Emotional hangover is an often overlooked condition that can significantly affect a person’s mental and physical well-being.
An emotional hangover is similar to a hangover from drinking alcohol or other substances. It is the kind of feeling that arises after a certain traumatic or emotional incident. It can be emotionally draining and draining, which can cause discomfort. This can arise due to various situations such as having a nasty argument with an office mate, a breakup, a fight with your best friends due to stress, not finding the book you love, someone buying the exact same dress as you, your crush getting into a relationship, or having an irritating fight with a stranger over a seat fight. It can happen when one reaches their maximum limit of handling and responding to a particular situation that is overwhelming them. As a result, when you wake up the next morning you may be physically and emotionally exhausted. We all, at some point in our lives, go through this critical phase of emotional hangover. It can affect your emotional health and lead to mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, and eating disorders.
Over time, attention span can decrease and make it difficult to focus on anything in particular for more than a few minutes. This can create a significant disturbance in carrying out everyday activities, causing them to isolate themselves. This can create intense pressure on them to wake up every morning and behave as if nothing has happened. Bottling up their emotions for a long period can be exhausting and create a mental burden. This can sequentially affect their thoughts about themselves and other relationships. In some cases, people tend to blame themselves and make peace with the situation instead of finding the root cause of the problem. Emotional hangover is the vulnerable part of an individual’s life.
Emotional hangover symptoms
- Muscle tension
- Rapid heartbeats
- Feelings of guilt, remorse and sadness.
- Brain fog
- Delay
- Acute headache
- Easily distracted
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Stomachache
- Nausea
- Constant mood swings
What does an emotional hangover do to your body and brain?
According to Dr Sonal Anand, a psychiatrist at Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road, “An emotional event can activate the brain, which in turn triggers the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. It also activates the emotional centres of the brain, specifically the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions and forming memories. These hormones and the body’s defence mechanisms can lead to high blood pressure and increased heart rate, which can be detrimental to heart health and potentially increase the risk of developing several cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, cardiac arrest, heart failure and coronary artery disease. These emotions are so intense that they become deeply etched in the memory, making it harder to forget or move on.”
Tips to overcome emotional hangover
- Get enough sleep and try to sleep at least 7 to 8 hours a day.
- During stressful situations, try to distract yourself by engaging in activities and hobbies that make you happy, such as drawing, walking, biking, watching movies, or cooking.
- To relax and reduce stress, you can practice yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises to get instant relief.
- Express your thoughts and express them when necessary.
- Eat a well-balanced meal containing essential nutrients to improve your health.
If you are unable to share your feelings with your loved ones, then it may be helpful to record your thoughts and frustrations daily.
