience with social hangovers? Do you have a specific technique how you approach them? We would love to hear from you in the comments below! 🙂